mandy01
G.O.A.T.
Interesting stuff to say the least.
Taking the Long View With Team Federer
By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
Published: November 19, 2010
Not long ago, Roger Federer had no official coach. Now, intent on remaining a major force in the majors, he finds himself with two: Severin Luethi, his longtime confidante from Switzerland, and Paul Annacone, the former American player turned mentor who has worked with Pete Sampras and Tim Henman.
Luethi, Annacone and Federer have been a trio since July, when Annacone, then still with the British Lawn Tennis Association, began working with Federer on a trial basis in Zurich. The trial became official before the U.S. Open in August, and Annacone, who is no longer with the British association, and Luethi have been sharing duties, e-mails, text messages and Federer’s ear without evident rancor.
They are both planning to be with Federer in London for the A.T.P. World Tour Finals.
“Sure it took some managing, just in the beginning, getting everybody happy and comfortable with the situation,” Federer said in an interview last week in Paris. “But I look at the long run. We all do, so it’s all cool. If you look at the short term I think that’s when it gets a bit hectic and a bit pressured.”
At age 29, with a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles in hand and his toddler twins in tow, it would be understandable if Federer lapsed into short-term tennis thinking. But even at No. 2 in the world rankings, behind Rafael Nadal, and even after failing to close out several critical matches this year, he is projecting plenty of eagerness.
“When we first started talking, and I was starting to get to know him a little more in-depth, his level of excitement and desire to keep playing and to do it in a way that’s positive, optimistic, energetic and open-minded, really kind of floored me,” said Annacone, who has spoken little publicly since joining Federer’s team.
“I felt like I was with a 23-year-old or 22-year-old again,” he added. “He loves the life. He loves the tennis matches. He loves the travel. He has all the ingredients, including and most importantly good health in mind and body to keep going for a number of years. I think in retrospect Pete at this age was a lot more tired — a lot more tired mostly emotionally, not physically.”
Annacone began working with Sampras after Sampras’s coach, Tim Gullikson, became ill with the brain tumor that eventually killed him. Annacone became one of Sampras’s touchstones and helped him make the final-flourish surge at age 31 and win the 2002 U.S. Open in what turned out to be his last tour event.
“At the end of Pete’s career, he rejuvenated himself for that great push at the U.S. Open, but the last couple years, for a multitude of reasons, were a bit emotionally draining for him,” Annacone said. “Roger is not anywhere near that state.”
Determining the precise state of Federer’s game remains difficult, however. The final phase of this season has been both reaffirming and disquieting. Reaffirming because he has won three of his seven tournaments and reached two finals after putting in that solid training block in July. Disquieting because he has continued to let matches slip away after holding multiple match points. He failed to convert either of his two match points against Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals or any of his five match points against Gaël Monfils in the semifinals in Paris last week.
His best chance against Monfils came on the first, when he flubbed a straightforward attacking forehand with plenty of open court at his disposal. Monfils gratefully referred to it as “missing a penalty kick,” and Federer missed plenty more forehands as the big-serving Frenchman rallied.
Earlier this year, Federer lost two other matches after holding match point: against Marcos Baghdatis in Indian Wells and against Tomas Berdych in Miami. In the Halle final against Lleyton Hewitt in June, he was up by one set and 0-40 on Hewitt’s serve at 4-4 and also lost.
“I think this was for me the worst part, that I missed quite a few big opportunities, which then make my season look somewhat fragile but which it wasn’t,” said Federer, whose biggest victory came at the Australian Open in January. “I think it was a good season after all, but for me maybe the worst part is all those really close matches.”
The question is whether this is a hint of the decline to come — and both Federer and Annacone are weary of the legions of decline spotters — or simply an anomaly. What is clear is that Federer has never been through any stretch quite like this, even as Annacone points out that it was only last year that Federer coolly held off Andy Roddick, 16-14, in the fifth set of the Wimbledon final.
“I’ve always tried to play each point as tough as I can and sometimes it just happens that way,” Federer said. “It’s not the first time I lose a big match with match point. I lost to Marat Safin at the Australian Open once with match point and it was a great match from the beginning to the end. Sometimes you get unlucky with those kind of runs, and you just want to make sure they stop.”
The last chance to apply the brakes in 2010 starts Sunday in London, where he will have ample crowd support (although less against Andy Murray) along with his now-ample coaching support.
“We don’t particularly set up and say, ‘Let’s do a brainstorming session,’ like in business school or something,” Federer said of his trio. “But it’s somewhat more casual. We are in track suits and lounging around and all of the sudden it happens.”
Federer said he hired Annacone to give himself access to a fresh, experienced voice. “Look, he’s just maybe simplified a few things,” he said. “Maybe I knew a few things but just needed to hear them differently.”
Considering that Annacone was an attacking player and that Sampras and Henman were frequent net rushers, Annacone has clearly not been hired to help Federer retreat further behind the baseline.
“You have to shorten the points when you get older, and also these other guys are hitting better off the ground and that one-handed backhand is a liability now,” Martina Navratilova said of Federer in a recent interview.
But Annacone sounds convinced that Federer, with his 30th birthday looming, still has the talent, like Sampras, to succeed by multiple means at this stage.
