Tenisiści i ich trenerzy

[no-handed backhand]

Dobra wiadomość.

[DUN I LOVE]

Ciekawe kiedy rozwali sobie głowę rakietą.

[Damian]

Francis Roig: 'Rafa Has Found His Footing On Faster Surfaces

Spoiler:

Nadal's coach analyses Spaniard's evolution on hard courts ahead of 2019 US Open campaign
An imposing number of wins on clay (21) has overshadowed another of Nadal's impressive year-to-date stats: The Spaniard holds the best victory ratio on hard courts this season with 17 match wins against two losses for a success rate of 88 per cent. A recent triumph at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal extended his record of ATP Masters 1000 titles to 35 and reaffirmed his position as a serious contender ahead of the US Open.

On Sunday, the 18-time Grand Slam champion took to the outer courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows for a practice session with World No. 9 Karen Khachanov. Coaches Carlos Moya and Francis Roig were on hand to oversee Nadal's practice work. After the session, coach Roig spoke with ATPTour.com to discuss the World No. 2's preparations ahead of the US Open and why he's more dangerous than ever on hard courts.

You May Also Like: Nadal: 'Playing On The Street With Friends' Contributed To Success
From what I've observed from the sidelines, Nadal is finding his rhythm and fine-tuning his game just in time for Tuesday's opening round match at the US Open.
Except for one morning when we trained in the indoor arena (with Alexander Zverev), then practised with Diego Schwartzman later in the day, every other session has gone well. Rafa is bringing the same dynamics he utilised in Montreal to lift the trophy. He played extremely well there; he was aggressive and that has proven to be the key to success on faster surfaces. I believe he has taken a step forward and found his footing, specifically on hard courts.

He's looked comfortable on this surface for a while now.
Rafa is feeling more complete now on the faster hard courts. He has much more confidence in his serve and has managed to boost the speed of both his first and second serves. This affords him many "easy" points. He's also improved his all-court game and feels more sure of himself when approaching the net and volleying. Another aspect where he's improved is on the backhand side; these days, he's more assertive with that shot and isn't afraid to step into the court with an approach shot on that side. Whereas he once backed off attacking shorter balls, he's now more poised and sees those shots as opportunities to end the point. All these elements combined make for a more complete, assured Rafa; no longer does every point have to be an epic battle of attrition.

Is it difficult to introduce changes when Nadal has been so successful for so long competing with his distinctive style of play?
Well, we still have our differences about that ... [laughs]. Both Charly [Moya] and I would rather have him build on the foundation that's led to where he is today, but it's hard to persuade Rafa sometimes. We'd rather he be more assertive than continue to sit back and wait.

And how have you convinced him to be more aggressive?
It is one thing to have an arsenal of weapons and a whole other thing to be swayed into utilizing it. I think Rafa has been coming around to that little by little. In his mind, he's managed to win Grand Slams without playing this "refined" way; he's gained praise and found success by engaging in drawn-out affairs and wearing down opponents. To give you an example: Back in 2013, his game was stellar, and he performed spectacularly throughout the season; in my opinion, though, the present version of Rafa looks more qualified to build a point and to work over an opponent. These days, he's dictating play more; he shouldn't be playing the "sit back and wait" game. I think he is realizing the value of building up a point with a more pointed attack and he's evolving into a more well-rounded player in the process.

You have put a lot of emphasis on the word "build."
By that, I mean don't wait to see what happens. In my mind, as soon as the ball bounces, Rafa should be on top of it, ready for contact, prepared for impact. Obviously, if you're playing an inspired [Roger] Federer and catch him on one of his days, that might not be the best approach every single point because of the way Federer strikes the ball and how it comes toward an opponent. Anything short, however, must be struck in a way to make Federer pay. Opportunities like those must not be wasted; chances to go on the offense must be handled with aggression. It's important for Rafa to place himself as close to the location of the bounce as possible to guarantee he's the one building the point in his favor. When one is sitting back in a comfort zone, chances are the opponent is settling down and into a groove as well.

