The first handiwork of hard-man coach Roger Rasheed could be on display this week in Brazil as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faces Roger Federer only weeks after hiring the Australian to be his mentor after 18 months on his own.
France’s Tsonga, is one of the opposition lineup in Federer’s current exhibition tour of South America. Tsonga and South Australian Rasheed – former coach to Lleyton Hewitt and France’s Gael Monfils – have been working to raise the French player’s eighth ranking as the 2013 season approaches,
Rasheed has outlined some areas where he heels his new charge can make winning improvements. They include mixing up his attack and faking a few chances when the time is right. “There are a few areas I’ve identified: when high-risk is worthwhile and when high-risk is not,” Rasheed told Australian media.
“If he can just tighten that up a little bit it’ll make him a better player. But his natural flair, you won’t take that away from him, because that’s his drive.”
The first workouts with Rasheed, who came on board in October, have focused little on actual tennis and more on drills and discipline. “I think he does like the big tournaments and he does play well in them,” Rasheed said of Tsonga, “And five-set tennis suits him, because he’s got that flair. Sometimes he’ll come and make this massive impact out of nowhere and can take the match over.”
©Daily Tennis News Wire
Topics: Australian tennis news, French tennis news, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer, Roger Rasheed, Tennis News