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 today.
It will be the only time Murray has ever faced a British opponent at tour level on home soil and the first time anywhere since he lost to Tim Henman in Bangkok in 2006.
After flying in from the United States 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,” Murray said. “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.
“Obviously I don’t play tomorrow (Wednesday), so it’ll be good to get a good, proper practice session in tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll get a few hours on the court and work on a few things.”
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. I obviously spoke quite a lot about it then. I do feel like if you’re cheating and or caught and gaining advantage on your opponents, then you obviously have to be punished for that,” Murray said.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova, who tested positive for meldonium at January’s Australian Open, 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.”