Brit Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl can serve up repeat of their 2013 Wimbledon glory
World No2 says his reunion with the Czech coach who guided him to glory on the grass three years ago feels so easy
TO Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl it feels like 2013 all over again.
Lendl is back as Murray’s coach and back at Wimbledon for the first time since the Scot’s historic triumph over Novak Djokovic three years ago.
And the friends reunited project is going so well after just one week of practice that the British No 1 was able to put his feet up ahead of his craziest fortnight of the year.
Murray beamed: “Genuinely, it was easy. He’s very clear in what he thinks and where my game needs to go if I want to keep improving and winning the major events again.
“Because I trust and believe in his opinion, that also helps when you get back on the court together.
“I believe my practice this week has been good.
“If it wasn’t going well, I probably would not have had a day off today.
“I got a day off the practice court, trying to refresh a little bit, recover a little bit, get ready for a big push over the next couple of weeks.”
Lendl has slipped back into Team Murray as if he had never been away — and he is feeling positive echoes of when his man reached back-to-back Wimbledon finals.
Lendl said: “Andy seems to be in a good place, everybody on the team is clicking well together.
“I think that’s important for Andy so he can focus on his tennis and not on what is going on somewhere else on the team.
“It’s very similar to 2012 and 2013.”
Lendl still has clear memories of the year Murray became Britain’s first male Wimbledon champion since 1936.
He revealed: “What stands out most in my mind is the pressure he was under.
“I never experienced pressure on that level as a player but I knew what Andy was dealing with and that he was able to deal with it was very good, it was beautiful to see.”
The next generation of British players have said Murray’s SW19 win provided the spark for them to up their game.
A total of 15 Brits are in the first round — the highest since 2006.
Murray said: “If I’ve given them a little extra incentive to work a bit harder or motivated them in any way, then I’m really happy. That's just sort of the culture you want in this sport in this country.”
Murray’s first job, on Tuesday will be to put out fellow Brit in the shape of wild card Liam Broady.
The Scot said: “It will be a bit strange. It’s never happened before for me.”
But with Lendl back by Murray’s side, don’t rule out a repeat of 2013.
