Murray returns to third in rankings

(GETTY IMAGES)

Andy Murray has climbed back to number three in the world rankings despite his quarter-final exit at the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells last week.

The 22-year-old was beaten in straight sets by Robin Soderling but moves above Rafael Nadal, who dropped points after failing to defend his title.

The Spaniard outperformed fellow top-four rivals Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer before losing to eventual champion Ivan Ljubicic in the semi-finals.

Murray faces a tough task to hang on to the place, though, as he prepares for the defence of his Masters 1000 title in Miami over the next fortnight.

The British number one beat Djokovic in the final last year while Nadal was defeated by Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarter-finals and only needs to make up a 35-point deficit to reclaim third place.

Meanwhile, Elena Baltacha reached another career-high mark as she moved up to 62nd in the women's rankings this morning.

The 26-year-old pulled off the best win of her career by beating world number seven Li Na on her way to the third round in Indian Wells last week.

However, Baltacha's rise came too late for her to secure automatic entry into this week's Sony Ericsson Open.

Seeded second in qualifying, she takes on America's Julie Ditty tonight while fellow Briton Katie O'Brien faces Christina McHale.