Wimbledon 2017: Big four still going strong, with Ivan Lendl confident Andy Murray can stay the course

Wimbledon began last week with talk that this might be one of the most open tournaments for years, but as the last 16 players prepare to do battle here in the fourth round of the men’s singles on Monday it is clear that the cream has risen to the top.

Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori fell by the wayside last week, but eight of the first 10 seeds are still going strong, including all the pre-tournament favourites and in particular the “Big Four”, who have shared this title between them ever since 2002.

The challenges get harder with every round, but it would be a surprise if any of the Big Four do not make it into Wednesday’s quarter-finals.

In Monday’s fourth round Andy Murray, the world No 1 and defending champion, and Novak Djokovic, the No 2 seed, both face Frenchmen ranked outside the world’s top 40 in Benoit Paire and Adrian Mannarino respectively, while Rafael Nadal meets the big-serving Gilles Muller and Roger Federer will take on Grigor Dimitrov.

“The top guys are top guys because they do things a little bit better than the other guys,” Ivan Lendl, Murray’s coach, said here on Sunday after guiding his charge through a practice session at Aorangi Park.

“Can they be beaten? Of course they can, but in the end most of the time the top guys do win because they are a little better than the others. Whether it’s problem-solving, whether it’s lack of matches for a while, dealing with distractions off the court – these guys are used to it. That’s part of the business.”

He added: “The top guys are better purely in stroke production, movement, physically - you put all that into a package and the package is slightly better than the guys below. Yes, they can get upset, or the others can upset them, but if they play 100 times they are going to win more than half and that’s because the package is a little more complete.”

Murray has reached the quarter-finals at 23 of the last 25 Grand Slam tournaments he has contested and will be attempting to reach the last eight here for the tenth year in a row. The only players in the Open era who have reached more consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals than Murray are Jimmy Connors, who played in 11 between 1972 and 1982, and Federer, who played in 10 between 2003 and 2012.

The Scot is also on a lengthy winning run against Frenchmen. Since losing to Gilles Simon in Rotterdam two years ago he has won 25 matches in a row against French opponents. In Grand Slam competition he has won his last 27 matches against French players since losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round of the Australian Open in 2008.

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Murray has made his customary progress here despite a difficult time in his preparations for the tournament. He lost first time out in his only warm-up tournament at Queen’s Club and was forced to pull out of two exhibition matches the following week because of a hip injury.

Lendl, nevertheless, does not appear concerned about Murray’s fitness, though the coach agreed that it was often important for a player to be able to play through pain. “When you play, sometimes you feel tired and you have to push through that pain barrier as well,” he said. “That comes with it.”

Did Lendl think this would be the most challenging second week at a Grand Slam tournament that he had faced with Murray? “I don’t really give it any thought,” he said. “I never even worried about that. I do what I can and don’t worry about the past. That’s just pointless.”

Paire, a racket-smashing Frenchman with an unorthodox game, is the fourth flamboyant opponent in a row for Murray following his victories in the first week over Alexander Bublik, Dustin Brown and Fabio Fognini.

Lendl agreed that it had been difficult for the world No 1 to get into a rhythm, especially given the unconventional games of Bublik and Brown, but insisted: “Andy is hitting it better and cleaner every practice now and getting his timing back and rhythm back.”

Asked if he had been impressed with the fight Murray had shown in beating Fognini in four sets, Lendl said: “Yeah but it’s Andy. I mean, you expect it, don’t you? That’s how people win tournaments – they fight. It doesn’t come easy. And you have to fight and you don’t always play your best and you have to get through that and fighting is part of it.”

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Lendl said that the combination of Fognini’s skill and unpredictability had made him a very dangerous opponent. “I thought he played a very good match with the exception of the third set,” Lendl said.

“When you have an unpredictable player with skill like him or Henri Leconte they are very dangerous when they step on the court, because it is not necessarily in your hands what is going to happen. You have to expect the unexpected and when that guy is on it’s difficult. I thought Fognini played a very good match.”

As for Murray’s chances of making further progress, Lendl, typically, did not want to be drawn. “He’s in the second week so he is in with a chance, the same as 15 other guys,” Lendl said. “By the end of tomorrow, if there is no bad weather, there will be only seven and hopefully Andy.”