Murray vs. Djokovic: Ivan Lendl Won't Save Murray from Djokovic Thrashing

Former top-ranked tennis star Ivan Lendl has been charged with the task of turning Andy Murray into a Grand Slam contender, but his arrival won't stop Novak Djokovic from dominating Murray in the Australian Open semifinals on Friday.

Murray has repeatedly failed on the sport's biggest stages despite being considered a top-four player for several years. The lackluster results can be attributed to his playing style, which is too reliant on defense to defeat his fellow elite players in five-set matches.

That's why bringing Lendl on as his coach was a perfect choice. During his peak, there wasn't a more powerful, commanding presence on tour than him. His ability to rip winners off both wings was virtually unbeatable when he found a comfort zone.

It's those type of traits that Murray will need to start exhibiting more frequently if he wants to finally claim his first major title, but major changes like those don't occur overnight. Lendl discussed the relationship in an interview with ESPN (see below).

Lendl and Murray are less than a month into their new arrangement. It will take some time before the upgrades become obvious. Old habits are tough to break, and Murray has still played a lot like his usual self over the past week.

That gives Djokovic the edge heading into Friday's clash. He holds a 6-4 edge over Murray in their previous head-to-head encounters and knocked him out of last year's Australian Open in straight sets.

There isn't another player on the planet playing on the same level as the Serbian star right now. He's able to smack winners from crazy positions while also keeping his unforced error counts low. That's a tough combination to deal with for opponents.

I have no doubt Murray's time with Lendl will eventually lead to a major tournament victory. He has too much talent to be held without a Grand Slam trophy for his entire career, but he's not ready to make that big leap quite yet.

He understands there are issues to be fixed, which is the first step, but now he needs to put in the hard work to make it all come together.

As for this tournament, however, Djokovic will take advantage of Murray's flaws and advance to his second straight Australian Open Final.