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Men's Tennis
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Women's Tennis
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| Tuesday, January 23 |
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| Cash helps Rusedski reap rewards Reuters | |||
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LONDON -- Greg Rusedski turned to former
Wimbledon champion Pat Cash to rebuild his faltering career, and
he repaid the Australian by defeating top seed Gustavo Kuerten
in Cash's home town of Melbourne.
Rusedski endured a nightmare 2000 because of injury and loss
of form, and even considered quitting the sport before seeking
the advice of London-based Cash.
The Canadian-born Briton dropped 55 places in the rankings
last year after an operation to remove a cyst from his right
foot in December 1999. Despite surgery, other niggling injuries
dogged him and his morale fell to rock-bottom.
The 27-year-old was particularly worried about the strain
placed on his body by his famous serve, the fastest in tennis.
"It was putting a great deal of strain on my body physically
and I just couldn't play a full year," he said earlier this
year.
"I'm changing my game, trying to be more healthy because I
can't play if I keep getting injured. It's going to be a long
process."
Rusedski's five-set victory over Kuerten at the Australian
Open was a vindication of the methods employed by Cash.
Two-time loser The Australian, twice a beaten finalist at the Open, was recommended to Rusedski by his former coach Sven Groeneveld, and agreed to help him out part time last October. The pair spent hours in front of a video analyzing Rusedski's game, and with trainer Brad Langerveld, painstakingly worked out ways to alter his technique on the practice court. "I was hitting with Greg for a couple of weeks in London just before Christmas, running around like an idiot trying to retrieve his big serves and his forehands, but I loved every minute of it," Cash said earlier this year. "In terms of attitude Greg is the best I've ever encountered." But the rebuilding process took its toll emotionally and physically on Rusedski, and he became so frustrated he considered quitting the game altogether. "Some days at practice I could go out and beat anybody, but then there were days when I could go out and lose to my grandmother," he said. "It's like having to start again, which can be humiliating, It can be tough. "I could write a book about all the doctors and other people I know now. I had painkillers and all sorts of different things to get through last year. I don't want to do that any more." A new beginning Rusedski's victory in Melbourne could be a turning point for the former world number four, but both he and Cash know there is a long way to go before he can regain the form which took him to the US Open final in 1997. "It will take take time," said Cash before Rusedski's victory over Kuerten. "We are essentially reversing everything that happened to him in the past couple of years. "But where before he had serious doubts about continuing in the sport at all, everything looks fresh. In a couple of months or so he will be as good, if not better, than he was before." | |
ALSO SEE Kuerten falls: World's No. 1 tumbles out of Australia | |
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