This season, Nadal holds the best win per cent on hard court at 88 per cent (15-2).
I've said this a lot lately: In the past, there was the sense that certain opponents and styles could defeat us on this surface in three-set tournaments. Now, I think there must be a chain of events and circumstances for us to lose. Historically it has always been better to play five sets, because if Rafa got off to a rough start, he would have that much more time to recover and find his form. Rafa no longer needs that cushion, knowing he has time to get back into a match. He's more comfortable and in control on the faster surfaces these days, even in three-set matches.

How has that more secure frame of mind been reflected?
Not only has he been winning, but it's the way he's been winning. The results are more convincing or at least the feeling is that he's winning more matches by playing well, instead of outlasting opponents or hoping for changes of fortune. This boosts his confidence. He arrives [in New York] with mental fortitude and more convinced that he can thrive. On top of that, he's convinced he can secure the No. 1 spot in the [ATP] Race [to London]. That might be a bonus, but it does help drive his motivation.

John Millman awaits Nadal in Tuesday's first round match. Does Millman's upset of Roger Federer last year [3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3)] on this same stage make Rafa a little more alert?
We are always alert. Rafa is the first to sense that; you don't need to tell him. Personally, I think Millman will take a measured approach and understand that while his upset over Federer last year was a huge statement, he'll go into the match against Rafa just as eager and with the goal of making a strong run in the tournament this year. It is also true that the weather and conditions last year were different; it was tremendously hot and this year it seems that it will not be as extreme.

Millman is also not an unknown commodity; Nadal and Millman have met once before.
Exactly. We played Millman at Wimbledon two years ago (d. Millman 6-1, 6-3, 6-2). Today, Millman is a more experienced, more dangerous player. But, in the end, every match is difficult, no matter the round or opponent, and Rafa knows as well as anyone he'll have to proceed with caution if he's to advance deeper into the tournament.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/us-open ... adal-roigp

[Damian]

[Damian]

Chela On Schwartzman's Run, Facing Nadal: 'I Like His Chances Regardless Of The Opponent'

Spoiler:

Former World No. 15 discusses what Schwartzman's performance at the US Open
Diego Schwartzman defeated reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev on Monday to reach the US Open quarter-finals for the second time in three years. The No. 20 seed, who triumphed in Los Cabos last month, will try to earn his first FedEx ATP Head2Head victory against second seed Rafael Nadal on Wednesday.

If the Argentine wins, he will reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

" hit very hard to the lines. No, I need to be focussed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day," Schwartzman said. "I need to study my games against him. I have many good games, very good matches against him. I had my chances against him in many matches, but I wasn't able to win those opportunities against him. You never know when the next opportunities are going to come. Maybe it's the next match against him. I need to be ready."

Before the match, ATPTour.com caught up with Schwartzman's coach, Juan Ignacio Chela.

Coming into this match, I’m sure Diego was very confident. How happy are you with how things went today, especially after the first set was back and forth?
Diego started the match fully confident. He won each of his first three matches in straight sets, so he came into the contest mentally and physically fresh. We knew going into this match, against one of the best players in the world, that things would get complicated. Sascha made more errors than usual and his serve wasn’t as strong as it normally is.

Diego took advantage of the opportunities presented to him. He stayed positive and didn’t lose his composure, even after losing that first set. He played a solid, aggressive style the rest of the match and kept lifting his game.

Diego was talking about how Sascha didn’t serve his best, but also that he [Diego] is also a very good returner. How much do you think the pressure of Diego’s return helped cause all of the double faults [17] and some of that during the match?
Diego is one of the best returners in the world. He always applies pressure on his opponents’ serves. But it also looked to me like Zverev wasn’t feeling confident about his serve and he committed more double faults than usual. He was just more vulnerable.

