Andy Murray has said that he is hoping to overtake Roger Federer and move up into third place in the world rankings by the end of the year.
The Scot is favourite to win the Thailand Open before playing the Japan Open and then defending his Shanghai Masters title.
With Federer's recent withdrawl from the Shanghai tournament, Murray has the chance to pick up points which will take him into third place in the ATP world rankings.
"By playing the full Asian stretch, there is a chance for me to try and move my ranking up by one spot, which is something I want to do by the end of the year," said the 24-year-old.
The British number one defeated Federer in last year's Shanghai Masters final.
