Managing Mirage and Coach Simon Strengths

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 6, 2024

A mirage maker on courtroom, Daniil Medvedev confronted desert deception in his Indian Wells return this week.

“First day I got here right here I assume there was a sandstorm the day earlier than I arrived so I went on heart courtroom it was lightning quick and I used to be like ‘Whoah, stunning I find it irresistible’,” Medvedev informed the media in his BNP Paribas Open pre-tournament presser. “Then the subsequent day it turned sluggish. So let’s see.

“I’m undoubtedly not going accountable the courtroom for something I do which implies play unhealthy or play good or lose or win. I’m gonna take pleasure in it right here. I find it irresistible right here I’m gonna take pleasure in my time right here and attempt to lengthen it so long as doable.”

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Branding himself a “onerous courtroom specialist”, Medvedev spent bruising matches exploring his dysfunctional relationship with the purple Indian Wells courtroom throughout his run to the 2023 ultimate.

Medvedev withstood a sprained proper ankle and Alexander Zverev 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 then fended off Frances Tiafoe for his nineteenth consecutive victory to succeed in his maiden Indian Wells ultimate falling to Carlos Alcaraz final March.

A distinction within the 2024 model of the artist often known as Meddy Bear: Medvedev employed former nemesis Gilles Simon to hitch long-time coach Gilles Cervara on his teaching group.

Although Simon isn’t in Indian Wells this week, he was in Dubai final month as Medvedev, in his first event since reaching the Australian Open ultimate, reached the semifinal.

Whereas the pair don’t have any formal contract, Medvedev stated the plan is for Simon to journey about three months this season and he’s hopeful it will likely be a long-term partnership.

“We’re not gonna journey an excessive amount of however some tournaments right here and there most likely one thing like 13 or 14 weeks on tour which isn’t a foul quantity,” Medvedev stated. “We didn’t repair something. We didn’t say: ‘We’re gonna work for one yr and see the way it goes?’ We see the way it goes and if tomorrow him or me says it doesn’t work out we cease.

“Up to now it has been working nice. He tries some extra issues. In case you take somebody it’s not simply to maintain it the way in which it’s, it’s so as to add some small particulars and we do attempt to add them. I’m positive it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see them through the matches I did somethings already in Dubai, nevertheless it takes time it’s going to take time. It’s attention-grabbing, I prefer it thus far. Hopefully we will preserve it collectively for fairly a very long time, however let’s see the way it goes.”

The 39-year-old Simon received three of 4 profession conferences towards Medvedev, with the three victories approaching three completely different surfaces.

Former US Open champion Medvedev informed Tennis Now’s Chris Oddo, Simon’s success towards him was a place to begin in pursuing the Frenchman as coach. Medvedev stated Simon’s courtroom sense, analytical expertise and his means to elucidate precisely why issues are occurring on courtroom have been all key parts of the rent.

“The precise story [of how we partnered] I’m gonna preserve it to myself, it’s kind of private,” Medvedev informed TN’s Chris Oddo. “At one second I used to be considering of including somebody to the group, first to switch Gilles Cervara when he’s not right here on the tour And I used to be like why if i need to change him i need to most likely add somebody who can assist me to turn into a greater participant on the courtroom.

“I thought of Gilles [Simon] as a result of he by some means knew find out how to play me. That is The factor: I hated to play him. As a result of once I’m on the courtroom he knew what I’m gonna do and he knew find out how to beat me which I really feel prefer it’s not a simple process. I managed to beat plenty of gamers so I used to be like at the very least that’s the very first thing.”

Of their time working collectively, Medvedev stated he’s impressed by how properly Simon articulates what he intuits on courtroom.

“He can inform what he did and we will work on it. So if somebody performs precisely like him I’m going to know what to do and the way I can do higher in my weak spots,” Medvedev stated. “In order that was sort of the primary factor about it. And for positive once we began working collectively I noticed he understands many many issues about tennis, which we—many tennis gamers—don’t give it some thought.

“I by no means thought of it myself as somebody who thinks lots on the courtroom. However really plenty of that is extra feeling it, which can be sort of considering, however extra feeling it. He can clarify with phrases why he sees one factor on the tennis courtroom which could be very robust and one thing most likely most of tennis gamers can not do.”

Picture credit score: Matthew Calvis