Andy has not long since posted this on his FB
New coach Ivan Lendl says Andy Murray is "an absolute pleasure to work with" as they continue preparations for their first Grand Slam event together.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/16541865.stmI especially like Lendl's comment re Andy losing to Djokivic last year - so very true (not that would ever criticise Andy
)
Very nice article that, and I felt more than a little guilty about criticising Andy last year. Djokovic was on fire and the way he was playing I think he could have beaten anyone - but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Also I cannot imagine Lendl blabbing to the press - he knows exactly what they're like. In fact I'm glad that he's there as a kind of buffer between them and Andy, something which might be particularly useful come Wimbledon.
I'm also glad that Lendl asked for a few meetings in Florida with Andy and his team before reaching a decision, saying "It has to be a good match-up personality wise, and I believe it is. You have to respect each other." It's also known now that Cahill actively encouraged Andy to consider Lendl as his coach (sorry, I've lost that link and can't find it now
), and was present at at least one of those meetings after which he gave Lendl his seal of approval. And it's comforting to know too that Cahill will be still there to talk to Andy, if Andy wishes to do so, in Lendl's absence.
As for the draw, I don't think it's too bad. Harrison can be difficult but he's also inconsistent. As for the rest, well Tsonga really could be Andy's first major obstacle - and I prefer not to think about Djokovic in the SF, although Andy did come very close to ending his run last season. BUT let's not get ahead of ourselves and make assumptions. A lot depends on how any player plays on the day. Andy says he likes to take one match at a time, so we should try to do the same - not that that, of course, is going to end the speculation on here!
Incidentally, it's worth considering that Lendl too had to contend with some of the great players in his first four finals - Borg, Connors (twice), and Wilander.
