Guga Reunites with Passo, Deals with Injury
Posted on October 5, 2006Three-time French Open champ Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten hopes that reuniting with former coach Larri Passos will bring him the good karma to overcome hip injuries that have allowed him to compete in only one ATP match in 2006.
"We are starting our journey again, this long-time partnership," Kuerten said of Passo, who he worked with for 15 years from 1989-2005. "I felt the need to have the best option to get me back to the top level and the person who knows me better, whom I trust the most and who always made me play tennis happily is Larri."
For the past 18 months Kuerten has worked with former ATP player Hernan Gumy.
"It was good working with Hernan," Kuerten said. "He was important for me at that time, but I was most of the time injured and I felt the need to change, to get my motivation back."
Kuerten still hasn't set a date to come back after the difficulties from two hip surgeries.
Last year Kuerten played only nine ATP events, never reaching a quarterfinal.
"My utmost goal is to play the way I used to, to practice the way I used to and get ready go to the tour and face the top players," said the 30-year-old Kuerten. "I have not set a date. My body will let me know when I am ready. I believe and I have the right to believe in this inner force that there is inside of me. We are all together here trying to find a way to have this result, to be successful the same way as before. I have to be calm, patient and believe in our work."
"We are starting our journey again, this long-time partnership," Kuerten said of Passo, who he worked with for 15 years from 1989-2005. "I felt the need to have the best option to get me back to the top level and the person who knows me better, whom I trust the most and who always made me play tennis happily is Larri."
For the past 18 months Kuerten has worked with former ATP player Hernan Gumy.
"It was good working with Hernan," Kuerten said. "He was important for me at that time, but I was most of the time injured and I felt the need to change, to get my motivation back."
Kuerten still hasn't set a date to come back after the difficulties from two hip surgeries.
Last year Kuerten played only nine ATP events, never reaching a quarterfinal.
"My utmost goal is to play the way I used to, to practice the way I used to and get ready go to the tour and face the top players," said the 30-year-old Kuerten. "I have not set a date. My body will let me know when I am ready. I believe and I have the right to believe in this inner force that there is inside of me. We are all together here trying to find a way to have this result, to be successful the same way as before. I have to be calm, patient and believe in our work."