Queen’s Club: Lendl reunion a breeze for Murray

Defending champion advances to second round under reappointed coach’s directions

LONDON: Andy Murray admitted it was easy to get back in the old routine with Ivan Lendl after the world number two’s coach watched him battle to a 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/1) victory over Nicolas Mahut at Queen’s Club on Tuesday.

Murray is back working with Lendl two years after they parted ways and their winning start has earned the defending Queen’s champion a second round meeting with Aljaz Bedene in an all-British clash on Thursday.

After flying in from the US on Monday evening, Lendl seemed to be making an instant impact, directing Murray’s practice session on Tuesday morning and then watching his match from the courtside seats.



“It’s great to have him back as part of the team, obviously,” said Murray. “It’s good to chat. When we were chatting sort of before the match, it didn’t feel strange. It felt like it did before. I think it’s a positive thing.”

With Maria Sharapova’s two-year drugs ban still a hot topic, Murray also stuck by his long-held view that players found guilty of doping deserve strong punishment.

“My thoughts haven’t changed really from March,” said Murray. “I obviously spoke quite a lot about it then. I do feel like if you’re cheating or gaining advantages on your opponents, then you obviously have to be punished for that.”



Five-time grand slam winner Sharapova, who tested positive for meldonium at January’s Australian Open, on Tuesday appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, saying her ban should be “eliminated” or reduced because she didn’t mean to break the rules.

But Murray said, “To be honest, I don’t really see that as being a valid excuse. If you’re taking any medication it’s your responsibility as the athlete to check and make sure that what you’re taking is legal. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t know whether it’s on the banned list or not.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2016.

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