![2203-113053[1]](https://www.tennis-prose.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2203-1130531.jpg)
Here are some of the more interesting quotes that caught my eye during the first week press conferences at the Sony Open…
Andy Murray: “Players don’t tend to discuss their injury problems or whatever is going on with each other. Because I could play him (Delpo) next week.”
Andy Murray on Lendl: “The best thing to do was just to move on. It’s a tough (loss) for me because he’s been a big part of my life. He’s been a big part of my team. He made a huge difference to my tennis. So, very hard person to replace. You can’t replace that sort of experience easily.”
Roger Federer on US Tennis Development: “It’s maybe a little more difficult than it used to be. I feel most important is the work ethic and making sure that kids you are training with understand that it’s not just the coach’s job to motivate them, that if you win a junior tournament you’re actually great. You’re far away from it. You have to keep working hard. I think that’s something that other countries might be doing really well. We have the same problems in our country eventhough we have produced Stan and great players. Many did it themselves as well without a federation sometimes. Typical example, I came through the federation and worked hard there and had great coaching and then eventually realized myself what it took to make it through. Because you can’t have like parents and the coaches make you feel good all the time. You have to make sacrifices. I left home at fourteen, stopped school at sixteen and went on tour. Had a hard time understanding what hard work was but eventually I figured it out, thankfully early enough. But I think that is the key at the end. If the kids don’t understand and don’t want to put in the hard work, not talking about just hanging around the courts and playing for four hours a day – it’s about working well and quality – they will never get anywhere. It’s just very simple.”
Caroline Garcia on Andy Murray famously predicting she would be future number one: “I was like l50 in the world (when Murray said it after Caroline lost to Sharapova at French Open) so it was not easy when you’re seventeen and you are like nowhere and someone will say you will be number one. I’m happy he said this because it’s always good comments from someone like Andy.”
Novak Djokovic: “I love this sport I just love going out and I enjoy competing. I enjoy playing the tournaments over and over again, trying to win as many titles as possible, trying to strive for some kind of perfection, if there is a perfection in this sport, yo know, always to get better. We will see how far I can go.”
Stanislas Wawrinka: “There is one goal that I have since many years. It’s the Davis Cup. Now Roger is playing, so we know that we are a strong team to do something. We’ll need to be careful, but we have a good chance to make a big result this year and that’s so far the most important (goal).”
Caroline Wozniacki on feeling sorry for a struggling opponent: “Obviously you’re out there, it’s a battlefield. You just want to win. Again, I don’t think too much about the score. I just need to think: I need to keep executing the things I’m doing.”
Federer weighs in on USTA struggles
Scoop Malinowski · March 25, 2014 at 9:42 am
Federer’s comments on player development seemed to hint that too many kids are having it too easy, they need to struggle and suffer and lay it on the line. I was told by a coach that a renowned academy in the US, which charges five figures a month for tennis students, will not match most of their juniors against other juniors because they don’t want the parents to get upset if their kid loses too much, which might provoke them to pull their kid from the academy. So the kids are coddled. To get better you have to play the best, you have to test yourself and see if you can figure it out. If USTA kids are avoiding playing certain other players it’s a big mistake. In boxing and tennis the best way to get better is to take on the best, and see if you can struggle and suffer and solve that opponent and beat them. I think Fed was hinting at this. Young players who are protected from playing the best players are only creating a false sense of security.
Doogie · March 25, 2014 at 9:53 am
I know of topic but Linesman helped Dolgopolov to win at 5:5 in 3rd set TB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuR9pXwZoBY
Btw:
The TB confirmed me that his FH is still vulnerable. He made 3 easy UEs to give Lajovic the 3:0 lead, who played the TB smart (lot to Dolgo FH).
TB to start at 1:20 if u are interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h2ttPt0TE4
CS3 · March 25, 2014 at 10:41 am
Can’t disagree with Roger’s comment because I think it shows in our younger American Tennis pros that the unbreakable determination, all out competitiveness, will to win & ability to overcome adversity is missing… We do have young athletes throughout sports in this day & age who have a sense of entitlement kind of attitude who expect things to be given to them rather than them having to battle & reach down deep to become successful… Your take on Boxing & Tennis is right on Scoop because we’ve seen both of those ultimate, intense individual sports that more than any other test what someone is made of physically & mentally suffer a significant drop off in the number of Elite Americans being produced… A big reason is probably because our young Tennis players & fighters are not going up against the best competition at the amateur level nor are they being pushed as hard as they should be because their delicate, in need of regular patting on the back personas can’t handle having to pay their dues which means enduring some disappointing setbacks… Is it any surprise that American World Heavyweight Champions & Grand Slam Champions in the Men’s game are pretty much non-existent now? I think not!
Andrew Miller · March 25, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Federer said it best. Totally agree gem of a statement. Another reason I think Murray had a shot: he played his formative tennis years in Spain when Nadal and others were playing. Essentially he was outside the British system. I think even the British system has a better tennis culture at moment than u.s. with exception of California and supposedly now Maryland. That said current u.s. players come from everywhere : Carolinas for Isner , Chicago for dy , Louisiana for Harrison , Va for Kudla. Just shows a good player can come from anywhere . same thing for Spain with Nadal being from Mayorca. Talent is as common as dirt.
As federer said it is the work ethic. I think current u.s. generation is better than Kuznetsovs generation – only Kuznetsov and Smyczek have made it from there!
Scoop Malinowski · March 25, 2014 at 10:49 pm
Right CS3, American prospects in boxing are protected from the toughest opponents. Mayweather now even Hopkins, Broner, etc. These guys are all good fighters but they take the path of least resistance. Even Holyfield and Bowe and Tyson were protected at stages of their careers. Same thing applies to tennis, these young guys/girls have to go to war vs. the best, that’s the only way to find out what you got.
DanM · March 26, 2014 at 1:03 am
They are going to war against the best, that’s the problem. Klahn was doing really well when he was playing those weak Challengers in Asia. It’s only when he came back for the main events has he faltered.