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Tennis
It's simply trust between coach and player
By K. Keerthivasan
CHENNAI, JAN. 1. Under the hot sun before the start of the matches, there is a beehive of activity at all the four courts of the SDAT- Nungambakkam Stadium, the venue of the Tata Open tennis championship, here on Tuesday. Some practising without shirts, and some sitting silently and watching the players fine tune their games.
The life of a journeyman is like a journey through a minefield. It's a tough terrain, with ups and downs, and filled with several potholes along the way. They slog it out with a hopeful eye on the morrow, realistic to the extent that they understand their limitations, but nevertheless sure in the belief that future will one day beckon.
Most of these players have one or more important people who help them in one way or other in their lives and careers. The professional coach and the parent who doubles up as a coach.
In the professional world of tennis, many would prefer a professional man at the job, some would vouch for the other. Let's look at what drives the coaches to do what they do. Says Ivo Werner, coach of Slovakias Dominik Hrbaty. My job is to prepare him for the match. To improve his shots and to help with the matches. I will call it a relationship, not a marriage, for a particular duration. He emphasises the importance of coaching
when he says that his job involves to be with the player for 16 hours a day. Mutual respect is the key for any relationship to succeed and it is no different for tennis. It works if there is friendly respect, says Werner, who has coached Petr Korda and Jacob Hlasek, and when the former was number nine in the world. You got to be be strict sometimes, be nice sometimes. You got to mix it up for that is the key.
Does it help to be able to play with their wards? I don't think so, he says giving the example of Tony Picard, and Brian Teacher as successful coaches who did not hit the ball in the real sense of the term. All they did was just observe.
Werner is realistic when he says, all of them cannot be ranked one. If a player I coach moves from top 100 to 20, I think it is a big success. Werners motto seems to be to help achieve the players fullest potential.
Says Velthuis, Physical Trainer for Andrei Pavel, The fitness regime varies from season to season. He explains that when there is enough time for the tournament, he focuses on endurance techniques and when the date for a tournament nears, there will much importance on match practice and other such things. It is not difficult, if it is so, the relationship will not work, remarks Velthuis even as he gives some tips to Pavel. You should know each other well, and should have a good feeling for each other, says Hugo Ekker, coach for Peter Wessels.
The father-son relationship has its own charm and its own advantages. Reasons Mr. Nicolai, aged 50, father of Max Mirnyi, It is easier. He sees it as a plus factor for the job.`` I have been coaching Max since he was 15 years. I know his game in and out. Nicolai understands his role, and so he ensures that his son gets the best of the both the worlds. There are some things which I cannot observe. So for that I seek the services of Nick Bollitieri and Brian Teacher during Grand Slams. The two he says have a better vision.
Disagrees Mr. Chanachai Srichaphan, father and coach of Asian champion Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan, who runs an Academy back home. If you are confident of what you are doing then I dont think you should get the services of anybody. If the player has the fire and the drive to succeed he will win and the sponsors will rush to pick him up.
What makes both types of coaches tick? It is simply trust. Trust in each others abilities. I don't pressure him (Max). In fact I am not with Max's mother anymore. But Max wants me to be there, says Nicolai.
Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan who defeated Max Mirnyi of Belarus obliging autograph fans as his father-cum-coach Chanachai Srichaphan (extreme right) looks on.-Photo: Vino John
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