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 That notion would have been dismissed out of hand in years gone by
but he will journey to Roland Garros later this month with many
backing the Briton to go all the way.
Until last week he had never won a claycourt title.
But, after claiming his first in Munich, he headed to Madrid where
he blazed through a tough draw before crushing claycourt king Rafa
Nadal in the final.
A year ago Murray managed only six games in a semi-final defeat by
Nadal at the French Open as the Spaniard rolled on towards a ninth
title at the claycourt grand slam.
He also reached the semis in 2011, so his record in the French
capital is not shoddy, but by common consent the red dust was not a
surface suited to Murray's game.
Yet something has changed and with Nadal struggling, the 27-year-old
could be the man to exploit the Spaniard's troubles, even if Novak
Djokovic is now the favorite to win the title.
British bookmaker William Hill shortened Murray's French Open odds
from 12-1 to 8-1 after his 6-3 6-2 win over Nadal in Madrid, with
Nadal at 9-4 and Djokovic the 5-6 favorite.
Although Nadal's slump has boosted recently-married Murray's
chances, his improved form on clay is just as relevant.
The attacking philosophy of his coaching team, Amelie Mauresmo and
Jonas Bjorkman, is paying dividends.
Murray now looks more prepared to be the aggressor early in rallies,
which on slow clay helps him dictate points.
Forcing opponents further back behind the baseline with early-struck
groundstrokes, Murray can pull the trigger on one of the best drop
shots in tennis.
His serve, particularly his second delivery, is a revelation.
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It's spin and bounce bamboozled Nadal to such an extend that the
Mallorcan only managed to win four points on it on Sunday.
Murray will need to sustain his current level to have a chance of
winning an unlikely French crown, but his belief is soaring ahead of
this week's Rome Masters.
Physically, Murray now looks as strong as at any stage since he
underwent back surgery in 2013.
"In the past I struggled physically on the clay, but my team have
been brave enough to make some pretty drastic changes and I feel
much better because of it," Murray said.
"To win a Masters Series on clay is a step in the right direction."
Murray, however, warned of writing off Nadal.
"That court (in Paris) he's only lost one match in his
career...there was enough to suggest that with another couple of
weeks preparation he can go all the way."
(Additional reporting by Iain Rogers; Editing by Ed Osmond)
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