He may have seen his winning run come to an end against Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters but Andy Murray insists the result would not dampen his mood ahead of the season-ending World Tour Finals.
Murray has played 23 matches over the past six weeks, winning three titles in the process as he bid to make the season finale in London.
That objective was achieved when he beat Grigor Dimitrov in the third round on Thursday – a victory that set up a quarter-final encounter with world number one Djokovic.
The Scot had lost his three previous matches against the Serb this year but while keeping touch in the first set, could not maintain his form as he lost the final five games of the match to fall to a 7-5, 6-2 defeat.
Murray will now take a week off before the World Tour Finals begins in London and the 27-year-old insisted he was getting closer to competing with the world’s best once again.
“The last six weeks have been fantastic, only positive, and will stand me in good stead,” he said.
“Novak has played incredibly well these last three or four years. I wasn't ready to play against the top few guys at the start of the year but I don't feel my game is that far away from them now.
“I was feeling okay out there but I started rushing at the end, I can still take confidence from the last few weeks.”
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