Jamie Murray is the new No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. Next week, the 30-year-old Scot replaces Brazil’s Marcelo Melo, who has been in top spot for 22 weeks since 2 November 2015.

While he was the first of the Murray brothers to win a Grand Slam title, with Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon in 2007, consistent performances on the ATP World Tour proved to be elusive. In late 2010, Murray found himself outside of the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. And, just like his past experiences as a teenager, when, as one of Europe’s top junior players he moved between a number of academies, he found himself struggling for stability and direction.

It wasn’t until 10 years into his professional career, in teaming up with John Peers early in the 2013 ATP World Tour season, that Murray began to forge a successful partnership after a number of short-term arrangements.

“I think if I didn’t start playing with John when I did, I am not sure how long I would have played,” Murray, who has had 63 different doubles partners, told ATPWorldTour.com. “I was kind of floating around, not really with a regular partner and I had no direction as to what I was doing. John and I hit it off right away and we could see the partnership developing. We won three tournaments that year [2013] and I was ranked around No. 30 [in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings].”

In their three-year partnership, which ended with an appearance at last year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Murray and Peers reached 16 tour-level finals, including the 2015 Wimbledon and US Open title matches, and lifted six trophies. “I think we complemented each other, once we started to understand each other’s game styles and used each other’s strengths to win points,” Murray said. “I just wanted to do whatever it took to make the partnership as strong as possible.”

Since the start of 2015 Wimbledon, he has gone 41-13, and stepped decisively out of his younger brother’s shadow. “I have not been envious of Andy,” admitted Murray. “But I’ve tried to use his positive energy to help me.” As one of the world’s finest volleyers, Murray’s movement not only improved, but, under the guidance of his coach, Louis Cayer, he began to use his backhand as a weapon in constructing points.

Success as part of Great Britain’s 2015 Davis Cup-winning team only highlighted his growing confidence and skill set, and, by January 2016, his hard work and dedication paid off, when, with his new partner, Bruno Soares, Murray clinched his first Grand Slam men’s doubles trophy. With brother, Andy, taking photos in the stands, under 24 hours before his singles final against Novak Djokovic, the family united to celebrate at the Australian Open.

Today, Murray can savour his accomplishment, a culmination of team work, hard work and perseverance. Just five weeks after the 40th anniversary of the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, Murray will become the 48th player to rise to No. 1. Congratulations, Jamie.

The quarter-finals in the top half of the draw on Wednesday are headlined by  No. 1 and five-time Miami Open champion Novak Djokovic, No. 7 Tomas Berdych, No. 15 David Goffin and No. 18 Gilles Simon. Goffin is the only player of the foursome appearing in his first Miami quarter-final. On Thursday in the bottom half of the draw, No. 6 Kei Nishikori will take on No. 16 Gael Monfils and No. 12 Milos Raonic will meet No. 24 Nick Kyrgios. This is the first time since 2013 that two Frenchmen are in the quarter-finals in Miami.

In the third match on Stadium, No. 15 seed Goffin and No. 18 Simon meet for the second time. In their previous meeting in the 1R at the Queen’s Club in London last June, Simon rallied to win 67 75 62. Goffin is the first Belgian man to reach the quarter-finals in the tournament’s 32-year history and he’s trying to advance to his second straight ATP Masters 1000 semi-final after reaching the final four in Indian Wells (l. to Raonic). The 31-year-old Simon, who is the oldest player remaining, is appearing in his third quarter-final in Miami (2011, ’13, ’16) and he’s trying to become the first Frenchman to reach the semi-finals here since Gasquet in 2013. The only Frenchman to reach the final was Sebastien Grosjean in 1999 (l. to Krajicek).

In the evening session, top-ranked Djokovic brings a 22-2 career record (19-0 on hard courts) against No. 7 Berdych, who is trying to break a nine-match losing streak against the Serb. Berdych’s last win came in the QF at ATP Masters 1000 Rome in 2013. Djokovic has won 13 straight matches in Miami (27 of the last 28 back to 2011) since a 4R loss to Tommy Haas in 2013. Djokovic comes in with a 25-1 match record on the season (7-0 vs. Top 10 opponents). He’s won 19 of his last 20 matches vs. Top 10 foes since the beginning of the US Open with his only loss coming to Federer in round robin play at the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Djokovic is chasing Andre Agassi’s tournament record six titles and he’s trying to take sole possession of the ATP Masters 1000 titles leaderboard. He and Nadal are each tied with 27 career titles. Djokovic has reached the final in his last 10 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (DNP ’15 Madrid) going back to 2014 Paris-Bercy. During that stretch, he has compiled a 53-2 record.

In doubles quarter-final action, only two seeds remain: No. 4/two-time reigning champions Bob and Mike Bryan along with No. 5/ Indian Wells champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. The Bryans are scheduled for fourth match on Stadium against Aussie wild cards Omar Jasika and John-Patrick Smith. The Bryans are looking to become the first team to win three straight Miami titles since Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde from 1995-97. Leander Paes won three straight titles with as many partners from 2010-12. The Bryans have won a record 109 titles together, their last coming in Montreal last August. They have won Miami titles in 2007-08, ’14-15. Their best result of the season was a runner-up in Delray Beach last month (l. to Marach-F. Martin).

Of the remaining quarter-finalists, the only other former Miami champion is four-time winner (2003, ’05-06, ’09) Max Mirnyi, who is playing with Treat Huey. They are third match-on Grandstand against the second-time duo of John Isner and Nicholas Monroe.

Gael Monfils saw a career-best showing within striking distance and grabbed it Tuesday night at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Monfils broke Grigor Dimitrov at 4-3 in the third set and served out their fourth-round match at love to come back from a set down and win 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3. Monfils has now beaten Dimitrov three consecutive times. He advances to the quarter-finals in Miami for the first time in his 12-year career.

The Frenchman had lost in the fourth round three times prior. In the final eight, he’ll play Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who routed Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-4 in 84 minutes on Tuesday night. 

Nishikori won his only prior meeting with Monfils 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 (Halle 2014).

“Kei is a very good player. He has been very consistent,” Monfils said.

Monfils entered the fourth-round match against Dimitrov with a 3-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. But the Bulgarian looked to be picking up where he left off on Monday, when he beat World No. 2 Andy Murray in three sets.

Dimitrov won the first set. In the second, though, Monfils raised his game. The 29-year-old broke Dimitrov twice and never faced a break point. In the third, he again broke the No. 26 seed twice and had the upper hand against Dimitrov during their extended rallies, including a 46-stroke rally in the third. About 20 per cent of their points during the match lasted longer than nine shots, and Monfils won more than 60 per cent of those longer points.

Nishikori steamrolled Bautista Agut, hitting 22 winners and breaking the Spaniard four times. During Bautista Agut’s third-round match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the Spaniard was broken just two times in three sets.

“It was a great match for me,” Nishikori said. “I played the way I wanted to play.”

Bautista Agut served well, landing 77 per cent of his first serves. But he never got going from the ground, spilling 23 unforced errors to eight winners.