‘Ivan will be the man to bring more major titles’
IT just makes so much sense. To those who merely watch Andy Murray from the comfort of our armchairs — and the elite few who have some inkling of how hard it is to compete in a Grand Slam.
Speaking as Murray was probably putting the finishing touches on the statement announcing Ivan Lendl’s return to his coaching team, former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski made it abundantly clear that there was one guaranteed path back to ‘greatness’ open to the Scot.
‘There are very few people who understand, who have been there,’ said Rusedksi, in conversation with
Sportsmail on Saturday morning. ‘Andy has had an unbelievable career but, until he made that brave decision to take Ivan, he didn’t go into greatness.
‘Ivan brought him into it. Wimbledon, US Open, Olympic gold medal. Yes, he has continued it with finals of the Australian Open and the French Open for the first time, winning the Davis Cup. But you are still looking for that miniscule, miniscule percentage.
‘I think Jamie Delgado has done a good job. But there is just that little small percentage. Maybe instead of going five sets in those opening Roland Garros matches, they go three sets. They are small margins but they make a massive difference. You are looking for half a per cent when you are playing against Novak Djokovic.
‘Djokovic and Andy have separated themselves from the pack, but Djokovic has separated himself from the rest. Realistically, it is these two guys we are talking about who are the only two that can win majors. (Rafael) Nadal is out injured, (Roger) Federer has been injured as well.
‘These two guys are the big ones so, if Ivan would want to do it and Andy would want to do it, then I think it is a no-brainer. Get on the phone, tell Ivan he can bring his golf clubs — whatever it takes!’
The big sticking point has always been the amount of time Lendl, who enjoys his golf and his life away from tennis, could commit to Murray. Rusedski never saw that as being a major problem.
‘If I could have Ivan just for the four majors each year and maybe two weeks in the off-season, so you would be looking at 12 to 13 weeks which isn’t much, I’d take that,’ said the former Davis Cup star.
‘What does he bring? Experience, psychology. Andy is a great student of the game but Ivan would know how to handle situations.
‘Winning in Rome but coming to Paris and how to handle the first two or three rounds. How to manage that situation, what to look out for with the pitfalls and the conditions.
‘He would know how to handle that because he has got the T-shirt. He was in five major finals before he won the first one, same as Andy Murray. He never won Wimbledon, but won everything else.
‘So just that intrinsic value of someone who has got the T-shirt and knowing you can’t argue with that person. Ivan can just say: “I’ve got to No 1, done everything I humanly can, and I desperately want you to win as well”.
‘For Ivan, just like Andy, it is a good week if he gets to the final. But unless he wins, it is not a great job well done. It is that little extra that he has.’