Andy Murray knows he will need to bring his A-game if he is to beat in-form Swede Robin Soderling in their opening match of the ATP World Tour Finals.
The Swede knocked off Murray as the world number four following his triumph in this month's Paris Masters, meaning the Scotsman enters the tournament in London as the world number five.
The 23-year-old admits he will have to be at the top of his game to beat Soderling, given his rich vein of form.
"He's a big guy, he serves well, he hits the ball big from the back of the court," Murray said.
"You have to play smart against him. You're probably not going to get that many chances and when you do you need to take them."
"I'm hoping if I play well I'll give myself a chance of winning but he's obviously going to be tough after Paris. I feel pretty confident right now. I'm happy with the stuff I've been working on in practice."
For Murray, the ATP World Tour Finals represent his first chance to play in front of a home crowd since Wimbledon, and he said he has learned to use the crowd as a motivator rather than feeling pressured by the support.
"The crowd does make a big difference and it's always nice to get good support," he said.
"I've played Wimbledon five or six times now and it's something you get better at dealing with the more you do it."
Murray's form has fluctuated wildly this year and he followed his run to the final of the Australian Open in January with some early exits.
But the Scot said he can still improve on his ranking if he enjoys a good run at London's O2 Arena this week.
"In Australia I played great tennis and I managed to make the final," he said.
"I still have a chance of finishing the year at number three if I have a great tournament here."