Novak: "I'm going back to my old service action"
- Thread starter batz
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Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
You shouldn't make major changes in shots when you're in the top 4 or 5 players in the world. Obviously, something you were doing was right.
Ripster
Hall of Fame
Why change a shot that made him a champion in the first place? Djokovic had a great serve and this year it's been pretty awful. Now he's going back to his old motion which used to be a weapon. This is great news that he's ended his relationship with Martin right as the clay court season begins.
OddJack
G.O.A.T.
-- World No. 2 Novak Djokovic has revealed that he is no longer working with American tennis coach Todd Martin following a disappointing eight-month partnership.
The Serbian brought in Martin to work alongside his other coach Marian Vajda before last September's U.S. Open, a tournament in which the 39-year-old was a finalist in 1999.
Martin has mainly worked with Djokovic in American events, but the 22-year-old lost in the last 16 at Indian Wells last month and was then beaten in his opening match in Miami a fortnight later.
Djokovic, who retained his Dubai title before the first U.S. hardcourt swing of the 2010 ATP Tour calendar, is now looking to regain his form on clay in Monte Carlo this week.
Todd found it difficult to understand who I am, how I like to work. There will always be a problem having two coaches
--Novak Djokovic
"I'm no longer working with Todd Martin," the top seed told reporters on Monday. "Todd found it difficult to understand who I am, how I like to work. It seems there will always be a problem having two coaches.
"Todd has specific ideas on some issues of work. There were no major problems, but changes in my service did not work out. It was a good experience and I'm not sorry for it."
Martin, who also reached the final of the Australian Open in 1994 and reached a highest ranking of fourth, retired from the elite level in 1999 and now plays on the seniors' Outback Champions Series.
Djokovic has a first-round bye at the first event of the European clay-court season, and is scheduled to begin his campaign against either Florent Serra or fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert.
He lost last year's final to Rafael Nadal, who is seeded second as he seeks to restore his status of "King of Clay" after a year wrecked by injuries.
"He's been so dominant for so long on clay, but everyone knew that just couldn't last," said Djokovic, who was also beaten by the Spaniard in last year's Rome final -- Nadal's last tournament win.
"But his level is now down just a bit and others are starting to get confidence and the belief that they have a chance to beat him."
World No. 4 Andy Murray is also hoping to bounce back in Monaco after also losing his first match in Miami.
The Scot's former mentor Leon Smith has been named as Britain's new Davis Cup captain to replace John Lloyd, who quit after the team's embarrassing defeat by Lithuania last month.
Murray decided not to play in that match, but Smith said he would not put pressure on the 22-year-old to return against Turkey in July.
"He'll make his decision again on a tie-by-tie basis and I'll respect if he decides to play or not play," Smith told the UK Press Association on Monday.
"I fully support that he has got wider things to do in tennis. He's ambitious, he wants to win a slam and I respect that."
Smith, who won the job ahead of candidates including former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski, worked with Murray while he was a junior player.
Hmmm.. Novak is telling his fellow players to get rid of Nadal or he will do it himself.
The Serbian brought in Martin to work alongside his other coach Marian Vajda before last September's U.S. Open, a tournament in which the 39-year-old was a finalist in 1999.
Martin has mainly worked with Djokovic in American events, but the 22-year-old lost in the last 16 at Indian Wells last month and was then beaten in his opening match in Miami a fortnight later.
Djokovic, who retained his Dubai title before the first U.S. hardcourt swing of the 2010 ATP Tour calendar, is now looking to regain his form on clay in Monte Carlo this week.
Todd found it difficult to understand who I am, how I like to work. There will always be a problem having two coaches
--Novak Djokovic
"I'm no longer working with Todd Martin," the top seed told reporters on Monday. "Todd found it difficult to understand who I am, how I like to work. It seems there will always be a problem having two coaches.
"Todd has specific ideas on some issues of work. There were no major problems, but changes in my service did not work out. It was a good experience and I'm not sorry for it."
Martin, who also reached the final of the Australian Open in 1994 and reached a highest ranking of fourth, retired from the elite level in 1999 and now plays on the seniors' Outback Champions Series.