“I think one of the great ingredients of Roger is that his tool kit is so deep and so vast,” Annacone said. “I still don’t think anyone else’s tool kit kind of matches up to his.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/sports/tennis/20iht-SRATPFEDERER.html
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Taking the Long View With Team Federer
By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
Published: November 19, 2010
Not long ago, Roger Federer had no official coach. Now, intent on remaining a major force in the majors, he finds himself with two: Severin Luethi, his longtime confidante from Switzerland, and Paul Annacone, the former American player turned mentor who has worked with Pete Sampras and Tim Henman.
Luethi, Annacone and Federer have been a trio since July, when Annacone, then still with the British Lawn Tennis Association, began working with Federer on a trial basis in Zurich. The trial became official before the U.S. Open in August, and Annacone, who is no longer with the British association, and Luethi have been sharing duties, e-mails, text messages and Federer’s ear without evident rancor.
They are both planning to be with Federer in London for the A.T.P. World Tour Finals.
“Sure it took some managing, just in the beginning, getting everybody happy and comfortable with the situation,” Federer said in an interview last week in Paris. “But I look at the long run. We all do, so it’s all cool. If you look at the short term I think that’s when it gets a bit hectic and a bit pressured.”
At age 29, with a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles in hand and his toddler twins in tow, it would be understandable if Federer lapsed into short-term tennis thinking. But even at No. 2 in the world rankings, behind Rafael Nadal, and even after failing to close out several critical matches this year, he is projecting plenty of eagerness.
“When we first started talking, and I was starting to get to know him a little more in-depth, his level of excitement and desire to keep playing and to do it in a way that’s positive, optimistic, energetic and open-minded, really kind of floored me,” said Annacone, who has spoken little publicly since joining Federer’s team.
“I felt like I was with a 23-year-old or 22-year-old again,” he added. “He loves the life. He loves the tennis matches. He loves the travel. He has all the ingredients, including and most importantly good health in mind and body to keep going for a number of years. I think in retrospect Pete at this age was a lot more tired — a lot more tired mostly emotionally, not physically.”
Annacone began working with Sampras after Sampras’s coach, Tim Gullikson, became ill with the brain tumor that eventually killed him. Annacone became one of Sampras’s touchstones and helped him make the final-flourish surge at age 31 and win the 2002 U.S. Open in what turned out to be his last tour event.
“At the end of Pete’s career, he rejuvenated himself for that great push at the U.S. Open, but the last couple years, for a multitude of reasons, were a bit emotionally draining for him,” Annacone said. “Roger is not anywhere near that state.”
Determining the precise state of Federer’s game remains difficult, however. The final phase of this season has been both reaffirming and disquieting. Reaffirming because he has won three of his seven tournaments and reached two finals after putting in that solid training block in July. Disquieting because he has continued to let matches slip away after holding multiple match points. He failed to convert either of his two match points against Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals or any of his five match points against Gaël Monfils in the semifinals in Paris last week.
His best chance against Monfils came on the first, when he flubbed a straightforward attacking forehand with plenty of open court at his disposal. Monfils gratefully referred to it as “missing a penalty kick,” and Federer missed plenty more forehands as the big-serving Frenchman rallied.
Earlier this year, Federer lost two other matches after holding match point: against Marcos Baghdatis in Indian Wells and against Tomas Berdych in Miami. In the Halle final against Lleyton Hewitt in June, he was up by one set and 0-40 on Hewitt’s serve at 4-4 and also lost.
“I think this was for me the worst part, that I missed quite a few big opportunities, which then make my season look somewhat fragile but which it wasn’t,” said Federer, whose biggest victory came at the Australian Open in January. “I think it was a good season after all, but for me maybe the worst part is all those really close matches.”
The question is whether this is a hint of the decline to come — and both Federer and Annacone are weary of the legions of decline spotters — or simply an anomaly. What is clear is that Federer has never been through any stretch quite like this, even as Annacone points out that it was only last year that Federer coolly held off Andy Roddick, 16-14, in the fifth set of the Wimbledon final.
“I’ve always tried to play each point as tough as I can and sometimes it just happens that way,” Federer said. “It’s not the first time I lose a big match with match point. I lost to Marat Safin at the Australian Open once with match point and it was a great match from the beginning to the end. Sometimes you get unlucky with those kind of runs, and you just want to make sure they stop.”
The last chance to apply the brakes in 2010 starts Sunday in London, where he will have ample crowd support (although less against Andy Murray) along with his now-ample coaching support.
“We don’t particularly set up and say, ‘Let’s do a brainstorming session,’ like in business school or something,” Federer said of his trio. “But it’s somewhat more casual. We are in track suits and lounging around and all of the sudden it happens.”
Federer said he hired Annacone to give himself access to a fresh, experienced voice. “Look, he’s just maybe simplified a few things,” he said. “Maybe I knew a few things but just needed to hear them differently.”
Considering that Annacone was an attacking player and that Sampras and Henman were frequent net rushers, Annacone has clearly not been hired to help Federer retreat further behind the baseline.
“You have to shorten the points when you get older, and also these other guys are hitting better off the ground and that one-handed backhand is a liability now,” Martina Navratilova said of Federer in a recent interview.
But Annacone sounds convinced that Federer, with his 30th birthday looming, still has the talent, like Sampras, to succeed by multiple means at this stage.
“I think one of the great ingredients of Roger is that his tool kit is so deep and so vast,” Annacone said. “I still don’t think anyone else’s tool kit kind of matches up to his.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/sports/tennis/20iht-SRATPFEDERER.html
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