• I have to believe that I can win it, says Murray
• Scot says Ivan Lendl has fresh ideas and great experience
Of all the things that Ivan Lendl has brought to Andy Murray's table since the pair began working together just over three months ago, one thing stands out above all others: belief.
After reaching three grand slam finals, reaching as high as the world No2 and collecting 22 singles titles, the Scot has always known that when his game is on and his mind is strong, he can compete with the best. But it seems that Lendl, who famously lost his first four grand slam finals before going on to win eight, has instilled something extra in him.
Within days of starting work, Lendl said there was no reason Murray could not win the French Open. Perhaps for the first time, the world No4 agrees.
"I have to believe that I can win it," Murray said yesterday at Queen's Club, as he announced that he will warm-up for Wimbledon at the Aegon Championships for the next five years. "I was going to say that I have to agree with him [on everything] but I don't have to. Last year gave me a lot of confidence and I still feel like I could have played better.
"The French Open was a really important tournament for me last year. I've said it many times, not just because I got to the semis there for the first time but because of the way the tournament went.
"Providing I have improved and that over the next five, six weeks I keep doing that and working hard then there's no reason why I can't give it a good shot. I wouldn't say I'm the favourite going in; [Novak] Djokovic, Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal] have got much better results than me on clay but I think I can win against them. I need to work hard over the next five, six weeks for sure."
If it sounds a bold statement, that's because it is. Not just because Nadal has won six of the past seven French Opens on his favourite surface or because Djokovic will be chasing a fourth straight grand slam title in Paris this year.
Murray has never won a title on clay; he has also never reached a final on it. However, there has been a clear improvement each year and now he has the Lendl factor.
When Murray announced that he would be working with Lendl, there were some who wondered aloud whether Murray would be happy to be told what to do.
On Tuesday, the 24-year-old said he hoped it would be a long-lasting agreement and that he had been pleasantly surprised at how Lendl goes about his work. "He's a lot more open-minded than I expected," Murray said.
"Most ex-players who I have spoken to could be quite stubborn about what you should be doing and how you should be playing. He's been speaking to the guys I work with, he's spoken to [Darren] Cahill [about] how it was to work with me. He has lots of ideas. If they don't work he will move on to the next thing.
"That's what he was like when he played. He tried different things, always wanted to learn. I thought he would have been more set in his ways in terms of what I needed to do."
Lendl will accompany Murray to Monte Carlo, where next week he will begin his clay-court campaign. If winning grand slams really is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration, then Murray has found the right man.
"He identified the things I needed to work on to beat the top guys consistently," he said. "My main focus is to be better and he's been great with that. He has some fresh ideas, great experience and an understanding what it takes to play in the majors."