If Andy Murray comes back to defeat Novak Djokovic in Friday's suspended semifinal at the French Open, then he will be lauded for fighting to return to the form that won him the 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon.
If he loses, it'll be another example of Murray's continued inability to fill the void left by the departure of coach Ivan Lendl.
Irate Andy Murray tells opponent that he's hated on the men's tennis tour
Or, more simply, it's new coach Amélie Mauresmo's fault.
That was the sentiment Murray said to the French newspaper L'Equipe (as reported by Buzzfeed.com) that he has perceived since hiring Mauresmo last year after Lendl exited in the spring of 2014.
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The criticism Mauresmo has received, Murray says, has been "staggering," Buzzfeed.com reported.
"Right from the word go, I knew that working alongside Amélie would set tongues wagging," Murray said. "The reason for this is that very few players before me have worked with a female coach. I realized it would create a feeling of suspicion, mistrust and perhaps even negativity.
"I didn't realize, however, that Amélie would find herself up against such criticism and prejudice. The staggering thing was that she was slated every time I lost, which is something my former coaches never ever experienced. It wasn't right."
The peak of that criticism came after Murray's 6-0, 6-1 loss to Roger Federer at the 2014 ATP World Finals in London in November.
Hearing the criticism aimed at Mauresmo, the 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, drove Murray to a better understanding of the female plight.
"Have I become a feminist? Well, if being a feminist is about fighting so that a woman is treated like a man then yes, I suppose I have," he said. "It really opened my eyes when I started working with Amelie.. "Inequality is something I started to see and become passionate about. It's opened my mind."
But as Murray points out, he was No. 11 in the world when he started working with her. He is now currently No. 3. Their partnership must be doing something right.
Do you think Andy Murray will recapture in 2012-13 form with Amélie Mauresmo as his coach? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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