• ATP Tour

Murray happy with first win under Lendl tenure

Andy Murray linked up with new coach Ivan Lendl for the first time © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Murray storms to Brisbane crown
  
• News: Murray through to first final of 2012
  
• Features: Lendl will sharpen Murray's mental edge
  
• Profile: Andy Murray

Andy Murray claims he is already seeing improvements to his game as he steps up his Australian Open preparations in Brisbane.

Murray is through to his first final of the year after beating Bernard Tomic in straight sets at the Brisbane International, and the world No. 4 believes his movement on court made life hard for the Australian teenager. Playing in front of Ivan Lendl for the first time, Murray demonstrated plenty for his new coach to be pleased with as he strolled to a 6-3 6-2 victory.

"He [Tomic] started very well but I managed to get into a lot of long rallies at the end of the first set and got through," Murray said. "I'm just moving so much better. It's such a huge part of my game, so when I move well the rest of my game goes well and it made it hard for Bernard to hit lots of clean winners."

After showing signs of rust earlier in the week, Murray has played his way into form in Brisbane, as he bids to go one better at the Australian Open, where he has been the beaten finalist for the last two years.

And Murray, who has been without a full-time coach since parting company with Miles Maclagan in July 2010, believes Lendl can help him with all areas of his game. Lendl won his first of eight major titles at the fifth attempt and has been charged with helping Murray break his grand slam duck.

"He'll be helping with both sides of my game, doing the on-court stuff and talking to me about tactics before matches and the mental side of the game, everything really, because he can offer all of those things," Murray told sportinglife.com.

"The thing I hired him for is to help me improve my game and to help me at the major competitions, somewhere where he's obviously got a lot of experience.

"He was a great player so will obviously have a lot of knowledge about the game. He understands the mental side of it very well, having competed at the highest level, and that's something I haven't had for a while, so I'm sure he'll help with that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.