Tennis

Murray: New coach must be in it for long-haul

ESPN staff

May 11, 2014

Andy Murray's admitted he missed the presence of a coach during his dismal Madrid Open showing © Getty Images

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Andy Murray is taking his time finding a coaching replacement for the departed Ivan Lendl because he wants to find a long-term solution.

On Friday, Murray hinted his dismal showing at the Madrid Open could fast forward his search for a new coach, but the British No.1 is keen to make the right choice rather than just a quick fix.

Shortly before he competed in Madrid, Murray told the BBC he could consider hiring seven-time grand slam winner John McEnroe to replace Lendl. However, the American has extensive television commitments, including with ESPN, which could sway Murray to look elsewhere.

The Wimbledon champion says while it would be "ideal" to have someone in place before the French Open - which starts in two weeks - he has not talked to any possibilities yet.

Speaking ahead of the Italian Open, Murray said: "It's very important that whoever it is knows I want it to be a long-term thing, and that's one of the reasons why I haven't put in a lot of phone calls just now. I don't want to mess up and just pick anyone."

Murray parted ways in March with Lendl, who helped to turn him from a four-time Grand Slam runner-up into a two-time major champion.

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com