MELBOURNE, Australia -- Ivan Lendl rejected up to 10 offers in the 18 months before he was finally lured back to the tennis scene by the prospect of turning Andy Murray into a Grand Slam winner. The eight-time major champion agreed in December to start coaching Murray, the 24-year-old Scot who has lost in three Grand Slam finals. Since retiring in 1994, Lendl has spent much of his time on the golf course, and didnt play another tennis match in public until a 2010 exhibition. He told the British media it was "unlikely" he would have returned to tennis for any player other than Murray. "Ive had between seven and 10 inquiries over the last 18 months, some more serious than others, but none was considered by me," the 51-year-old Lendl said. "I see a guy who wants to win, a guy who wants to work hard. "Obviously I see the parallels between his career and my career and I want his career to end up like mine." Murray hasnt won a set in his three Grand Slam finals, including the last two title matches at the Australian Open, which begins Monday. In his first major tournament since appointing Lendl, the fourth-seeded Murray will open against American teenager Ryan Harrison. Lendl lost in four Grand Slam finals before winning the 1984 French Open at the age of 24, the same age as Murray is now. He won seven more Grand Slam titles in a career spanning 16 years, although he never won Wimbledon despite twice reaching the final. He was renowned for his near obsessive dedication to improving his game and his fitness, and said he saw something of that side of him in Murray. "We have been through similar things, things I went through, he likes to work hard I like to work hard," he said. "I also admire his guts for hiring me because he had to know it would create a lot of interest. "It would have been very easy just to hire someone, just another coach, and not get a high-profile person." Beyond the dedication to hard work, Lendl, often portrayed as a dour character during his playing career, said he and Murray had something else in common. "Obviously I really enjoy Andys sense of humour. Hopefully he enjoys mine," said Lendl, who joined Murray for the first time last weekend at the Brisbane International. "Weve had good laughs. I think its important that its not only work but fun as well." But Lendl said he was not underestimating the size of Murrays task in winning a Grand Slam title during a particularly strong era for mens tennis. "Between Roger Federer with 16, Rafa Nadal with 10 and Djokovic with four, its very difficult to win majors," he said. "It makes it a much more difficult task for Andy." Greg Olsen Jersey . Scott is attempting to become the second golfer after Robert Allenby in 2005 to win all three Australian majors in the same year. Scott broke the previous Royal Sydney mark of 65 set by five players at the 2008 Australian Open. Colin Cole Womens Jersey . The leagues Competition Committee voted unanimously to recommend the change from the current 2-3-2 system and owners will vote on it next month at their meetings. http://www.panthersjerseysofficialshop.com/black-friday-jonathan-stewart-jersey/ .J. Pollock and infielder Cody Ransom. Young, an NL All-Star in 2010, injured his right shoulder crashing into the padded wall in centre for a catch in the fourth inning Tuesday. An MRI confirmed he had a bruised right shoulder. Jerricho Cotchery Youth Jersey .C. - Olympic skicross athlete Julia Murray is retiring from the sport following a long recovery from knee injuries. Jonathan Stewart Womens Jersey . -- Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor broke his left thumb in the first quarter of their 16-7 exhibition loss to the Washington Redskins on Friday night.MONACO -- Lionel Messi has won the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe award for the 2010-11 season. Messi beat his Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez and Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid in a poll of journalists from across Europe. Argentina forward Messi scored 53 goals as he and Xavi led Barcelona to the Champions League and Spanish titles. A panell of 53 journalists drawn from each of UEFAs member nations voted ahead of the draw for this seasons Champions League group stage.dddddddddddd UEFA created the honour after "France Football" magazine combined its traditional European award with FIFAs world player prize. Messi won that award in January when Xavi placed third. cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '