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Coach says Jamie Murray could be a world beater with Mirnyi in doubles
January 16, 2008 MELBOURNE While Andy Murray is doubtless still stinging from a first-round singles defeat at the Australian Open, his older brother is about to start his doubles campaign. Jamie Murray and Max Mirnyi, his new partner, will play their first grand slam together at Melbourne Park and thus begin in earnest a partnership which Murray's coach, Louis Cayer, believes could take the Scot to the very top. "I don't keep saying it because I don't want to put pressure on him but I told Jamie that, in three years, he would be in position to be No.1 in the world," said Cayer. Murray and Mirnyi are seeded No.12 in what will be their third tournament as a pairing. They take on Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Giles Simon of France in the opening round, probably tomorrow and, as ever, Cayer will expect plenty from his charge. The coach has the sort of resume which others in his position would kill for, and Murray knows that the man the British players have nicknamed "the Professor" is seldom wrong about these things. "In the beginning, Jamie freaked out with that. Even when I ask him to be top 30, he says he only wants to be top 100. I say that doesn't challenge me', you can be top 100 by having a few good tournaments by yourself. "Then we settle for top 30 and, by the end of the year, he was 31 so now he believes me when I say No.1 in two more years," said Cayer. "This year he has to get to the Masters Cup for the top eight pairings with Max and, after that, be more dominating in the grand slams and Masters to have a chance to flirt with the No.1, which is a possibility. "Everything he does, he can improve on in a year or two because, normally you don't peak at 21, you peak at 23, 24. So he's on the right path. It's right under control." Cayer believes that Murray and Mirnyi will take "two or three months" before they gel as a partnership, and that Murray's biggest challenge will be adapting to playing with a multiple grand slam winner and a man who is far more experienced than he is. Murray won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Jelena Jankovic last year, but Mirnyi has seven grand slam titles, four of which came in men's doubles, and that makes him the boss. "Max has been No.1, won grand slams, so he is used to being the leader. Jamie can still use his leadership through his energy and bouncing and all this but the tactical leadership, the change of momentum, will come from the guy who has been No.1 and won grand slams," said Cayer. "Max will assume that leadership and Jamie will learn from it. It's absolutely normal. However, it will be a new role for Jamie, so he will have to adapt to that. I think they like each other but they need to play more matches to get them their cruise control." Murray and Mirnyi had never even hit together before meeting for their first practice session in Doha, at the first tournament of the season but, with Cayer's help, they are beginning to gain a better understanding. "Max liked to play with Jamie, liked his potential," said Cayer. "And of course Jamie feels privileged to have a partner like Max at this stage of his career. They are a very good team for sure."
Cayer and Mirnyi have warned Murray to expect ups and downs over the coming
months and years, but, if Cayer is to be believed, the highs could be
worth waiting for.
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