UNITED KINGDOM: TENNIS: Andy Murray and new coach Brad Gilbert meet for first time at the ATP Legg Mason Tennis Classic

Former Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi coach Brad Gilbert has decided to coach up and coming young British tennis player Andy Murray. Gilbert and Murray will debut as a partnership at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. this week. U.S.coach Gilbert, who has guided both Roddick and Agassi to the top of the ATP rankings, will also assist Britain's Lawn Tennis Association with its performance programme. The current world No. 36, Murray had been playing without a coach since his split with Mark Petchey back in April. During practice for the tournament Murray said: "It's my goal to win a Grand Slam and I wanted to work with a coach who'd worked with a player who'd won a Grand Slam or been number one in the world so you know don't put any extra pressure on me I just think it gives me maybe a better chance of doing it, you know I've got someone who I'm going to listen to and someone whose got the right knowledge and the stuff he's going to be telling me is right so I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks to see how much I can improve." Gilbert said: "He just wants to become the best player that he possibly can become and obviously he'd like to win a Grand Slam but, like I said, he's 19, he's got to improve a lot of things in his game and time has a way of answering your questions, but obviously I think he has the potential to become a great player." The 19-year-old Murray, Britain's top player and a proud Scot, upset a struggling Roddick at Wimbledon earlier this month. The 2003 U.S. Open champion Roddick announced earlier this week that he was now employing the legendary Jimmy Connors as his newest coach.

ITN Source | July 31, 2006

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