Former champ Lendl to coach Andy Murray

Ivan Lendl, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, will try to help Andy Murray to his first major championship.

Murray hired Lendl as his coach on Saturday with the 2012 tennis season set to start next week in Australia.

"It was important to me that any new person joining my team was able to add fresh insight," Murray said in a statement. "Ivan's impact on the game is unquestionable and he brings experience and knowledge that few others have, particularly in major tournaments. I look forward to working with him going forward."

Murray is currently ranked fourth in the world and has 22 career titles, including five last year. However, he is still in search of that elusive first major championship.

The native of Scotland has been a Grand Slam runner-up three times, including losses in the final of the Australian Open each of the last two years. The year's first major is set to start in two weeks.

Lendl has 94 career singles titles to his credit, the first coming in 1980 and the last in 1993. He won back-to-back Australian Open championships in 1989 and '90, also losing title matches in Melbourne in 1983 and '91.

"I am really excited to have the opportunity to work with Andy," Lendl stated "He is a unique talent and I look forward to trying to help him reach his goals."

Lendl also won the U.S. Open and French Open crowns three times each. He was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows five times, reaching the final in New York eight years in a row, and lost a pair of title matches at Roland Garros.

Wimbledon was the lone Grand Slam title to elude the Czech-born Lendl, who was twice the runner-up at the All England Club.