Nadal Looks Ahead To Rome 2016
Nadal Looks Ahead To Rome 2016
May102016
Britain’s Johanna Konta is through to the Italian Open second round following a 6-1 6-2 win over Sweden’s Johanna Larsson.
More to follow.
Andy Murray is prepared to appoint another former top player as his coach after splitting with Amelie Mauresmo.
Murray decided to part company with the ex-world number one before his run to the Madrid Masters final, citing a lack of time together as a chief concern.
Prior to Mauresmo, Murray, 28, worked with Ivan Lendl, who guided him to US Open, Wimbledon and Olympic success.
“It doesn’t have to be, but it’s definitely possible it could be an ex-player,” the Briton told BBC Sport.
He said coaches who had played at the very top can “help around the Slams, in the big moments, the big matches”.
The world number three added: “They’ve been there and done it and they understand that.”
Murray said he was unlikely to appoint a new coach before the French Open, which starts on 22 May.
Lendl, who won eight Grand Slam singles titles, worked with Murray for just over two years before the partnership ended in 2014.
In that time, Murray became Olympic champion in 2012 before claiming his first Grand Slam – the US Open – later that year.
The Scot added the Wimbledon crown the following year.
Murray is playing at the Italian Open this week but will begin the process of finding a replacement immediately, through talks with his team and via agents.
He recently brought in former player and long-time friend Jamie Delgado to work with him for 35 to 40 weeks of the year, but he still wants a head coach for 25 weeks of the season.
“There’s a week after the French Open finishes and before Queen’s, so possibly at Queen’s I could try something out,” Murray said.
“I’m not going into a full-time relationship with a coach without having tested it and trialled it.
“I’ve done that with all of my coaches over the years and you do need a bit of time on the court together to see how the practice and the communication is going.”
Having spent just one week together since the Australian Open in January, Murray said his partnership with Mauresmo “just wasn’t working”.
After teaming up with the former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, 36, at Queen’s Club in June 2014, Murray’s ranking dropped to a low of 12 before rising to a career-high of two.
He also won his first clay-court titles in an impressive run last spring but failed to add to his two Grand Slam titles.
“Although I didn’t win a major while working with her, I got back up to number two in the world and had a positive time,” he said.
“It wasn’t perfect, obviously we would have loved to have won a Grand Slam, but some good things happened as well.”
Asked if they had a proved a point about the ability of female coaches on the men’s tour, Murray added: “Not so much me, I think that was more her.”
Monfils, Dimitrov among early casualties
Dominic Thiem, the No. 13 seed and a winner of two ATP World Tour titles this season, will play Joao Sousa in the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia after Thiem defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 on Monday. It was his 30th match win of the year. In 2015 he didn’t achieve the mark until the US Open first round in late August.
“I had a very good start to the season, and now its getting a little bit tougher,” said Thiem. “I didn’t play well over the past two weeks, but I had a good win today. I hope it’s a little bit of a turnaround again.”
Sousa, who is at a career-high No. 30 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, got the better of wild card Lorenzo Sonego 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5.
Thomaz Bellucci broke a three-match losing streak against Gael Monfils, the No. 14 seed, after a 6-3, 7-6(2) win. The World No. 37, who is making his sixth appearance in Rome, is 6-12 on the season and now faces Pablo Cuevas or Nicolas Mahut. Monfils’ best result at the tournament came on his 2006 debut when he advanced to the semi-finals (l. to Nadal).
Alexander Zverev, who is a part of the ATP’s Next Generation, knocked out Grigor Dimitrov, nine spots higher than him at No. 35 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, 6-1, 6-4 in 69 minutes. Zverev hit 15 winners, including six aces on his tournament debut, while 2014 semi-finalist Dimitrov committed 20 unforced errors.
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez notched his first win over Fabio Fognini in more than four years. Garcia-Lopez, who reached the third round in 2010 and 2015, silenced Italian supporters with a 6-1, 7-6(2) win.
Elsewhere, Ernests Gulbis improved his perfect record to 3-0 against Ivo Karlovic after withstanding 23 aces from the giant Croat in a 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 win in just under two hours.
Kohlschreiber/Troicki Save Four Match Points
In doubles action, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Viktor Troicki saved four match points against Henri Kontinen and John Peers for a 6-4, 1-6, 15-13 victory. Kohlschreiber and Troicki recovered from the brink of defeat at 7/9, 10/11 and 11/12 in the Match tie-break.
The Italian shares the last time he lost something important, he paid to rent a tennis court and more…
I missed a flight?
I always get on the flight. I never miss it because I’m changing the flight every last second. The good thing, many times I book the flight when I’m in the transportation. So that’s why I was lucky that I didn’t miss it… Many times I have to rush but the good thing is I never miss it.
I lost something important?
I lost my phone in Rio… I was just leaving in the gym and then I went to practice, I went to shower, and then after two and a half hours, I said, “Oh, I forgot the telephone in the gym.” I went there, and they still had it. They put it in a bag, and they gave it back. So I was very lucky.
I paid money to rent a tennis court or buy tennis balls?
Two years ago… Ortisei, Italy… I was with my girlfriend. She wanted to play tennis. It was a holiday. I called the tournament director. They said, “OK, come when you want.” I was booking the court. I went there and paid for the court… €20.
Being famous helped me?
That has happened sometimes in my home city.
I strung a tennis racquet?
It’s never happened. I never string. No, never learned. I think it’s hard to do that. No idea.
I cooked for myself and others?
That’s also another problem, huh? Because we have many restaurants… I think the last time that I cooked was six, seven years ago. I never cook. I go to the restaurant… I love tortellini so I was cooking tortellini. But I’m not cooking so much.
I met a childhood idol?
When I was young, my idol was Boris Becker but now I see him at many tournaments with Novak (Djokovic)… I was watching him many times when I was young. I think the first time I saw him was at Wimbledon.
I shared a hotel room with another player?
I have with a friend in Italy… Many times he has lived with me during the tournaments… The last time that happened was this year in January.
I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
That’s a good question… I don’t do a lot of pictures. I don’t remember.