Jack Reader, the unconventional Australian coach who variously describes himself as a committed smoker, social drinker, straight talker, philosopher and tennis bum, is back in employment after being hired by Serbia’s Viktor Troicki.
Adelaide-based Reader has been officially resting since parting with the Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov at October’s Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur after a three and a half years partnership.
However Troicki, who suffered a forgetful 2012 season after slipping to no. 38 in the rankings, is more than happy to link up with the Australian.
Troicki spent most of 2011 in the world’s top 20 but seemed to be on the decline for most of this year and experienced a 6-12 run since Wimbledon, losing in his first appearance in his concluding three tournaments of the calendar.
Speaking to the Serbian newspaper, Novosti, Troicki explained the new appointment by saying: “Jack is interesting, entertaining, knows all the players and coaches on tour, does his job well and has been around for a few years, and from my own views, people respect and love him.”
Troicki had worked with German coach Jan de Witt since 2005 but after his disappointing run, the former Davis Cup winner saw the need for a different kind of input.
The 26 year-old Belgrde-based Serb continued: “Jack’s different from the coach I had up until recently, because Jan was very direct and everything was based on some strict rules. Reader is more relaxed and I believe that can help me at this time.
“We have already begun making adjustments and working on little things that need to be fixed. There will be plenty more of that, as I have a lot that I can and must improve on. I hope that I’ll find my rhythm in the beginning and return to the top 20 — that’s my goal.”
Last year Reader, who had a indistinguished career trying to break through as a tennis player and found several other methods of employment like bar work and male modeling, summed up his coaching philosophy when he said: “’People can say what they like … The best coaches are not always the best players. You’ve got a player with all the strokes and, somehow, you’ve got to make them come together.”
©Daily Tennis News Wire
Topics: Davis Cup 2012, Jack Reader, Serbian tennis news, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Viktor Troicki