LENDL ME A HAND
Murray’s SOS to his master coach as Scot bids to halt alarming form slump
ANDY MURRAY has sent out an SOS to Ivan Lendl in a bid to haul himself out of his slump.
The Scot and his famous coach haven’t had a chance to work together since the Australian Open thanks to Murray’s succession of injury and illness problems.
However, Lendl will rejoin the world No.1’s team next weekend and is expected to stay at his side throughout his summer schedule.
Murray is now fit and well but struggling to find any sort of form, as Thursday’s dismal loss to Borna Coric in the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open proved.
But Lendl’s influence will be on hand to steer him through the French Open, which starts on May 28, and on to a grass court season that includes the defence of his Wimbledon crown.
Murray said: “Ivan is coming over on the Sunday of Rome, next week. We tend to spend more time together during the grass season.
“The week before the French, Queens, Wimbledon – seven or eight weeks out of 10 we would spend together.”
But this year, Lendl may be by Murray’s side for the duration. Only if the Scot loses early at Roland Garros will Lendl go home to the US for a few days before returning for the grass court swing.
If Murray does well in Paris then the poker-faced coach will be working overtime.
It is not that Lendl has been putting his feet up since the end of January. He monitors the Scot’s matches and is in constant touch with both his player and the rest of the team.
Murray said: “I speak to him pretty much every Monday. I spoke to him three times the week before Monte Carlo. I spoke to him after losing on the Thursday of Monte Carlo then again on the Monday of Barcelona and chatted to him twice again this week.
“I speak to him maybe a couple of times a week. I don’t know if Jamie Delgado, my assistant coach, speaks to him on the phone every day but they certainly message every day.”
Murray is always at pains to point out that Delgado is a mainstay of the team. It was he who picked up the reins when Amelie Mauresmo left the camp this time last year and led Murray to the French Open final.
And it was Delgado who was at his side last autumn as the Scot collected four titles in five weeks to become world No.1.
Murray said: “This time last year was predominantly with Jamie, nobody else, and things went very well over the clay, so that’s no reason why things may not be going so well right now.
“I work with Ivan because I think he can help me, it’s beneficial and has made a difference to my game.
“That’s not an excuse or a reason why I’ve been playing like I have, or I’m maybe not in the best shape.
“There’s no blame on anyone, it’s down to me.”
While Murray is out in Madrid, his old rivals Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in the semis.
World No.2 Djokovic had a walkover to the last four when Kei Nishikori withdrew with a wrist injury while Nadal booked his place with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 win over David Goffin of Belgium last night.
Meanwhile, Murray, Djokovic and Nadal have all offered support to plans for a tennis World Cup backed by Gerard Pique.
The Barcelona star, who is a tennis fan, met with ATP officials in Madrid this week to discuss the idea.
And Murray said: “We’ve exchanged messages but have not spoken.
“Doing new things in tennis is never easy but it’s a really exciting idea. It would be a very good thing.”
Obviously I work with Ivan because I think he can help me ANDY MURRAY