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EXCLUSIVE:
Q&A: MATS WILANDER
Wilander
says pupil Safin must seize element of surprise
By
Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net
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Fred
Mullane
Camerawork USA, Inc.
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Russian
player and '00 U.S. Open champ Marat Safin took a long time deliberating
over whether he would rehire his Swedish coach Mats Wilander for
this season. Safin is concerned that the eight-time Grand Slam Wilander
– who
has a family – won't
have enough time to travel with him but decided to retain him for
the Aussie Open.
In
the following Q & A with tennisreporters.net, the cerebral
Wilander, who was just voted for induction into the International
Tennis Hall of Fame, reflects on the big temperamental Russian's
2001 season and analyses how Safin can regain the form that briefly
brought him to No. 1 in the fall of 2000.
tennisreporters.net:
Are you happy with Marat's fall 2001 season after what happened
earlier in the year?
Mats Wilander: He could have
done better at the U.S. Open, but he did well to get to the semis.
Sampras played too well . I think if Marat would have won the
second set he would have beaten Sampras because Sampras was getting
tired. He
was a little unlucky. Personally, I think it was better that he
didn't win the title two years in a row, being that young and
taking the world by surprise in 2000. It's always nice to win
a second grand Slam, but sometimes things can come too fast.
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Mats
Wilander must deal with a temperamental Safin.
Susan
Mullane
Camerawork USA, Inc.
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tr.net:
Is it fair to say that Marat pushed too hard to become No. 1 in
the fall of 2000, overplayed and that hurt him in '01?
Wilander: He was injured most
of the first four months of the 2001. He did struggle most of
the year. He really started to pull it together at Wimbledon [where
he lost to Goran Ivanisevic in the quarters] and I was impressed
with the rest of his summer.
tr.net:
Are you happy with his development since you've been with him?
What has he improved?
Wilander: His table manners
(laughs). He has to learn that you can't always play at 100 percent.
He's dealing with that. He was comparing everything with the way
he played against Sampras in the final of the '00 U.S Open and
it's hard to judge anyone against that, because that's the best
I've ever seen anyone play. That's impossible to do, but that's
the only big match he's played in his life and he judging everything
against that. It's understandable but he has to stop doing that.
tr.net:
Did that ever happen to you when you were playing?
Wilander: No. My 100 percent
level is different than his. It happened to McEnroe because of
his talent, but it never happened to Connors, Borg or I because
we never tried to play at 100 percent. It was too risky for us.
| “It's
much easier to change your forehand than it is to change your
mindset.” |
tr.net:
You didn't overpower your opponents but when you played at the
top of your game and won Slams, you certainly got a lot of balls
back.
Wilander: Yeah, but Marat
was hitting winners from everywhere against Sampras. There were
a lot of matches when I was there 100 percent mentally and the
physical part was there as well. Whereas Marat has only had a
few matches when he was there mentally and physically. He's had
more when he been there just physically and that won't win you
many titles.
tr.net:
Is it hard to coach someone who is so dissimilar of a player?
Wilander: No. It's easier
because it's very apparent what he's doing wrong. If I was coaching
someone with a similar style to me, I couldn't offer anything
deeper. That's when you tend to screw guys up. You have to allow
a player to have his own style. Agassi only came into his own
after working with Brad Gilbert for four years. Changing someone's
mental attitude takes a long time. I'm not sure if I can do it
with Marat but somebody's going to have to do it. It's much easier
to change your forehand than it is to change your mindset.
tr.net:
The player has to be willing to change.
Wilander: Marat is willing
to change.
tr.net:
Does Marat need to come into the net more? He's not a natural
volleyer but he's such a tall guy you would think that he can
benefit from it.
Wilander: He's not a natural
at the net but he had good technique on his volleys. But he doesn't
get up there enough, he's waiting for sitters all the time. It's
similar to Agassi – the
only time he comes in is when he knows he going to put it away.
Marat comes in a little too much sometimes with the skill he has.
He has to develop his net game more.
At
some point, Marat will be able to play the whole game. I think
he'll develop one than an Agassi or Kuerten at the net. I don't
want to say he'll be like Sampras, but he can move in that direction
and become less of a baseliner. That's the right way to be. With
a big serve like that, Marat can serve and volley sometimes. He
can't be a structured as he was. His game is a little too clean.
He needs the surprise element more often than not. But I like
his game on any surface. He's strong and moves well enough to
beat the better guys everywhere.
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