Scots steady progress to world summit proves Mark Petchey right
Neil Harman, Tennis Correspondent
Just before the 2005 Wimbledon Championships, Mark Petchey said he believed that Andy Murray could one day become as big as Wayne Rooney, and several in his audience wondered whether he was a marble or two short of the complete set. Petchey was Murrays coach at the time, a partnership formed at the Scots behest to steer Britains leading junior through the first phase of his professional career - Petchey hoped that it might last a bit longer than that, of course - and as he contemplates his former charges victorious start to 2008 at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and the promise of a splendid year, he suspects he was a great deal more prescient than initially given credit for. Murray had just turned 18, was the defending US Open boys champion and was about to make a marked impression on Wimbledon, where he reached the third round and led David Nalbandian, of Argentina, a runner-up there, by two sets to love on Centre Court before greater experience told. Petchey, who had agonised about whether to stall his television career and take Murray on, was to last another ten months before the pair split, Murray insisting that they had had a disagreement on playing style. Two months ago, the 20-year-old Scot parted company with Brad Gilbert, the American, which had a lot more to do with communication style.
There are different faces in the corner now, the self-styled Team Murray. Petchey, having returned to his role as one of the sports finest commentators, bears his former protégé no ill-will; on the contrary, the pair have an excellent relationship. "Most players start to play their best tennis at around 21," Petchey said yesterday. "It is the rarity who is a world-beater at 18. When people were getting carried away with Andy, I remember cautioning them to relax. I kept saying, Give him time, give him time. Tennis is such an individual journey and it is clear Andy has reached the point where he is much more comfortable on the Tour, comfortable with his set-up, he knows what he likes and what he doesnt like and everything is starting to click. I believe the time we had together was very productive. From the first day I saw him in a futures tournament in Edinburgh [in 2003], I knew he was something special and nothing he has done since has surprised me. I always knew he would be a phenomenal player and this year he will do even better than last, Im confident of that. Coaching Andy is a different dynamic now because he is a different animal, he has matured out of sight. It is no surprise to me how his career is turning out. I recall you asking him at the Masters in Indian Wells in 2006 whether he envisaged not winning a grand-slam title and his answer was, No, that has never entered my head. He doesnt deal in what-ifs, which is a wonderful mental toughness. We talk quite a bit; Ive had long conversations with him about where he wants his career to go. Im proud he is happy with the choices hes making. Its important that when you split professionally, you remain good friends and thats what I like to think we are. It would have been very easy for it not to have been that way, but that speaks a lot about Andys character."
A character that will be tested as never before in the coming weeks, starting on Monday at the Australian Open, the first grand-slam tournament Murray will play as a bona fide member of the worlds top ten.
