Lendl back on Murray’s coaching team, will resume work at impressive Queen’s Club event
By Ricky Dimon
Andy Murray announced on Sunday that Ivan Lendl is rejoining his coaching team, at least for the current grass-court swing–which begins for Murray this week at the AEGON Championships and will culminate at Wimbledon. The second-ranked Scot has enjoyed the two most successful seasons of his career with Lendl, capturing Olympic gold at the All-England Club in 2012, the U.S. Open a few weeks later, and Wimbledon in 2013.
Murray and Lendl split in March of 2014 before the two-time Grand Slam champion hired Amelie Mauresmo in June of that season. The Murray-Mauresmo partnership came to an end last month prior to the French Open.
“I had two very successful years working with Ivan,” Murray noted. “He’s single-minded and knows what it takes to win the big events. I’m looking forward to Ivan joining the team again and helping me try to reach my goals.”
Both men know a thing or two about losing–and winning–major finals. Lendl compiled an 8-11 record in slam title matches, while Murray is 2-8.
Murray will begin his Wimbledon preparation this week at Queen’s Club, where a stellar field also features Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic, Nick Kyrgios, and Juan Martin Del Potro. Consider these first-round matchups as evidence of the tournament’s strength: Raonic vs. Kyrgios, Del Potro vs. John Isner, and Richard Gasquet vs. Feliciano Lopez. Murray, meanwhile, will open against accomplished grass-courter and top-ranked doubles player Nicolas Mahut, who finished runner-up to Andy Roddick in 2007. The top seed could eventually face Gilles Simon in the quarters and either Gasquet, Lopez, or Marin Cilic in the semis.
A daunting bottom half of the bracket hosts Wawrinka, Raonic, Kyrgios, Del Potro, Isner, Roberto Bautista Agut, Fernando Verdasco, Gilles Muller, and Bernard Tomic. The Raonic-Kyrgios winner should be able to cruise into the last four, but Wawrinka may be tested from start to finish. Verdasco is up first for the Swiss, possibly followed by Tomic, Del Potro or Isner, and then either Raonic or Kyrgios.
Multiple seeded players could be in trouble right away in London, but Raonic has to be especially displeased with his draw. While the head-to-head series against Kyrgios stands at a relatively competitive 3-2 in the Aussie’s favor, Raonic has lost three straight on three different surfaces dating back to Wimbledon in 2015. It won’t help that the Canadian has been less than 100 percent physically for much of this year.
Topics: 10sballs.com, AEGON Championships, Andy Murray, Atp World Tour, Grass tennis, Ivan Lendl, Queen's Club, Ricky Dimon, Sports, Tennis News
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