MELBOURNE: Andy Murray said he'd been taking tips from swimming great Ian Thorpe and heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis as he strives to stay at the top of men's tennis.

Murray, currently competing at the Australian Open, said he took his opportunity when meeting sports stars and other celebrities to find out what makes them tick and how they rose to the height of their profession.

"As a mad sports fan, something I've always done is imagine what it might be like to go up against the best of the best, to wonder what it is that makes them so special or what sort of sacrifices they made," he wrote in a column for The Australian.

Murray, who broke through for his first Grand Slam title at last year's US Open, said he asked Thorpe about his comeback and quizzed Lewis in detail about his time at the top of boxing.

"I was able to ask him about his time at the top, how he was able to motivate himself when he had to defend his titles, what it took to stay at the top," Murray wrote.

"As a tennis players, I've been fortunate to meet famous actresses and actors, politicians and people from all walks of life - it can be a bit weird sometimes because quite often it isn't planned and you have to think on your feet."

He added: "The great thing about those conversations is that you don't have to hold back because both of you have a common understanding about professionalism and hard work and dedication needed to reach the top.

"All sports are different in the way you have to train, of course, but if you want to get to the top in any sport, you need to be incredibly dedicated and work hard."

Murray said he had also enjoyed meeting comic actor Will Ferrell.

"In that type of situation, you can get a bit nervous, particularly as Will is one of my favourite actors. I spared him my jokes," he said. -AFP

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