A female coach for Andy Murray - bold but not odd

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray surprised the tennis world by appointing a female coach for himself in France's Amelie Mauresmo and became the only player in the men's top 10 to have a female coach.

Murray's decision to appoint the former world number one and Wimbledon champion Mauresmo was closely scrutinised as he prepares to defend his Wimbledon title.

Even the tennis legends came out with their opinions, which largely centered around the gender talk.

"It is not the gender of the coach that is important, it is the strength of the relationship between the coach and the player that will make the partnership work," 12-time Grand Slam singles champion Billie Jean King said. "Women have coached men for years, going back to Bobby Riggs and Eleanor Tennant."

17-time Grand Slam singles champion Roger Federer - "I think it is very interesting. I always enjoyed watching her play and she is a true professional. So from that standpoint, I think it's a great choice and I hope they're going to be a successful team together."

Former world number one Jim Courier called Murray's decision as bold. "It's a bold call, certainly an interesting one. Amelie knows her tennis and time will tell whether it turns out to be a good match. It's bold, it's fun, it's something we're all going to be talking about and good for Andy."

Women's legend Martina Navratilova also found Murray's decision interesting. "Cool to see a woman coaching a top guy. Hope it works out for them," she said.

"I think this is good news for Murray. She should be a calming influence," Brad Gilbert, one of Murray's former coaches, said. "She was a smart player with an outstanding knowledge of the game who brings a fresh perspective and I think she will add a lot to Andy's team."

Mauresmo's friend and compatriot Mary Pierce, a two-time Grand Slam champion said, "She is a great person. She's got great values and a sense of hard work but she has a great sense of humour. She knows what it takes to win Grand Slams, what it takes to get to number one. She will take it very seriously and give her absolute best to help Andy."

The partnership was also termed unusual by some. Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was one of them.

"It's very unusual," Cash said. ""I'm not sure how she's going to get in the locker room. I think a few eyebrows will be raised. She's smart, she's got a great game and Andy's not going just to pick somebody for no reason - he's going to have done his homework."

Former US Open champion Sam Stosur said, "It's unusual for a men's player to be coached by a female but he obviously sees there's going to be some benefit. For me to pick a coach I couldn't care less if they were male or female, so long as I think they're going to be doing a good job."

A coach is a coach, it doesn't matter if you're a man or woman. It doesn't make you better or worse," British number two Heather Watson said. "She can give a lot to Andy with her knowledge and experience on the tour."