TENNIS LENDL CAN’T MAKE THE CONNECTICUT
Wimbledon Ivan swaps golf clubs for All England Club to help Murray SUCCESS: JO’S ON THE CASE
AVID golfer Ivan Lendl thought he’d be worrying more about handicaps than aces over the course of the next fortnight.
He was due to tee off Stateside in a field of amateurs and professionals at the Woodway Country Club in an attempt to qualify for the Connecticut Open. Then came the call from Andy Murray to reunite the double act which saw the Scot end 77 years of British disappointment by winning the famous championships in 2013.
And, for reasons even he still isn’t fully sure about, he could not resist the chance.
Lendl said: “I was entered into some golf tournaments. Qualifying for the Connecticut Open and a couple of one-day events.
“It’s very enjoyable – not just club stuff, state stuff.
“Obviously, Andy wasn’t an easy decision, it was very complex, and a lot of people ask me what made me do it and I can’t answer it.
“It’s a combination of many, many things and what changed or what was theh fi finall thinghi whenh I said,id ‘Let’s do it’ – I don’t really know myself.
“I haven’t stopped to think about it, because there is no time now.
“I have to spend my mental energy on what we need to do, how we need to prepare.”
The pair have had just 14 days to work together and poor weather has hampered their preparations.
But both hope Lendl’s leap of faith will help Murray, whose first game is against fellow Brit Liam Broady on Tuesday, with the fine-tuning that is required id to win ih the tournament f for theh second time. Murray has credited Lendl for helping him with the mental side of his game, but the Czech legend is adamant he’s only focused on what his man does with the racket.
Lendl added: “I don’t do any work on technique. Zero. I don’t believe in that at the age of 27 or 29 – what you have is what you are going to have, you can groove certain things but changing technique is not where I’m going to go.
“Andy seems to be in a good place, JO KONTA always packs her travel bag in a certain order – and now she is threatening to establish a new order in women’s tennis. Britain’s No.1 has raced 130 places up the rankings from No.148 after a superb year including her run to the
Technique
Australian Open semi-finals – a rise based on attention to detail... right down to packing her suitcase the same way every trip.
Konta (left), born in Australia but now living in Eastbourne, said: ”My travel bag is actually quite funny – or quite worrying – because it is arranged in three separate piles: my casual clothes pile, my training pile and match kit pile.” Konta, who opens her everybodybd on theh team is i clickingli ki well ll together.
“Everything is aimed at giving Andy the best opportunity to do well.”
Murray is hungry for another Wimbledon triumph after losing in this year’s Australian and French finals.
He said yesterday: “I’m in the prime of my career and enjoying my tennis. The focus is there. And while I’ve already achieved more that I imagined I could growing up, I want to keep on improving and give myself opportunities to win more titles.” campaign in SW19 against Monica Puig, is taking nothing for granted against the Puerto Rican.
The No.17 seed said: “It will be tough – it was close when we met on grass last year.”
SLOVAKIA’S Dominika Cibulkova won the Aegon International final at Eastbourne yesterday 7-5 6-3, edging out Czech Karolina Pliskova, who beat Konta in semi-finals.