IVAN LENDL has told Andy Murray to carry on screaming.
Murray’s head coach manages to sit stony-faced when the fiery Scot takes out his frustrations on those in his box.
But surely these are the things you can do without if you are an eight-time Grand Slam champion like Lendl, who could be playing golf instead?
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Yet ahead of Muzza’s semi-final showdown against Stan Wawrinka on Friday, Lendl explained: “Andy needs to get his energy out.
“As long as he can focus on the next point, dissect what happened and focus forward, I’m OK.”
So far in Paris, the world No 1 has managed just that.
Lendl, 57, has a simple explanation for his sharp upturn in form at the French Open — hard work.
And he says the Scot’s struggles earlier in the year were down to not doing enough training at his annual camp in Florida, rather than doing too much as Murray himself hinted.
Czech-born American Lendl said: “I thought the block in Miami was a bit too short.
“With his father’s wedding, the O2, and so on and so on, the block was too short.
“I could have used another week at the training camp.”
Lendl also has little time for Murray’s self-confessed struggles with motivation between the Australian Open and Paris.
Lendl said: “Of course you focus on the Slams but to play well in them, you have to have confidence. You get confidence through winning. You get winning through consistent work.”
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The only concession Lendl is prepared to make is to acknowledge Murray’s bad luck with illness and injury.
Even his preparations for Roland Garros were hindered by a bout of flu.
Lendl said: “If you have three illnesses and an injury which take you out for some time, you start again.
“You get going and you get ill or injured again, then you start again and again and again. It’s very difficult mentally for the player.
“It’s nice Andy’s healthy and can put the practice in — and the results are starting to come.
“With the exception of the first two or three days, when he had a bit of flu, he has been putting in great work.”
Now the question is whether Murray, 30, can repeat last year’s semi-final win here over Wawrinka.
The powerful Swiss, 32, warned: “I think I’m playing better than last year — he’s probably a bit less confident.
“Hopefully I can take advantage of that.”
But if Murray needs to get vocal against Wawrinka today, Lendl is happy to sit there and take it.
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