It’s not the first time Diego has made it this far here. He had a big tournament here a couple of years ago. What’s different about Diego this year versus two years ago?
More than anything, he’s gained valuable experience. He’s been in these types of situations before. Now, he’s got the confidence and experience to fall back on. He’s also physically a lot stronger than he was before. I’m not sure who his next opponent will be [Nadal], but whoever it is, Diego will be ready.

Diego has been playing well this summer, and winning in Los Cabos was a big moment for him. His losses have been against guys playing good tennis. Have you seen his confidence growing over the past couple of months?
Yes. Even before [the North American hard-court season], Diego was playing well. Near the end of the clay-court season he had a strong result in Rome [semi-finals] and he had a good showing at Wimbledon [l. to Berrettini in five sets, R3]. After a short rest, he worked hard to prepare for tournaments on hard courts in Canada and around North America.

Winning a title [at Los Cabos] boosted his belief in himself and paved the way for the rest of the summer. This is exactly what we wanted: an impressive run at the US Open, the most important tournament of the summer.

His Wimbledon loss was very tight. How much do you think that motivated him to keep building forward?
Wimbledon was a weird tournament; not bad, though. He won his first two matches and had match points in the third [against Berrettini]. He was that close to moving into the second week at Wimbledon.

It was a tough, complicated match and it was too bad he couldn’t close things out with the match point opportunities he had, but that was another learning experience for Diego and a chance for us to build from that.

I don’t know if you know this but he thought he was playing Berrettini next. How funny was that, that he wasn’t really sure because he thought they were playing at the same time?
Yeah [laughs]. While Diego was playing in [Arthur] Ashe [Stadium], they were showing updates of Berrettini’s match and of him celebrating after the win. So Diego figured that’s who was next. Diego doesn’t like to look at the draw, he prefers to take it one match at a time, so he doesn’t know what his bracket looks like.

He was surprised when he learned he’d be playing the winner of Cilic and Nadal. Either way, he’s going to have to play his best tennis against a fine opponent.

If he does play Rafa, he’s had more success against Cilic than Rafa. How important is it to go into the match, mentally still believing he can still win, even if hasn’t had as much success?
Diego’s playing at a very high level and I like his chances regardless of the opponent. If Cilic comes through, perhaps that’s good for us because we match up well against him and have beaten him in the past. We’ve had our chances against Rafa in the past, too, if not the wins.

If there’s one thing he could do when he goes out on the court, what would you want to see from Diego and why?
I want to see that fighting spirit. I want to see him being aggressive, moving into the court and using his legs, tracking down every shot and transitioning from defence to offence. Those are our keys to victory.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/coaches ... -open-2019

[Damian]

Francis Roig: 'Rafa Has Found His Footing On Faster Surfaces'

Spoiler:

Nadal's coach analyses Spaniard's evolution on hard courts
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on 26 August 2019, ahead of the season's final Grand Slam tournament. Rafael Nadal will play Daniil Medvedev on Sunday in the 2019 US Open final.

An imposing number of wins on clay (21) has overshadowed another of Nadal's impressive year-to-date stats: Entering the US Open, the Spaniard holds the best victory ratio on hard courts this season with 17 match wins against two losses for a success rate of 88 per cent. A recent triumph at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal extended his record of ATP Masters 1000 titles to 35 and reaffirmed his position as a serious contender ahead of the hard-court major.

On Sunday, the 18-time Grand Slam champion took to the outer courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows for a practice session with World No. 9 Karen Khachanov. Coaches Carlos Moya and Francis Roig were on hand to oversee Nadal's practice work. After the session, coach Roig spoke with ATPTour.com to discuss the World No. 2's preparations ahead of the US Open and why he's more dangerous than ever on hard courts.

