Murray already thriving under behest of Bjorkman
— -- On the day that Andy Murray's coach, Amelie Mauresmo, gave birth to her first child, the Scot defeated Novak Djokovic for the first time in more than two years to win the Rogers Cup in Montreal. It was the first title of the Jonas Bjorkman era, with the Swede promoted from assistant to head coach while Mauresmo is on maternity leave.
Here are six things to expect of Murray while Bjorkman is in charge:
1. Confronting perfectionism: Perhaps it takes a fellow perfectionist to help another through the agony of trying to achieve the illusory and unattainable. During his playing days, Bjorkman could be harsh on himself, and he sees Murray (rightly so) as someone else with the tendency to be extremely self-critical. Over the course of his career, Bjorkman found a way of staying more relaxed and dealing with frustrations. In the past, Murray has raged at his support box, grabbed at his clothes in the style of the Incredible Hulk and even bloodied his knuckles by smashing a fist against his strings. Can Bjorkman help Murray to stay in control of his emotions? That will be key to having Murray play his best tennis, especially at the US Open and the other majors.
2. Maintain aggression: Murray has firsthand experience of Bjorkman's attacking game. They met in the second round of the 2007 US Open, with Murray winning in five sets. It was Bjorkman's aggressive tennis that attracted Murray to hiring the Scandinavian. One subject of conversation between Bjorkman and Murray has been taking the opportunities when an opponent is under pressure in the rally -- to move to the net and play a volley for the quick kill. Bjorkman also has been speaking to Murray, already regarded as one of the best returners in the game, about trying to be more aggressive with that part of his game.
3. Just have fun: In addition to his ability to perform the cha-cha, Bjorkman demonstrated with his deep run on this year's "Let's Dance," a ballroom dancing show on Swedish television, that he is able to enjoy himself while also being extremely competitive. (Indeed, Bjorkman remained in the show for so long that he had to push back his start date as Murray's assistant coach in the spring.) As we saw during the Ivan Lendl years, humor goes a long way in Murray's world. Murray and Bjorkman have each spoke of how they enjoy the other's humor. Bjorkman's jokes aren't as cruel or filthy as Lendl's, but they can have a hard edge. That suits Murray, with Bjorkman disclosing how he and Murray like their "trash talk."
Bjorkman is also known for his impressions of other players. Watching YouTube footage, you wonder whether he has more talent for tennis impersonations than Djokovic. This positive, laughter-filled approach to life matters and will influence Bjorkman's training sessions with Murray. Bjorkman says he believes it's important for Murray to have more fun on the practice court. When the Briton is feeling festive, he is most likely to be making improvements to his game.
4. Strong communication: It didn't take long for Murray and Bjorkman to become comfortable with each other. With past appointments -- such as Lendl and Mauresmo -- there was a getting-to-know-each-other period. That wasn't necessary with Bjorkman. When a teenage Murray first appeared on the main tour, Bjorkman was one of the players who welcomed the Scot to the circuit. And Murray hasn't forgotten that.
5. Continuity: There won't be a sudden change in how Murray plays tennis. Broadly, Bjorkman and Mauresmo are in agreement about Murray's game. "I really like the way Amelie believes Andy should play," Bjorkman has said.
6. Find consistent success: Four times so far, Murray has played a tournament with Bjorkman sitting courtside and Mauresmo elsewhere, and three times the Scot has finished the week delivering a champion's speech. The first title came at a clay-court tournament in Munich in the spring and the second on the grass of Queen's Club in London before Wimbledon. The only week that has drawn a blank when Bjorkman has been solely in charge at a tournament was the first week of the maternity cover when Murray lost on his opening appearance at a hard-court event in Washington.
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