Djokovic splits up with his longtime coach Vajda
Novak Djokovic has split with his longtime coach Marian Vajda and two other team members, saying he wants to find “the winning spark on the court again.”
Djokovic said on his website yesterday that he mutually agreed with Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch, and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic to end their “successful and long term partnership” two weeks ago after the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost in the quarterfinals.
“It was not an easy decision, but we all felt that we need a change,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic lost his No. 1 ranking to Andy Murray last year after a slump in form following his French Open triumph.
He lost in the third round at Wimbledon, his earliest defeat in a Grand Slam in seven years, the first round at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, reached the final of the U.S. Open, and lost early again at the Australian Open. He finished 2016 at No. 2, his current ranking. He’s won only one of his last 10 tournaments.
“I feel like this is a new chapter in my life,” Djokovic said.
“My career was always on the upward path and this time I’m experiencing how it is when the path takes you in a different direction. I want to find a way to come back to the top stronger and more resilient.”
Vajda started working with Djokovic in 2006, and the last three seasons together with Boris Becker, who quit last year.
“We arrived to the point where we all realized we need new energy in the team,” Vajda said on the website. “Novak can do so much more and I am sure he will.”
Djokovic said he believes this “shock therapy” will help him achieve better results.
“I want to continue raising the level of my game and stamina and this is a continuous process,” Djokovic said. “I enjoy this journey, it feels like I am starting something new again.”
Djokovic said he was thinking of hiring a new coach, but did not want to rush it.
“I will be on the tour alone for a while with the support of my family and management,” he said.
15-year-old Amanda Anisimova claims French Open wild card
Amanda Anisimova has won the Roland Garros wild card challenge and will compete in the French Open in her Grand Slam main draw debut.
The 15-year-old Anisimova accumulated the most points in the wild card challenge by reaching back-to-back singles finals at USTA Pro Circuit events in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, and Dothan, Alabama.
Anisimova, of Freehold, New Jersey, will become the youngest player to compete in the main draw at Roland Garros since Alize Cornet in 2005. She was a junior finalist in last year’s French Open.
The wild card challenge consisted of results earned at claycourt events over the past month. Victoria Duval and Caroline Dolehide, the only players who could have surpassed Anisimova in the standings, lost this week in Charleston, South Carolina.
Anisimova is the fifth-ranked junior in the world. The French Open begins May 22.
Carreno Busta beats Almagro to reach Estoril semifinals
Top-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta defeated defending champion Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the Estoril Open yesterday.
The 21st-ranked Carreno Busta converted all his break points — two in each set — and saved five of the six break points that fellow Spaniard Almagro had in the decisive set.
Carreno Busta next faces another Spaniard, David Ferrer, who defeated Ryan Harrison of the United States, 6-4, 6-0, for his 698th career win.
The 52nd-ranked Harrison reached the quarterfinals after former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro withdrew on Wednesday because of the death of his grandfather in Argentina.
Bautista Agut, Zverev advance to BMW Open semifinal
Top remaining seeds Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander “Sascha” Zverev won on Friday and will meet in the BMW Open semifinals.
No. 2 Bautista Agut defeated German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3, and No. 3 Zverev was made to work harder to beat fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5).
Struff ended Tommy Haas’ last run at the clay-court tournament in the second round on Wednesday. The top-seeded Gael Monfils lost to Chung Hyeon of South Korea on Thursday.
Zverev, a semifinalist last year, is the last German remaining in the Munich tournament. In the other quarterfinals, Chung was playing Martin Klizan and Argentina’s Guido Pella faced compatriot Horacio Zeballos.
Barthel, Pliskova advance to Prague Open final
Qualifier Mona Barthel rallied to upset third-seeded Barbora Strycova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and advance to the final of the Prague Open yesterday.
Seeking her fourth WTA title, the German faces unseeded Kristyna Pliskova, who defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
Big-serving Pliskova was 5-2 up in the second set but faced a break point at 30-40. The Czech served two straight aces — out of a total 17 — before converting her first match point to advance to her second career WTA final. She won her only title last year.
The 82nd-ranked Barthel improved her record against the 18th-ranked Strycova to 4-3.