More About Rafa
* Nadal Moves To Within One 'Big Title' Of Djokovic & Federer
* Rapid Rafa: Serve, Play & Win Faster
* Nadal Dismisses Medvedev, Adds To All-Time Masters 1000 Titles Record

From what I've observed from the sidelines, Nadal is finding his rhythm and fine-tuning his game just in time for Tuesday's opening round match at the US Open.
Except for one morning when we trained in the indoor arena (with Alexander Zverev), then practised with Diego Schwartzman later in the day, every other session has gone well. Rafa is bringing the same dynamics he utilised in Montreal to lift the trophy. He played extremely well there; he was aggressive and that has proven to be the key to success on faster surfaces. I believe he has taken a step forward and found his footing, specifically on hard courts.

He's looked comfortable on this surface for a while now.
Rafa is feeling more complete now on the faster hard courts. He has much more confidence in his serve and has managed to boost the speed of both his first and second serves. This affords him many "easy" points. He's also improved his all-court game and feels more sure of himself when approaching the net and volleying. Another aspect where he's improved is on the backhand side; these days, he's more assertive with that shot and isn't afraid to step into the court with an approach shot on that side. Whereas he once backed off attacking shorter balls, he's now more poised and sees those shots as opportunities to end the point. All these elements combined make for a more complete, assured Rafa; no longer does every point have to be an epic battle of attrition.

Is it difficult to introduce changes when Nadal has been so successful for so long competing with his distinctive style of play?
Well, we still have our differences about that ... [laughs]. Both Charly [Moya] and I would rather have him build on the foundation that's led to where he is today, but it's hard to persuade Rafa sometimes. We'd rather he be more assertive than continue to sit back and wait.

You May Also Like: Nadal: 'Playing On The Street With Friends' Contributed To Success
And how have you convinced him to be more aggressive?
It is one thing to have an arsenal of weapons and a whole other thing to be swayed into utilizing it. I think Rafa has been coming around to that little by little. In his mind, he's managed to win Grand Slams without playing this "refined" way; he's gained praise and found success by engaging in drawn-out affairs and wearing down opponents. To give you an example: Back in 2013, his game was stellar, and he performed spectacularly throughout the season; in my opinion, though, the present version of Rafa looks more qualified to build a point and to work over an opponent. These days, he's dictating play more; he shouldn't be playing the "sit back and wait" game. I think he is realizing the value of building up a point with a more pointed attack and he's evolving into a more well-rounded player in the process.

You have put a lot of emphasis on the word "build."
By that, I mean don't wait to see what happens. In my mind, as soon as the ball bounces, Rafa should be on top of it, ready for contact, prepared for impact. Obviously, if you're playing an inspired [Roger] Federer and catch him on one of his days, that might not be the best approach every single point because of the way Federer strikes the ball and how it comes toward an opponent. Anything short, however, must be struck in a way to make Federer pay. Opportunities like those must not be wasted; chances to go on the offense must be handled with aggression. It's important for Rafa to place himself as close to the location of the bounce as possible to guarantee he's the one building the point in his favor. When one is sitting back in a comfort zone, chances are the opponent is settling down and into a groove as well.

This season, Nadal holds the best win per cent on hard court at 88 per cent (15-2).
I've said this a lot lately: In the past, there was the sense that certain opponents and styles could defeat us on this surface in three-set tournaments. Now, I think there must be a chain of events and circumstances for us to lose. Historically it has always been better to play five sets, because if Rafa got off to a rough start, he would have that much more time to recover and find his form. Rafa no longer needs that cushion, knowing he has time to get back into a match. He's more comfortable and in control on the faster surfaces these days, even in three-set matches.

How has that more secure frame of mind been reflected?
Not only has he been winning, but it's the way he's been winning. The results are more convincing or at least the feeling is that he's winning more matches by playing well, instead of outlasting opponents or hoping for changes of fortune. This boosts his confidence. He arrives [in New York] with mental fortitude and more convinced that he can thrive. On top of that, he's convinced he can secure the No. 1 spot in the [ATP] Race [to London]. That might be a bonus, but it does help drive his motivation.

