Novak Djokovic’s candid nature surprised Andy Murray as the Brit discussed the pair’s working relationship after being stopped in a shop. The Tennis icons swapped their on-court rivalry for a player-coach partnership, with the Brit leading the 24-time Grand Slam champion into the Australian Open this month.
It’s been a successful start to their alliance with the Serbian, having won his first three games of the tournament as he now tackles the challenge of Czech star Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round on Sunday (January 19) after his win over Tomas Machac today. Murray, 37, could soon find himself coaching Djokovic to a record-extending 11th Australian Open title should he continue his fine form Down Under.
While out shopping in a supermarket following Djokovic’s second-round win over Jaime Faria, Murray fielded questions about what has surprised him since teaming up with the Serb, admitting his vocal nature was something he didn’t expect.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve been hugely surprised; it’s kind of as I expected; maybe Novak is even more diligent than I would have expected,” Murray revealed. “He’s unbelievably professional, extremely hard worker, maybe he’s been more open in terms of communication and his feelings and thoughts.
“From the first and second day that we were together, it’s been brilliant and it’s been really helpful for me trying to help him. The more open you are, the more you can communicate with each other. That’s probably the only thing I expected him to be a little bit reserved initially but he hasn’t.
“I hope so. Ultimately, I’m aware that sports is a results business, and Novak has had a good result. Hopefully, things last for a long time, but we’ll see how the rest of the tournament goes.
-“I believe Novak can have a great tournament, he’s building a little bit of momentum with each match. He’s the sort of player generally the longer the tournament goes, he plays better and better. He’s done well to get through some tricky first couple of matches and let’s hope he keeps playing better as the tournament goes on.”
Djokovic was equally hopeful that their partnership could be for the long haul when praising Murray’s mid-match advice during his first-round win over Nishesh Basavareddy. “I’m obviously thrilled to have him in my corner,” he said. “I must say it was a little bit of a strange experience to have him courtside in my box.
“He gave me some great advice mid-match. He’s been doing really well. It’s been an enjoyable experience and hopefully we don’t stop here.”
Morocco