Djokovic has a first-round bye at the first event of the European clay-court season, and is scheduled to begin his campaign against either Florent Serra or fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert.
He lost last year's final to Rafael Nadal, who is seeded second as he seeks to restore his status of "King of Clay" after a year wrecked by injuries.
"He's been so dominant for so long on clay, but everyone knew that just couldn't last," said Djokovic, who was also beaten by the Spaniard in last year's Rome final -- Nadal's last tournament win.
"But his level is now down just a bit and others are starting to get confidence and the belief that they have a chance to beat him."
World No. 4 Andy Murray is also hoping to bounce back in Monaco after also losing his first match in Miami.
The Scot's former mentor Leon Smith has been named as Britain's new Davis Cup captain to replace John Lloyd, who quit after the team's embarrassing defeat by Lithuania last month.
Murray decided not to play in that match, but Smith said he would not put pressure on the 22-year-old to return against Turkey in July.
"He'll make his decision again on a tie-by-tie basis and I'll respect if he decides to play or not play," Smith told the UK Press Association on Monday.
"I fully support that he has got wider things to do in tennis. He's ambitious, he wants to win a slam and I respect that."
Smith, who won the job ahead of candidates including former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski, worked with Murray while he was a junior player.
Hmmm.. Novak is telling his fellow players to get rid of Nadal or he will do it himself.
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forthegame
Hall of Fame
I'm not averse to knocking Nole but TBH, things weren't working out for him with Todd Martin. His serve didn't seem to get better and the results were not stacking up.
I don't see why anyone would say he wasn't willing to put work in....
I don't see why anyone would say he wasn't willing to put work in....
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D
decades
Guest
not convinced...he worked on changing it for a reason. Martin was hired for a reason. djok wasn't happy with his old motion. you don't fix something that isn't broke. but I am a natural skeptic anyway...
cy1126dragonamul
New User
never realized he changed his service motion. anyway good for novak. hope he wins another slam this year.
Ambivalent
Hall of Fame
Yeah? Even when it gives you crippling shoulder pain?
Never thought having Martin as his coach could end up so disappointing in such a short time frame. Djokovic’s team blame on their failure was due to Martin and Novak living in a different worlds.
Word from the Djokovic camp emphasized that the breakdown in understanding between the two men was all about Europeans and Americans living in different worlds. "Speaking the same language -- and, as you know, Novak's English is excellent -- is not enough," an insider told me. "It's just the different way one expects to react to certain situations; how to approach problems. We all liked Todd but it just didn't work." http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/04/12/djokovic-splits-coach-martin/
I guess the Serbs will never hire another American as their coach.
Word from the Djokovic camp emphasized that the breakdown in understanding between the two men was all about Europeans and Americans living in different worlds. "Speaking the same language -- and, as you know, Novak's English is excellent -- is not enough," an insider told me. "It's just the different way one expects to react to certain situations; how to approach problems. We all liked Todd but it just didn't work." http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/04/12/djokovic-splits-coach-martin/
I guess the Serbs will never hire another American as their coach.
Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
I didn't realize that it was giving him pain. If it was, there's nothing that changing the motion is going to do(unless he changed it to an underhanded server). Regardless of how one takes the racket back or how the feet are, the business part of a serve is when the racket drops behind to the follow through. There are no alterations that one can make in that motion to reduce pain.
mike84
Professional
read the article?
"Martin had tried to encourage Djokovic to play more agressively, and also fiddled with the Serb's service motion in an attempt to prevent more of the shoulder pain that bothered Djokovic in late 2009."
D
Deleted member 3771
Guest
The strange thing is that Joker had a brilliant run of success and improvement under Woodforde a few years back and still sacked him. Maybe he just needs a Serb coach who he can relate to better. I think Joker's idea of how he's like to improve his game, ie by becoming a better attacking all court/net player just is not his natural style, he's always going to struggle to become an all court player, he should stick to his old baseline bashing style and hit the treadmill to get as fit as possible.
Ambivalent
Hall of Fame
Changing ball toss positions, which is what I think Novak was doing, does wonders for your rotator cuff.
D
Deleted member 22147
Guest
Novak is back
Altering his serve slightly wont change his pushy baseline game.
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