Tennis-X Notes: More Nadal Illegal Coaching; Gilbert to Coach Murray?
Posted on June 10, 2006DAILY TENNIS-X E-NEWSLETTER
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Andy Roddick's agent Ken Meyerson, who allegedly set up the coupling of his ward with Jimmy Connors as part-time coach according to The Times Online, speaking with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Charlie Bricker before the deal was formally announced: "There is nothing to it. Absolutely nothing. But hey, I love Jimmy. If he called me (he hasn't) and said he wanted to help Andy, I'd tell him to call Andy (he also hasn't)." Bricker wrote: "Meyerson had already heard about the story and he wasn't certain if should laugh it off and hit the damage control button. Actually, there was no damage. It was one of those stories you throw at the wall to see how long it will take to slide to the floor." -- Guess it stuck to the wall...David Nalbandian elaborating on his abdominal injury: "I was perfect in the beginning and I didn't feel like I can continue playing for three, four hours. Doesn't matter the score. Maybe if I lose the first set, I mean, and I didn't have these kind of problem, I want to continue until the end. I mean, I don't mind the score; I mind the health, the body. I don't mind if I'm beating 6-1, 6-1 or losing 6-1, 6-1, but I'm gonna fight until the end. I'm gonna fight if I'm okay. If I'm not okay, I mean, fight against what? It's impossible...This injury, I've already had two or three times already, and normally it happens in very long tournaments with very tough matches with many sets, where I spend a lot of time on court. You feel very bitter about it. You feel very bitter having to retire like that, with that type of problem."...Ivan Ljubicic on if Rafael Nadal was receiving illegal coaching from his Uncle Toni in the stands during their match: "No, not today. I have to say that, I mean, it's too far away, you cannot say. But I had bad experience in Miami when I lost to him. Toni was telling him a lot what to do, yes. But not today. Today, maybe yes. The stadium is so big, you cannot realize that. In Miami we played on a grandstand, so it's so small you can actually hear everything."...From Marat Safin's website: "Marat is fine and will play at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle next week. He will go to Halle later this week." -- Guess that depends on your definition of "fine."...From Tennis Week: "They have fallen from the top 10 of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings, but when it comes to ranking the nation's most popular sports stars Venus and Serena Williams top the list. Reigning Wimbledon champion Venus has reclaimed her spot as America's favorite female sports star followed by sister Serena, who ranked second in a Harris Poll. Tennis made a strong showing as four of the nation's top 10 favorite female athletes are current or former tennis players: Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, who ranked eighth and Anna Kournikova who placed ninth in the top 10. Tiger Woods ended Michael Jordan's 12-year run as the nation's favorite male athlete by taking the top spot for the first time. None of the 10 men in the poll are tennis players."...Katarina Srebotnik and Nenad Zimonjic won the French mixed troubles title...From the Rafael Nadal blog: "I had a very late lunch on site. I had a big, big dish of pasta with salmon. When I say 'big' I mean really, really big. At lunch I also had a chance to see on the computer the feature ESPN did for Roland Garros. I have to say they did a good job, so congrats guys."...Good news from the BBC for those who'd like to see Brad Gilbert out of the ESPN booth: "American Brad Gilbert could become Andy Murray's new coach after holding talks with the British number two and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). Gilbert, who used to coach Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, met Murray's agent Patricio Apey and LTA boss Roger Draper in a Paris hotel on Wednesday morning. Murray, 19, needs a new coach after parting with Mark Petchey in April. The LTA also needs someone to head its performance programme after sacking David Felgate last month. The three-way meeting has fueled speculation that a possible joint arrangement, for the benefit of both the LTA and Murray, has been discussed. Murray ideally needs a full-time advisor, but the chance of getting help from Gilbert, one of the most successful and respected coaches on the tour, would be appealing."
