As Andy Murray sat waiting for the balloons to go up around the Pabellón de Cristal in Madrid to celebrate his success on Sunday, a familiar hand landed on his shoulder. Alex Corretja, the former French Open finalist and world No2, wanted a few words before Murray was summoned to collect his prize for winning a second successive Masters Series title.

Murray listened as intently as he always has to Corretja, smiled broadly and they parted with the familiar cupped handshake. It has been just so since Patricio Apey, Murray's manager, who did the same job for Corretja in his impressionable years, introduced the pair at last year's Mutua Madrileña Masters, hoping that some of the wisdom accrued by the Spaniard over his career would strike a chord with the British No1, who was ranked No16 in the world and fast coming to the conclusion that his relationship with Brad Gilbert, his coach at the time, was not to be saved.

That lunchtime chat was not forgotten when Murray was deciding whether he needed specialist advice before this year's clay-court season and asked Apey to see if Corretja might be willing to give some time. Corretja's responsibilities with TVE, the leading Spanish television station, meant that he was unable to help directly at the French Open, but he said he would travel to Monte Carlo and Rome and do what he could.

Apey recalls that from the moment he signed Corretja as a 17-year-old, he marvelled at the Spaniard's independent spirit and his ability to make decisions for himself. He rarely consulted on the measures he felt were important for his game. There are clear echoes in that approach to Murray's construction of his career.

Corretja and Murray dined in Madrid one night last week, they have spoken occasionally on the phone - often for a long time - and there was every reason for the 34-year-old to feel that he had played some part in Murray's spectacular rise.

He recalled the first time they worked, in Monte Carlo, where it was not so much instant success Murray craved but knowledge. Corretja did not want any acclaim for himself. He appreciated the team that Murray had gathered around him after he had chosen to part with Gilbert, the American, whose thirst for Murray to succeed, to land one grand-slam win - any grand-slam win - ran counter to the player's desire simply to improve at a steady pace.

“Andy's team is very good,” Corretja said. “Professionally, they are unbelievably good. For me it's been amazing to be part of that team. We were working together for something to get better.

“It was difficult to improve things in just a few days. Andy takes things very easy. When you're a kid and you learn something, they just learn so fast, don't they? That happens with Andy.

“You tell him something and right away he just gets it. You tell him something about the speed or the altitude of the court or the ball - you might say, 'You should try to do this' - and he does it next ball. It's like, wow, seems easy. I don't know if it's that easy for him, but it seems easy from the outside.”

That deceptive ease has helped to carry Murray 12 places up the rankings since he first worked with Corretja and, if the rate of improvement continues, will only point him higher. First things first, though, for Murray defends his St Petersburg title this week - he plays Viktor Troicki, of Serbia, in the first round - and then heads to Paris for the BNP Paribas Masters before his first appearance in a Masters Cup, in Shanghai from November 8.

His manager is about as content as it is possible to be. “Those people fortunate enough to be working for Andy, who respect and like each other, appreciate all that he is doing,” Apey said. When you are chosen to replace Andre Agassi as the marketing face for a racket made by Head, as Murray has been, a lot is going right for you.

Five things about Alex Corretja.

Alex Corretja was twice runner-up at the French Open. In 1998 he lost to Carlos Moyà in straight sets and in 2001 he was beaten by Gustavo Kuerten in four sets, having won the first.

Won the ATP World Championship (the forerunner of the Masters Cup) in 1998, when he exacted revenge over Moyà, coming from two sets down in the final in Hanover, Germany.

Perhaps best known for his part in the US Open quarter-final against Pete Sampras in 1996. Corretja had a match point during the fifth set but lost 7-6, 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 in four hours and seven minutes. Sampras was sick on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court after drinking too much Coca-Cola.

One of the few players to have beaten Sampras on grass. His 4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory in Houston came in the quarter-finals of the 2002 Davis Cup. Spain lost the tie 3-1.

One week after he lost to Albert Costa, another Spaniard, in the semi-finals of the 2002 French Open - which Costa would go on to win - Corretja was the champion's best man.

Words by Neil Harman