Murray takes fresh confidence into Madrid test

Andy Murray vows to one day win the career grand slam title he's missed on three attempts in finals. And the Scot sees no better place to start his quest than than this week's Madrid Masters.

"I had a couple of bad months," said the world number five on Sunday as he prepared for a second-round test after a bye against either Croatian Ivan Ljubicic or Frenchman Gilles Simon at the vent which preceeds the French Open by three weeks.

"But I feel great again," said the player who took a set off of Rafael Nadal in a dramatic Monte Carlo semi final all the while playing with elbow injury pain numbed by an injection.

"I know I can win slams - and I think I will win one," said Murray, who has lost the last two Australian Open finals as well as a US Open finals test against Roger Federer three years ago.

"I feel good, I've been training for a week," said the Scot, who revealed that he also had dinner in Saturday night with ex-coach Alex Corretja, with whom he parted company recently on good terms.

"I had five or six days off with the (elbow) injury, but I was able to get back into gradual training.

"I still have confidence from that Monte Carlo semi final, I just want to try and keep up that momentum."

Murray said that he has self-belief by the bagful. "I believe in myself and the guys that I world with. I don't care what people say, I know I can win a major. I'm sure that I'll get there."

Despite his reputation as a hardcourt player, Murray said he takes great joy in playing on clay. Polishing his tennis in Barcelona as a teenager only helped him appreciate the surface that much more.

"I love playing on clay, I think it's actually one of my best surfaces. Of course, I don't play as much on it as I do other surfaces. I just need time to train and get accustomed to it."

"It may not come naturally to m but I think it does suit my game."