Who cares if you need it or not, show your love for Tennis-X, contribute to the fund, only eight bucks for one year of daily tennis news! Pay as you go! Read what tennis industry insiders read each morning to get their heads around the latest news, insight and opinion on pro tennis. A year's subscription costs less than a meal and a pint. Get the Tennis-X Daily Dish in your e-mail in-box, even before it's posted on the web, by signing up for the net's most complete daily e-newsletter at http://www.tennis-x.com/subscribe.php
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Andy Roddick's agent Ken Meyerson, who allegedly set up the coupling of his ward with Jimmy Connors as part-time coach according to The Times Online, speaking with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Charlie Bricker before the deal was formally announced: "There is nothing to it. Absolutely nothing. But hey, I love Jimmy. If he called me (he hasn't) and said he wanted to help Andy, I'd tell him to call Andy (he also hasn't)." Bricker wrote: "Meyerson had already heard about the story and he wasn't certain if should laugh it off and hit the damage control button. Actually, there was no damage. It was one of those stories you throw at the wall to see how long it will take to slide to the floor." -- Guess it stuck to the wall...David Nalbandian elaborating on his abdominal injury: "I was perfect in the beginning and I didn't feel like I can continue playing for three, four hours. Doesn't matter the score. Maybe if I lose the first set, I mean, and I didn't have these kind of problem, I want to continue until the end. I mean, I don't mind the score; I mind the health, the body. I don't mind if I'm beating 6-1, 6-1 or losing 6-1, 6-1, but I'm gonna fight until the end. I'm gonna fight if I'm okay. If I'm not okay, I mean, fight against what? It's impossible...This injury, I've already had two or three times already, and normally it happens in very long tournaments with very tough matches with many sets, where I spend a lot of time on court. You feel very bitter about it. You feel very bitter having to retire like that, with that type of problem."...Ivan Ljubicic on if Rafael Nadal was receiving illegal coaching from his Uncle Toni in the stands during their match: "No, not today. I have to say that, I mean, it's too far away, you cannot say. But I had bad experience in Miami when I lost to him. Toni was telling him a lot what to do, yes. But not today. Today, maybe yes. The stadium is so big, you cannot realize that. In Miami we played on a grandstand, so it's so small you can actually hear everything."...From Marat Safin's website: "Marat is fine and will play at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle next week. He will go to Halle later this week." -- Guess that depends on your definition of "fine."...From Tennis Week: "They have fallen from the top 10 of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings, but when it comes to ranking the nation's most popular sports stars Venus and Serena Williams top the list. Reigning Wimbledon champion Venus has reclaimed her spot as America's favorite female sports star followed by sister Serena, who ranked second in a Harris Poll. Tennis made a strong showing as four of the nation's top 10 favorite female athletes are current or former tennis players: Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, who ranked eighth and Anna Kournikova who placed ninth in the top 10. Tiger Woods ended Michael Jordan's 12-year run as the nation's favorite male athlete by taking the top spot for the first time. None of the 10 men in the poll are tennis players."...Katarina Srebotnik and Nenad Zimonjic won the French mixed troubles title...From the Rafael Nadal blog: "I had a very late lunch on site. I had a big, big dish of pasta with salmon. When I say 'big' I mean really, really big. At lunch I also had a chance to see on the computer the feature ESPN did for Roland Garros. I have to say they did a good job, so congrats guys."...Good news from the BBC for those who'd like to see Brad Gilbert out of the ESPN booth: "American Brad Gilbert could become Andy Murray's new coach after holding talks with the British number two and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). Gilbert, who used to coach Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, met Murray's agent Patricio Apey and LTA boss Roger Draper in a Paris hotel on Wednesday morning. Murray, 19, needs a new coach after parting with Mark Petchey in April. The LTA also needs someone to head its performance programme after sacking David Felgate last month. The three-way meeting has fueled speculation that a possible joint arrangement, for the benefit of both the LTA and Murray, has been discussed. Murray ideally needs a full-time advisor, but the chance of getting help from Gilbert, one of the most successful and respected coaches on the tour, would be appealing."