Lendl link-up could elevate Murray to top of tennis world

Dubai: The new link-up between nearly-man Andy Murray and tennis legend Ivan Lendl could finally be the key to bringing the Scotsman his longed-for place at the very top of the game.

Murray, without a Grand Slam title despite appearing in three finals, will continue his new start under coach Lendl when he appears at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at the Aviation Club in Garhoud this month.

The talented 24-year-old has long been one of the world's top players, being ranked fourth in the world for each of the last four years, although he enjoyed a brief stint at number two in 2009. He picked up a very creditable five titles in 2011 and has posted wins over the reigning triad of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the last couple of years, but he is yet to elbow one of them out of the way in the major tournaments.

But Murray is hoping the surprising appointment of eight-time Grand Slam winner Lendl will provide the last piece in the puzzle to take him to world number one and a Grand Slam title of his own. The move was surprising because Lendl has little or no experience in such a role and had little connection with the sport after he retired at the end of 1994.

Like Murray, Lendl struggled to take the big titles in the early days of his career, losing his first four Grand Slam finals.

"There's not been one thing in particular that he's said that has made a huge difference," Murray said. "But when you just get that little bit of extra help from someone that's been there and done it many, many times, it helps."

The partnership has begun promisingly, with Murray lifting the Brisbane International trophy in the first week of the year before going on to reach the semi-finals at the Australian Open, where he stretched defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic to five sets in an epic battle that lasted just 10 minutes short of five hours.

"The match between Murray and Djokovic in Melbourne was fantastic and certainly one of the highlights of the tournament, only eclipsed by that amazing final," Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free, said.

Commenting on the arrival of Murray and possibly Lendl in Dubai, Salah Tahlak, tournament director, said: "We are looking forward to welcoming back a very much on-form Andy Murray to the Championships. Lendl participated in the Dubai tournament way back in its infancy and he was one of the greatest players the game has seen in the past few decades. It will be fascinating to see if his influence on Murray can lead him to the title here."

If Murray is to take the title, he will have to outlast a field that features not only Djokovic and four-time Dubai champion Roger Federer, but also recent Doha winner and 2011 Wimbledon semi-finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and 2011 Beijing champion Tomas Berdych.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Play begins on February 20 with the WTA Tour event and continues from February 27 with the ATP tournament.

Tickets are available from the box office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, open from 9am to 9pm daily. Grandstand tickets can be bought online at www.timeouttickets.com. Visit www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com or call 04 358 9797.