New Lendl back to help Murray halt Djokovic’s run

Two new hips and a desire to half Novak Djokovic’s run have brought Ivan Lendl back by Andy Murray’s side.

Britain’s Andy Murray talks with his coach Ivan Lendl at the Queen’s Club this week

There are marked differences between the old Ivan Lendl who coached Andy Murray to two grand slam titles and the new version who has been cajoled into returning to the Scot’s fold.

The emotionless look is still the same, so too the obstinate streak that decrees he will not do anything he does not want to. But if you want to find the biggest difference, look no further than his hips — his pair of hip replacements to be precise. They were an important factor in the 56-year-old’s decision to step back into the tennis spotlight. That and a determination to put an end to Novak Djokovic’s world domination.

After beating Murray in the Australian and French Open ­finals, Djokovic is in line to be the first player for 47 years to win the full set of grand slam titles in one calendar year.

With the same dark-eyed stare that terrorised many an opponent from across the net during his 270 weeks as world No 1, Lendl stated: “Obviously Andy and I would like to ruin those plans if we can.”

Lendl has never been a man to divulge too many personal secrets yet it now transpires he did not rest soundly during his first spell as Murray’s head coach.

Not because of the pressures of the job but simply because the pain from his formerly arthritic hips caused him sleepless nights and ­affected the amount of work he could put in.

Days after returning to Murray’s side, Lendl admitted: “There are a bunch of factors that brought me back. But one of the important ones is I feel younger because I sleep at night. With the old hips I wasn’t sleeping at night because they just ached.”

Now the winner of eight grand slam titles himself wakes up refreshed and raring to get involved in things again. At home in the United States, Lendl got up early to watch the majority of Murray’s matches during the recent French Open and, for the most part, liked what he saw.

“Andy is looking motivated, which was also important, but I think it’s very different, the position this time,” said the man who’s initial brief was to turn Murray from a perennial runner-up into a champion.

Many will argue he has reverted to type when it comes to facing Djokovic in the matches that matter, losing three grand slam finals and all but two of the world’s leading two players’ past 15 meetings.

However, Lendl insisted: “Until you win one you never know you have it in you. We know Andy has it in him. So now the question is, can he do it again? I think that’s an easier question to answer than can you do it at all. And that’s why I think it’s quite a bit different this time.”

In Lendl’s absence over the past 27 months, Djokovic has clearly improved and benefited greatly from the motivational presence of Boris Becker in his team.

There is enormous respect for the accomplishments of the world No 1 but the overriding aim, for the remainder of 2016 at least, is to prevent Djokovic from joining the hallowed company of the American Don Budge and the Australian Rod Laver as the only winners of the calendar Grand Slam in the men’s game.

The closest Lendl came to achieving the Grand Slam was in 1986 and then again in 1987 when he won both the French and US Open titles. Assessing the scale of that achievement, he said: “To me there is a career Grand Slam, then all four in a row, next the calendar year Grand Slam and on the top the Golden Slam (including the Olympic gold medal). Djokovic has a chance to do that this year.

“So, if you start looking at it that way, it’s phenomenal. You can make the argument that in 1938 and 1962 (before the start of the Open era), all the professionals didn’t play. So 1969 was incredible and that’s what puts Rod in the conversation of greatest of all time with Roger Federer.”

Lendl is acutely aware that on current form Djokovic is good enough to be mentioned in the same conversation.

“Novak holding all four is something that hasn’t been done for almost 50 years, so you have to respect that,” he said.

Boredom has not been a factor during Lendl’s time away from the top of the game. Since last November he, along with fellow top-flight professionals Mardy Fish and Jill Craybas, has been coaching a group of highly promising American juniors near his Florida home.

He also contemplated an offer to work with world No 8 Tomas Berdych and spent a week deciding whether Grigor Dimitrov still possessed sufficient commitment to realise his potential. His answer to whether he should coach the former Queen’s Club winner is clear, as the relationship went no further.

He does not like long-distance flying and remains an avid golfer. Although the figure of 20 weeks a year has been mentioned by Murray, Lendl insists no agreement has been made. “We will figure it out but I’m willing to learn,” he said sarcastically.

The Times