Aussie coach not interested in travelling full-time again
SYDNEY: Respected Australian tennis coach Tony Roche has knocked back an approach by Roger Federer to be the world number one's new full-time coach, reports said yesterday.
The world's supreme player, who is here training with Roche ahead of next month's Australian Open, told a newspaper that the 59-year-old Australian mentor had declined his offer.
The Herald-Sun newspaper said that Roche, who guided Ivan Lendl and Pat Rafter to the world number one ranking and multiple grand slam titles, was not interested in travelling full-time again.
The newspaper said Roche, troubled by a hip complaint, was content to remain in Sydney with his family and was prepared to work with Federer on a casual basis.
Asked by the Herald-Sun if the former Australian Davis Cup coach would join him on tour in 2005, Federer said: “Tony said no.”
Federer has had a sensational 2004, winning three of the four Grand Slams, clinching eight other titles and losing just six times in 80 matches, pocketing US$6mil along the way.
 |
Tony Roche |
Federer invited Roche to a closed-door practice session in the United Arab Emirates in October and then asked him to join him on tour in 2005, before Roche formally declined, the newspaper said.
Federer, who arrived in Sydney last week, is expected to return to his Dubai base on Christmas eve where he will start his 2005 campaign in Doha from Jan 3-9 before tackling Melbourne's Kooyong Classic (Jan 12-15) ahead of his title defence at the Australian Open from Jan 17-30.
Federer grew close to the Australian tennis community during his partnership with Australian coach Peter Carter, who was killed in a road accident in South Africa two years ago.
Carter had arranged for Federer to move to Australia when the future Wimbledon, Australian Open and US Open champion was 12, but the family decided to remain in Europe.
After splitting with Carter and hiring Lundgren, Federer engineered Carter's ascendancy to the Swiss Davis Cup leadership. – AFP
Latest sports news from AP-Wire
News Poll
- Transsexual worries for safety after negative reactions to ‘marriage’
- Two managers killed in payroll grab
- Pol-sec said to have amassed wealth under probe
- DPP: Rape victim’s story consistent
- Hisham: Johor and Negri princes may settle case out of court
- High Court reduces housewife's jail term to 12 years (Update)
- Government paid RM125mil to maintain cars, says Najib
- Recognition for 700-year-old Batu Bersurat
- Fatine’s family pleading for him to come home
- Police detain woman over Nusajaya payroll grab
- Transsexual worries for safety after negative reactions to ‘marriage’
- PTPTN loans – no more excuses for non-payment
- Two managers killed in payroll grab
- DPP: Rape victim’s story consistent
- MIDA – shifting the nation into hi-technology
- Malaysians urged to be wary of second wave of H1N1 (Update)
- RM203,700 fine for not having direct sales licence
- Pol-sec said to have amassed wealth under probe
- AirAsia to add more flights to HK
- Malaysia first in region to adopt benchmark for educators
RSS