John Millman awaits Nadal in Tuesday's first round match. Does Millman's upset of Roger Federer last year [3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3)] on this same stage make Rafa a little more alert?
We are always alert. Rafa is the first to sense that; you don't need to tell him. Personally, I think Millman will take a measured approach and understand that while his upset over Federer last year was a huge statement, he'll go into the match against Rafa just as eager and with the goal of making a strong run in the tournament this year. It is also true that the weather and conditions last year were different; it was tremendously hot and this year it seems that it will not be as extreme.

Millman is also not an unknown commodity; Nadal and Millman have met once before.
Exactly. We played Millman at Wimbledon two years ago (d. Millman 6-1, 6-3, 6-2). Today, Millman is a more experienced, more dangerous player. But, in the end, every match is difficult, no matter the round or opponent, and Rafa knows as well as anyone he'll have to proceed with caution if he's to advance deeper into the tournament.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/us-open ... nadal-roig

[Damian]

Dan Evans to work with Kyle Edmund's former coach

Spoiler:

Dan Evans has returned to former coach Mark Hilton - three weeks after Hilton stopped working with Kyle Edmund.

Evans, who will replace Edmund as the British number one on Monday, has been searching for a coach since August.

Hilton will join Evans on a trial basis at next week's Stockholm Open, and then the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel.

"Obviously, the timing was a little fast from splitting with Kyle, but I had to get a coach in place for myself," Evans told BBC Sport.

"I spoke to a few other people, and that hadn't worked for me, and when I heard about Mark and Kyle I just asked if there was a chance of trying it out to see if things were still the same.

"It would be silly to dive straight in, because things change in time," Evans said.

"Obviously I'm a different person now, and he may be a different person. I'm sure it will work, we obviously get on well, so we'll see how that goes, and then hopefully next year we'll be working back together."

Evans and Hilton worked together for 18 months from the end of 2015 until Evans failed a drugs test in April 2017.

In that time, Evans reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, and the third round of both Wimbledon and the US Open. He also reached a career high ranking of 41.

"He's obviously a very good coach," Evans added.

"Signs of a good coach are how well they adapt - he did very well with Kyle, and I would say me and Kyle are pretty different in our personalities and the way we play tennis."

Edmund, meanwhile, has lost six matches in a row, but just accepted a wildcard into qualifying for next week's European Open in Antwerp.

The 24 year old is the defending champion, but had been planning to give the tournament a miss this year.

He is still seeking a replacement for Hilton, but is understood to be now getting quite close to putting a team together for next season.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/50012430

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Lucas]

Apostolos Tsitsipas: The Accidental Tennis Coach

Spoiler:

Editor's note: This story was originally published 16 November 2019 but has been updated following Sunday's results.

Based on his childhood, it's far more likely that Apostolos Tsitsipas would be coaching the Greek national football team than the country's global tennis star, his son and World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Dominic Thiem on Sunday to win the Nitto ATP Finals title in London.

Apostolos and his brother goofed around on a nearby, self-maintained “grass court” with wooden racquets as kids, but, growing up, Apostolos' sports were football and basketball. He briefly competed on the Greek national football team.

As a sport science major at the University of Athens, he specialised in tennis for reasons that still elude him.

“It was strange because nobody from my background was involved in tennis,” he told ATPTour.com. “But I chose tennis, I don't know why. Actually, that's a good question.”

Rare is the coach of a top player who didn't compete on the ATP Tour or at least collegiately in the U.S. Although they weren't all household names as players, all but three coaches of the eight Nitto ATP Finals qualifiers earned ATP Ranking points during their playing days.

Coaches Of The Top 10 Players In The ATP Rankings

ATP Ranking

Player

Coach(es)

Coaches' Career-High ATP Rankings

1

Rafael Nadal

Carlos Moya/Francisco Roig

1/60

2

Novak Djokovic

Marian Vajda/Goran Ivanisevic

34/2

3

Roger Federer

Ivan Ljubicic/Severin Luthi

3/622

4 Daniil Medvedev Gilles Cervara 0
5

Dominic Thiem

Nicolas Massu

9

6 Stefanos Tsitsipas Apostolos Tsitsipas 0
7

Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev Sr.

