Tennis: Andy Murray flying under the radar ahead of Monte Carlo Masters, clay-season

Andy Murray has been quietly preparing for the Monte-Carlo Masters, where the world No. 2 kicks off his clay-season campaign.

Murray, who has yet to win a title this season, will be back in tennis action when he hits the dirt at the ATP 1000 Masters Monte-Carlo this week to compete against the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Unlike the other members of the Big Four, Murray is approaching the clay-season and his next tournament with less attention, which could serve him well in focusing on his game after disappointing losses at the .

Murray began the season with a final round appearance at the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Djokovic. Despite the distractions from his father-in-law Nigel Sears’ condition and wife Kim, who has heavily pregnant at that time, the world No. 2 was able to finish the tournament on a high note.

He followed up his runner-up finish by helping Great Britain to defeat Japan at the Davis Cup World Group first round tie in March, including a thrilling five-set victory over Kei Nishikori.

However, the Scot was not able to sustain the level of performance in his next tournament, suffering early losses against lower-ranked opponents. In Indian Wells and the Miami Open, Murray only reached the third round after defeats from Argentina’s Federico Delbonis and Grigor Dimitrov, respectively.

"It's disappointing, that's for sure," Murray said, reports the BBC. "I had time to prepare on the court and get used to the conditions, but I wasn't able to get on a good run."

Murray will have a chance to rectify his shortcomings at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he enters as the second. The 28-year-old could open against Argentine Guido Pella and an unknown qualifier. Murray could also face Nadal in the semifinal round, but both players must win their potential matchups first.