The Andy Murray / Ivan Lendl Spilt Update

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 20th March 2014

The Andy Murray / Ivan Lendl Spilt Update

epa04132172 (FILE) A file picture dated 26 January 2013 shows British tennis player Andy Murray (R) and his coach Ivan Lendl (L) during a training session in the Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia. Murray and Lendl agreed to end their two-year coaching relationship, Wimbledon champion Murray announced on 19 March 2014. EPA/DENNIS SABANGAN |

The reasons for the surprise split between world no.6 Andy Murray and his former coach Ivan Lendl are emerging that the 54 year-old is so enthused by his return to senior competitive tennis on the PowerShares Series and ATP Champions Tour that diary conflicts mean he cannot dedicate sufficient time to the Scot.

Lendl had not seen Murray for almost two months since the pair left Melbourne after the quarterfinal exit at the Australian Open and his absence was crucial last week in Indian Wells when the reigning Wimbledon champion looked bereft of both confidence and a game plan in struggling through two wins at the BNP Paribas Open before losing with tennis hardly befitting his reputation to Milos Raonic.

A man of few words when he is not in the mood to talk, Lendl was quizzed on the split yesterday and made a one sentence addition to what he said in the initial statement issued by Murray’s marketing company 77. “I just couldn’t commit enough time to do the job properly,” he said.

Telephone discussions between the pair on scheduling matters have been ongoing for the last month but the time Murray wanted and the time Lendl was prepared to give, were hugely different. Lendl had always made it clear his full-time playing career, that ended 20 years ago, had convinced him he was tired of worldwide travel.

Renewing old rivalries against the likes of John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Pat Cash in American cities such as Nashville, Oklahoma and Charlotte, where Lendl has played recently, appeared for more conducive, and in addition there was his tennis academy. Last weekend, while Murray was in need of come counseling after his Indian Wells travails, Lendl was greeting junior players from across the United States and Canada to an Open Day at Bluffon in South Carolina.

Murray, who will be defending the title at the Sony Open in Miami over the next nine days and stands to drop outside the world’s top eight if he is unsuccessful, insists he will not rush into making an appointment.

Currently Murray is being coached by his long-term friend and travelling companion Dani Vallverdu, the Venezuelan who has worked alongside Lendl for the past two and a quarter years. Leon Smith, the British Davis Cup captain who has known Murray since childhood and was his coach as a junior, has also been involved in preparations at Crandon Park.

An emerging favorite for the post long term is veteran Australian Bob Brett who once coached Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic. Brett split with Marin Cilic last year and is at present on a 60-day contract working on a study of the worthiness of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association’s High-Performance Centers.

Murray will begin his Sony Open defence against Australia’s Matt Ebden who won his first round match against the Pole Lukasz Kubot 4-6,6-4,6-4.

Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, ATP Champions Tour, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic, Ivan Lendl, John Mcenroe, milos raonic, PowerShares, Sony Open, split, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

March 20, 2014 at 7:41 am

The Andy Murray / Ivan Lendl Spilt Update – http://t.co/2QMM0jfYgB @andy_murray @IvanLendlIJTA #split #update #tennis #news
mamarod715 says:

March 20, 2014 at 2:16 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: The Andy Murray / Ivan Lendl Spilt Update – http://t.co/2QMM0jfYgB @andy_murray @IvanLendlIJTA #split #update #tennis #ne…