175

8

Matteo Berrettini
Vincenzo Santopadre, Umberto Rianna

100/0

The former players turned coaches have been there done that and can offer experience as a top asset. But others, including Apostolos, have shown that playing inside The O2 in front of roaring crowds is not a prerequisite to leading a player into the Top 10.

Apostolos, along with his wife, Ioulia Salnikova, a former Top 200 WTA player, started teaching Stefanos tennis at the age of three. Dad focused on technique – his one-handed backhand, taking the ball early – and Mom on discipline, “Always do your best.”

When Stefanos was 12, Apostolos joined his son as his full-time coach, travelling with him to junior events across the world, and that's where Apostolos remains today, in his son's coaching box, the gray-haired father of four applauding and encouraging his 21-year-old son.

“It's a big honour to have him next to me by my side,” Stefanos said. “I love him. He loves me. We have been together since the age of 12, travelling together. I appreciate that.”

When Apostolos was 20, in his third year at the University of Athens, he had only just decided on tennis as his sport. Three years later, at the age of 23, he played in his first tennis tournament of any kind, the Greek championships.

From there, his tennis coaching took him across the world. Apostolos travelled for two years with loulia on the WTA and studied tennis coaching for three more years in Vienna and Berlin in the early 1990s, during the the golden period of German tennis, when Boris Becker and Steffi Graf were at the top of the men's and women's games.

But his growing family of four required a more stable life, so he accepted a job as a country club teaching pro in Athens. Apostolos, armed with seven years of coaching education and a decade of recreational playing experience, tried to teach more than wins and losses to his players and their families. When the parents would want more wins, he'd ask for more time.

“I was explaining that we can do a lot of things, but we need to consider seriously that it will take us five, six years to develop a young player. But people, they're not really patient enough to wait, to invest money, invest time,” Apostolos said. “You have to develop as an athlete, your body. You have to develop your mind... and you have to develop your technique.”

Years later, however, when Stefanos told his father he was ready to take tennis more seriously, Apostolos finally met a parent he could reason with: himself.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/apos ... >Apostolos Tsitsipas</a> and his father <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/stef ... '>Stefanos Tsitsipas</a> have travelled together since Stefanos was 12

The two have been travelling together for nine years, with Apostolos helping Stefanos climb 76 spots in the ATP Rankings last year (91 to 15). This year, the Greek has completed the Milan to London transition, from winning the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals title to triumphing in the title match of the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals in London.

Despite guiding his son to unprecedented achievements in Greek tennis history, Apostolos doesn't think of himself as the one making headlines. The father who has led his son every step of his career says that he feels fortunate his son has chosen him.

“With Stefanos, even though I studied so much, I just feel that I know very few things. You need to always be open-minded and ready to learn. Stefanos gave me such a chance to learn,” Apostolos said. “I think he was the best university for me.”

It's a school of thought that can be rare among coaches of any sport, especially those at the top of their game. But, in this case, it sounds about right; it sounds like Apostolos Tsitsipas.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/apostol ... ature-2019

[Damian]

Szkoleniowcem Daniela Michalskiego został... Dawid Olejniczak.

[Damian]

Frederik Rosengren nowym szkoleniowcem Chaczanowa.

[Damian]

Max Mirnyi dołącza do sztabu Keia NIshikoriego:

[Damian]

Bottini i Jarry nawiązali współpracę:

[Damian]

[Damian]

Były trener Berdycha i Dodiga - Martin Stepanek, zaczął współpracę z Coriciem.

[Damian]

Info sprzed kilku dni, które nam umknęło.

Christian Groh i Grigor Dimitrov nawiązali współpracę.

[jaccol55]

Trochę z innej beczki.

Robin Soderling został kapitanem reprezentacji Szwecji w Pucharze Davisa.

https://www.ubitennis.net/2019/12/forme ... p-captain/

[DUN I LOVE]

Nick Kyrgios trenerem Rogera Federera.