THE tennisreporters.net NEWSLETTER: SUNDAY, MARCH 23, No. 21
EXCLUSIVE
Future coaching plans up in air
Davenport ends coaching relationship with Leach
ATP COO Scott to leave men for women?
By Sandra Harwitt and Doug Robson
tennisreporters.net
Siggi Bucher |
FROM THE NASDAQ-100 OPEN IN MIAMI – When Robert Van’t Hof decided he wanted to stay at home more, the decision meant that he could no longer coach Lindsay Davenport, the player he delivered to three Grand Slam titles.
That left Davenport to decide what to do for the future, a decision she asked Van’t Hof to weigh in on as well. Davenport decided to look no further than family – hiring future brother-in-law Rick Leach. Davenport is engaged to marry Rick’s brother, Jon; the nuptials are likely to take place at the end of this year.
Unfortunately, the alliance didn’t work out very well with Rick, but that factor did not cause any family friction.
“We split after Indian Wells,” Davenport told tennisreporters.net. “It was just not working out. I think I needed someone stronger – stronger in personality and to push me. But we are great together and we’re going to be part of the same family for years to come. It was just that on the court, it wasn’t clicking.”
Davenport, who earned a fourth round berth on Sunday with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 over Flavia Penetta of Italy, traveled to the NASDAQ-100 Open with Adam Petersen, who played tennis of the USC team with her fiancé, Jon.
The Southern Californian, who spent six months rehabbing after knee surgery at the beginning of last year, is first starting to rekindle the top form that brought her a Wimbledon, US and Australian Open in the past.
At the moment, Davenport hasn’t decided what she’ll do about coaching in the future. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about coaching,” Davenport said. “All those years I had Robert it was really great. But I don’t know if I need a full-time coach with me anymore.”
According to Leach, he received a call from Davenport last Monday informing him that their brief coaching relationship was history. While Leach wouldn’t elaborate on the contents of the call, he said, "She felt that she wasn’t playing well enough. I disagree. I thought she had a great tournament last week (at Indian Wells where she lost in the final to Kim Clijsters) and she’s moved up from what, 12 to about six? I guess she expected more."
Still, he is disappointed in being dumped after only a few months and said the fact he shares a last name with Davenport’s fiancée contributed to the disharmony on court. "That’s probably what hurt me the most – my last name," he said. "I should have been a lot tougher. But I’m family."
Has the breakup put a strain on familiar relations? Leach said no. "Everything’s fine."
Freed up from his coaching duties, the doubles specialist is playing with Don Johnson this week at Key Biscayne, his first tournament in months. He said he’s enjoying it more than his stint coaching, but hasn’t ruled out another shot at it "if the right opportunity came up."
ATP COO Scott to leave men for women?
No one is saying anything until next Friday when the WTA Tour holds meetings, but the word seems to be circulating quickly that ATP Chief Operating Officer Larry Scott will be leaving the men’s tour to become the head honcho of the WTA Tour.
Scott, who currently resides in London, has been seen wandering around the player lounge with Harold Solomon, a former player on the men’s tour who sits on the board of the WTA Tour.
And one tennisreporters.net source said that they’ve overhead a number of the women players talking about the fact that Scott will be switching allegiances to become the new chief executive officer of the WTA Tour.
Scott, who played on the men’s circuit for a while, earned a bachelors degree from Harvard University.
