Murray has points to defend to avoid slipping down the rankings

By Annie McGuire BBC Scotland in Monte Carlo

The arrival of the clay court season will test the form of Andy Murray and could have quite an effect on his world ranking.

Despite his years training in Spain, it is Murray's least favourite surface, but if he wants to avoid a slip down the world rankings he is going to have to apply himself, starting in Monte Carlo this week.

The world number four, you see, is defending rather more points than you might expect for someone who doesn't like the surface: 360 in Monte Carlo this week (because he was a semi-finalist last year) and 910 over the clay court stretch as a whole.

Injury has forced the world number five Juan Martin del Potro, 110 points behind Murray, to withdraw from the event, while the world number six Nikolay Davydenko is 510 behind the Scot.

Murray says his recent run of disappointing results is down to problems with his frame of mind on court.

While Monte Carlo spends spends spends, it will be all about saving for Murray - saving fourth place in the world rankings Annie McGuire predicts a testing time for Murray

After a second round exit in Dubai, he made the quarters in Indian Wells, only to lose in the opening match of the defence of his title in Miami.

There were, of course, distractions.

Great Britain's Davis Cup loss to Lithuania, captain John Lloyd's subsequent resignation - and comments which followed in which he seemed to put part of the blame at Murray's door for not always turning out to play.

So, several thousand miles away from the Lawn Tennis Association's base at Roehampton, the Scot was laying out his thoughts on why British tennis - at least on the men's side - is in its current state.

He was measured, thoughtful and full of good ideas - but one suspects he'd rather it wasn't his problem.

So, are his current problems purely psychological?

606: DEBATE How do you think Andy Murray will fare in Monte Carlo?

While off court Murray says he's very happy (amid newspaper reports he has been reconciled with former girlfriend Kim Sears), on court is a different matter, with Murray making uncharacteristic mistakes where you would least expect them - on his favoured hard courts.

No better way to remedy it, then, than with a decent run on a surface where there is little expectation of him.

He is here in Monte Carlo having accepted a wildcard, because his initial plans didn't include playing here at all.

And although it isn't a compulsory event, the opposition is of a very high quality, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (with a point to prove on his favoured surface) and Robin Soderling, Murray's conqueror in California last month.

And so while Monte Carlo spends spends spends, it will be all about saving for Murray - saving fourth place in the world rankings - and his points from last year's unexpected successes.

So not quite Monte Carlo or bust, but a week where we might learn quite a lot about the boy from Dunblane.

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