Coach tempted out of retirement by prospect of working with 21-year-old German while creaking Murray returns to US Open as an almost invisible former championWhen Andy Murray hooked up with Ivan Lendl seven years ago, he seemed convinced that, after several experiments with other coaches, he and old Rock Jaw would be together for the rest of his career. Within a year, he had broken through for an Olympic gold medal and his first grand slam title at the US Open. Two Wimbledon titles would follow – then injury, struggle and no little angst.When Murray arrived this week in New York to prepare for the US Open, the last major of the season, he may have experienced a shiver of regret, or...
The Scot has been out for a year but Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic remain the players to beatThe tennis jungle Andy Murray is preparing to re-enter – possibly next week at Queen’s Club – will not be noticeably different to the one from which he hobbled away a year ago.Roger Federer will be easing back into shape at Halle, having again chosen to skip the clay to save his 36-year-old legs for the grass of the All England Club he finds so suited to his game. Novak Djokovic – despite an uncharacteristically short-tempered exit from Roland Garros, mumbling about uncertainty over his future – will be desperate to get his career back on track where he has...
Former world No 1’s latest French Open win suggests he is in comparable shape to Alexander Zverev and Grigor DimitrovOn a day of rapidly swirling weather and fortunes, Novak Djokovic emerged from a second perfunctory win against a qualifier to stay in the conversation about who is good enough to stop Rafael Nadal winning his 11th French Open. He could get to the quarter‑finals; once there, he might even find another gear or two, which was his trademark in his pomp.Certainly the former champion is in shape comparable to that of younger contenders in Alexander Zverev, who took five sets to defeat the world No 60 Dusan Lajovic, and Grigor Dimitrov, who survived a tempestuous battle over four hours and 19...
In a week when Hyeon Chung, the world No 20, pulled out of the French Open that starts on Sunday, the Spanish veteran Robredo provided compelling evidence of his love for the gameThe French Open lost another fine player from the men’s draw when Hyeon Chung withdrew on Wednesday – and it looks as if he will miss Wimbledon too.“I have been struggling with an ankle injury the entire clay season,” the 22-year-old South Korean said, simultaneously pulling out of Roland Garros and this week’s Lyon tournament where he had hoped to test his fitness. He follows Milos Raonic out of the season’s second slam, which starts on Sunday, further depleting a field missing Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Rafael Nadal’s...
The Swiss has regained his position as world No 1, while Murray is heading out of the top 50 and should consider restoring his partnership with his brother, JamieLike Roger Federer’s exquisite backhand down the line, all things must pass – and nobody is more aware of the tyranny of time than the Swiss.Still resting from the rigours of clay (the odds on his ever trying again for the French Open are paper-thin), Federer is 37 in August and continues to astound with his longevity. Federer returned to world No 1 this week without lifting a racket after Dominic Thiem stopped Rafael Nadal’s record run of 50 sets in a row in Madrid last week – then the Austrian bowed...