Why biryani-fan Andy Murray wanted to play in Chennai?

Reigning Wimbledon champion has propelled himself into the top-three of world tennis in the past couple of years. From an 'also-ran', who lost four Major finals on the bounce, the Scot currently ranks fourth in the world, just 10 points behind Spaniard David Ferrer. He would probably have been placed higher but Murray missed the end of the 2013 season with a back injury and at a time when Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Ferrer performed exceedingly well.

Now Murray, having returned from a back surgery, has his sights set on the Australian Open this month. He began his competitive comeback at the Qatar Open but was dumped out by Florian Mayer in the second round. Despite the exit Murray said that his priority was getting back to full fitness, "I lost two matches but got through without any niggles or injuries."

Surprisingly the 26-year-old indicates that he may have been better off playing in the on-going Chennai Open. "A bunch of people on the Tour who have played in Chennai have said that it's ideal preparation for the Australian Open, given the hot and humid conditions," Murray said in an interview with the Times of India. "I'll definitely go to Chennai if I get invited."

Murray also reveals that he is a 'big fan' of Indian food and used to regularly indulge himself. "I used to have a lot of curry, but they don't work great for a professional athlete. My favourite is chicken biryani and I'm also a big fan of naan bread," he added.

Away from the dinner table, Murray is a fierce competitor on the court. He has won two out of the last four Grand Slams he has featured in and clinched gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Yet, he is wary of having unrealistic expectations in Melbourne. "In terms of expectations I have no idea, to be honest. I wouldn't expect to win the Australian Open," he was quoted as saying by ESPN. Murray has not yet peaked in terms of fitness and would only be able to gauge himself if he could "get through a match or two".

Last season Murray became the first Brit since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon, beating Djokovic in the final. His victory at the All-England Club has meant that expectation has increased ten-fold from his fans across the globe. Despite being 'overlooked' for a knighthood, Murray was named the 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which is given to sportspersons "whose actions have most captured the public's imagination". Which Murray's certainly has!

"I think the Sports Personality thing was nice," Murray said. "In the last couple of years the support has been getting better and better and I've played my best tennis in those situations when I have had the crowd with me."

Murray is eyeing the New Year with confidence and believes he can surpass his Wimbledon-winning form. "The results (after my surgery) have been good. I haven't lost any strength, I was training two weeks after the surgery, I was on the bike and everything has been going well," he said.

With the Australian Open starting on January 13, Murray does not have too much time regain full fitness. Despite the fact that he is paying down his chances, Murray has reached the final on three occasions and is aiming to go one step further. However, if things don't go well for Murray in Australia, he may even head to India next year to prepare!