MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Andy Murray drew massive applause not just for his tennis, but for an eloquent tribute to female coaches.
As Murray basked in the center-court spotlight after reaching his fourth Australian Open final, he was asked by an on-court presenter what his new coach Amelie Mauresmo has brought to his game.
Murray’s decision to hire the former No. 1-ranked Mauresmo in June, after parting ways with Ivan Lendl, sparked criticism from some current and retired players and the British media. Her position was then under scrutiny in Britain after Murray was eliminated from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the quarterfinals last year.
“A lot of people criticized me working with her,” said Murray, winner of the 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon titles. “And I think so far this week we’ve showed that women can be very good coaches as well.”
Mauresmo, a two-time Grand Slam winner, smiled at Murray from his player’s box and nodded, as Rod Laver Arena erupted with applause.
The No. 6-ranked Murray beat No. 7 Tomas Berdych 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in Thursday’s semifinal and is now one win away from an elusive Australian Open trophy.
But Murray noted that his wasn’t the only success story.
“Madison Keys, who reached the semis here and had her best tournament, is also coached by a woman, Lindsay Davenport, and I see no reason why that can’t keep moving forward like that in the future,” he said to more huge applause.
“I’m very thankful for Amelie for doing it. It was, I would say, a brave choice from her to do it, and hopefully I can repay her now in a few days.”
Murray faces a final against No. 1 Novak Djokovic or defending champion Stan Wawrinka, who play their semifinal on Friday.
