Lendl Arrives in Australia to Coach Murray

Written by: Staff on 2nd January 2012

Lendl Arrives in Australia to Coach Murray

Former tennis pro Ivan Lendl of the USA smiles during the Cup of Legends at Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 22 May 2011. From 20 to 22 May, several former tennis pros will compete in the cup. EPA/FREDRIK VON ERICHSEN |

Ivan Lendl will arrive in Australia on Friday to link up with his first coaching charge Andy Murray and while mindful that the Scot has always maintained a feisty relationship with previous inhabitants of his players box such as Brad Gilbert, the 52 year-old insists this partnership will be different.

Many believe Lendl will not tolerate the verbal onslaught regularly directed at Gilbert, Miles Maclagan, Alex Corretja and Mark Petchey by world no.4 Murray. “All that will be said to Andy on that subject will be said by me to him and to nobody else,” said the former world no.1.

“I know that we will get along very well. He wants to do well, he is willing to work hard and strive to do what it takes.”

Lendl admits to be enthused by the tie-up that will see him work with Murray at the four majors and “a handful” of other events this year. The pair spoke on the telephone and then struck a deal when they met before Christmas in Florida.

Murray’s management company XIX Entertainment, under American Idol founder Simon Fuller, and Lendl’s long-time agent Jerry Solomon, then went to work on the small print. But Lendl, whose own career was based on meticulous preparation and brutal physical fitness is enthused by what he sees in his 24 year-old charge.

“Andy looks extremely fit,” said the Czech born man who has been domiciled in the United States for more than 30 years. “To me, this is like Groundhog Day, I have been in this movie. I was that player once, who needed something to help make it work, it was the same as I was before I hired Tony Roche. What happened then changed my career around.

“What excites me about this partnership? More than anything, it is simply that this is absolutely the best match-up. Everything has begun to fall into place already.

Lendl is based in his newly opened tennis and golf academy in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and he will fly in and out to be with Murray as required. He is energized by the prospect and said: “Our senses of humor are very similar and we have an understanding that we need to bring our best all the time if we want to achieve. I didn’t get everything I wanted from tennis, not everyone does, but it is about not wasting chances. It does not mean that it will work as we want it, but I believe it will.”

Murray will continue to keep his support team around him; physical trainers Jez Green and Matt Little, physio Andy Ireland and travelling companion Dani Vallverdu. Solomon said: “Ivan is impressed with the team that Andy already has around him, which has also been a vitally important consideration.

“Although Ivan has not been sitting in a box with anybody, behind the scenes he’s been talking to players on a regular basis and been keeping very close tabs on a lot of people.”