Murray headlines ATP Thailand Open

Andy Murray headlines the ATP Thailand Open starting on Monday, little more than a week on from the end of draining US Open and Davis Cup commitments and after saying top players could strike. One of the more vocal members of the elite, the world number four has complained bitterly in recent weeks about a packed men's schedule, which will only get worse in 2012 with the London Olympics added to the mix. "Maybe things will get done if all the players get together and say what they want exactly. It's ridiculous. They need to change it," the 24-year-old Scot said during the Davis Cup. Murray, who is still without a Grand Slam title but this year reached the Australian Open final, had only a few days off before heading for Asia. He, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, the top four seeds, will get a little extra time to rest after receiving byes into the second round at the Impact Arena's hard courts in the Thai capital Bangkok. Murray, the top seed, will be hoping to go one better after he was the losing finalist in 2005 when he was defeated by Roger Federer. He will certainly not want a repeat of the last time he played the Thailand Open, in 2006, when he went out in the first round to compatriot Tim Henman.   Murray will start in the second round against the winner from German Michael Berrer, whom he beat at Roland Garros in the spring, and a qualifier. Murray's tennis diary contains few holes this season and he has proposed a meeting at the Shanghai Masters next month to try and formulate a set of proposals for tennis bosses. "What happens in Shanghai -- what the players decide to do -- might also be quite significant," he said. With Swedish drawcard Robin Soderling out with injury, Monfils takes the second seeding in Bangkok, the flamboyant Frenchman playing for the first time since losing his US Open clash to Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero. Fellow Frenchman and 2009 winner Simon is seeded third, ahead of Spaniard Garcia-Lopez, who won the 2010 title over Finn Jarkko Nieminen after upsetting Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.   Croatian Ivan Dodig, who is seeded fifth, opens against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. The Thailand Open is one of two ATP World Tour events in Southeast Asia this week, with the Malaysian Open running at the same time. Seeds: Andy Murray (GBR x1) Gael Monfils (FRA x2) Gilles Simon (FRA x3) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP x4) Ivan Dodig (CRO x5) Fabio Fognini (ITA x6) Robin Haase (NED x7) Pablo Andujar (ESP x8)