By Kheredine Idessane BBC Scotland

Cast your mind back 12 months.

Can you remember how many Masters Series events Andy Murray had won? Or what his world ranking was?

In the lead up to last year's tournament in Cincinnati - which isn't in Cincinnati at all, more on that later - Scotland's greatest tennis player had yet to claim one of the Masters titles, and was still trying to cement his place in the top 10.

He was the world number nine when he arrived in Ohio a year ago. And when he beat Novak Djokovic in the final it launched him on a massive upward trajectory.

The run of form which has propelled Andy northwards proves he's a worthy number two to Roger Federer

As he returns to to defend his title, he now finds himself the second best player on the planet and is looking for back-to-back Masters victories for the second time in his career after Sunday's win in Montreal.

If that's not impressive enough, he is now the proud owner of four different Masters trophies.

Throw in to that collection: a US Open final appearance, a Wimbledon semi-final bow and four other wins on the ATP circuit (St Petersburg, Doha, Rotterdam and Queen's) and it all adds up to a terrific year on the Tour.

Which is why it's no accident that he's right on Roger Federer's coat-tails.

There's no denying that a big part of his leapfrogging Rafael Nadal in the world rankings was the Spaniard's unfortunate injury lay-off.

Nevertheless, the run of form which has propelled Andy northwards proves he's a worthy number two to Mr Federer.

Just ask Juan Martin del Potro - completely blown away by the newer, fitter Andy Murray in that third set decider in Canada on Sunday.

Almagro defeated Murray in their only previous meeting

So much so that the Argentine world number six has withdrawn from this event here in Cincinnati. Why? Because he's too tired and needs a rest.

No such problems for the 22-year-old Scot.

He has arrived in Cincinnati, will train and do some media on Tuesday and is expected to play his first match at about 1800 BST the following day against Spain's Nicolas Almagro.

Almagro won their only other encounter at the French Open last year. Expect some chilly revenge to be served up here in the Ohio heat and humidity.

The weather forecast for this week: temperature in the high 80s and possibly some thunderstorms.

Great, I've left my wellies in the house!

The draw's looking pretty good, at first glance. Assuming Andy gets past Almagro - and I'll be frankly astonished if he doesn't - the Czech number 16 seed Radek Stepanek would be a possible third-round opponent.

Del Potro's withdrawal means the highest seed Murray could face in the quarters would be the number 11, Fernando Verdasco.

And Verdasco's struggling to find the Australian Open form which took him past the British number one in Melbourne, and almost past his fellow Spaniard, and world number one as he was then, Rafa Nadal, in that incredible semi-final.

606: DEBATE Who will win in Cincinnati?

Should Murray's good hard court form hold up this week, then he's seeded to meet either Federer or Andy Roddick in a Saturday semi-final showdown; with Rafa and Novak Djokovic among the possible final opponents from the other half of the draw.

That's the way it's looking here in Cincinnati. Except, of course, we're not in Cincinnati.

We're 30 miles or so north in Mason, Ohio. What's the difference, I hear you cry? Plenty.

Cincinnati - 'Queen City of the West' (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow); population: 360,000. Its home to the baseball-playing Reds and the (American) football playing Bengals; sits on the Ohio river, promoting its Mount Adams area as the 'Montmartre of the Midwest'.

Mason's population is 22,000. It is home to the Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament, and the Lindner Tennis Centre is a fabulous facility.

It sits just off Interstate Highway 71 and its most famous attraction is Kings Island: "the best theme park in the Midwest for children and young adults".

Hang on, though.

That's surely a possible play venue for Team Murray, as they're dead serious about those training session 'forfeits'.

How about this for a suggestion for whoever loses the next game of tennis-football?

The new Diamondback Ride, they tell me, is 230ft off the ground at its highest point, with a first drop of 215ft at an angle of 74 degrees.

And you're whipped round the thing at about 80 miles per hour.

You've been warned, Miles; you've been warned...

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