Murray not yet ready to call Gilbert a miracle worker

WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) With Andy Murray soaring into the Legg Mason Classic semi-finals it might be tempting to call his new coach Brad Gilbert a miracle worker.

Murray, however, is not believing that just yet.

''I don't think I'm a better tennis player yet,'' said the 19-year-old.

Murray has not lost a set on the way to the last four, whipping Mardy Fish 6-2 6-4 yesterday to set up a match against Russian Dmitry Tursunov, the seventh seed.

Gilbert has been mentoring the 185 cm, 68 kg Murray for only a week, too soon to have any real impact, according to the British player.

''He is the one that was saying at the start of the week that the changes aren't going to happen overnight,'' Murray told a news conference. ''He won't be able to make a huge difference until towards the end of this year.

''But when you have someone like that in your corner, it gives you more confidence. Tactically, he's very good and he gets me in a good frame of mind going into my matches.

''Although it does help, my game isn't that much better than when I started with him.'' Gilbert, a former tour player, is one of the world's most respected coaches, having guided Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick to the world number one ranking.

Murray held a comfortable 5-1 lead in the second set against Fish before the American rallied and the Scot admitted his new coach was not pleased.

''He was a little bit disappointed,'' said Murray. ''He thought I got a little bit tentative at the end, which I did.'' Murray, ranked number 35 and believed to be the new hope of British tennis, admires 31-year-old compatriot Tim Henman, ''someone I looked up to when I was growing up.'' The teenager is where Henman was a decade ago.

''I play against him with my head down,'' he said. ''I don't say, 'Come on!' I don't get angry. I've got too much respect for him.'' Murray has won the only previous meeting between the two, a three-set match last year in Switzerland. The country eagerly awaits their next meeting.

''It's a difficult match for me,'' Murray said. ''I'm sure it's tough for him, playing against a young Brit.

''He's not had to face any of his fellow countrymen apart from Greg (Rusedski), for the last 10 years so I'm sure it's difficult for him as well.'' Reuters VJ GC0653