LONDON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Tennis star Andy Murray has dropped Brad Gilbert as his tennis coach after just 17 months.
The split follows ongoing rumors of a decline in their personal relationship.
Gilbert, who coached Andre Agassi from 1994 to 2002, became Murray's coach after signing a three-year contract with the Lawn Tennis Association in July 2006.
"I am ranked 11 in the world and can afford to pay my own way," Murray, a native of Dunblane, Scotland, told the Scotsman newspaper.
Also, he has risen to No. 1 in England, where he currently resides.
"I will hire a team of experts each to fulfill a specified role in the development of my tennis and fitness," he added in a statement. "The time has come to move on to the next stage of my career."
In an injury-filled 2007 season, which included moments of vomiting during matches, Murray's record was 43-14 with two titles (San Jose, Calif., and St. Pertersburg, Russia) and $880,000 in earnings.
