Lendl out to make more changes to Murray's game in 2013

18 November 2012 01:09
Ivan Lendl is hoping to have a greater influence on Andy Murray's game after revealing he wants to make more changes to the US Open champions game, after only making small changes during 2012.

Lendl began working with Murray in the run-up to the Australian Open this year, but admits it would have been a complete fluke if the Scot had gone on to win his first grand slam in Melbourne so soon after the pair linked up.

As the pair prepare to enter the first off-season together in Miami, Lendl believes the four-week training block will be a massive help and will see huge benefits next year.

"We have only been together ten months and it took a little over six months for him to win something really important and now we are two months after the US Open, where he excelled himself," Lendl told The Times.

"I said this would take time, that there was no overnight solution. If Andy had won the Australian Open, it would have been a coincidence that I had just come on board.

"We haven't really had much time to look at his overall game - that will come at the training camp next month. We have four weeks there, then I believe things will get even better.

"I am sure he would have like to have won more than three events this year. It might have looked better on his record had he won seven, but would he have preferred to win more, or the events he won?"While Lendl admits winning Wimbledon will always be the ultimate goal for Murray, the former world No. 1 believes his employer is capable of winning the French Open, despite Rafael Nadal's dominance at Roland Garros.

"I have not talked to Andy about this, but I'm pretty certain that if you gave him a choice of winning the US Open or Wimbledon, he would take Wimbledon every time," he said.

He added: "There is much to look forward to next year, especially the clay-court season. If you go through history, no-one has won the French Open without having had a good clay-court season."Andy can win the French Open, but there are a lot of other players besides Nadal who can play on clay.

I know it is the most difficult for him, but if he works on the things I want him to work on, of course he can do it."

Source: DSG