FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert — who knows a thing or two about coaching after working with the likes of Andre Agassi and the two Andys (Roddick and Murray), says he was encouraged when Roger Federer joined forces with former Sampras sage Paul Annacone, with continued input from Davis Cup captain Severin Luthi. It was promising, Gilbert asserted, that in the wake of losses to former Fed pushovers like Marcos Baghdatis, Ernests Gulbis, Albert Montanes and Lleyton Hewitt, the Swiss was open to tweaking his Hall of Fame game.
But on Thursday, following a routine 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 second-round win over Germany’s Andreas Beck, the world No. 2 insisted has no immediate plans for an overhaul.
“When I’m playing great, regardless of who’s in my player box, I can beat anybody,” said Federer, who looking to set an Open Era record by winning his 6th U.S. Open title. “It’s about being consistent and being confident in the way I play. I’m not all of a sudden going to play a two-handed backhand or serve and volley on my second serve nonstop. It’s just not going to happen.”
Gilbert says any assertion that Federer has been a solo act is a myth; that, in truth, the 16-time Slam champ has long been surrounded by a coaching-by-committee entourage.
“They say he doesn’t have a coach, but he still has six or seven people around him,” noted Gilbert. “His wife [Mirka Vavrinec] is a former player. The Davis Cup captain from Switzerland travels with him full time. In between that, he’s had stints with Jose Higueras, Peter Lundgren, Tony Roche, Paul Annacone. He has the one guy constantly and then goes through stint with other people. He’s definitely getting input. I believe all players can benefit from good coaching. Maybe that’s why he thought his game was a little bit stale, maybe that’s why he’s trying this stint with Paul Annacone.”
Federer, who is headed for a third-round clash with No. 109 Paul-Henri Mathieu (he’s 4-0 against the Frenchman), has bagged just one title (Cincinnati) since winning the Aussie Open. He uncharacteristically lost in the quarters at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, ending a streak of 23 consecutive Slam semis. Annacone may not equip Federer with any new-look weapons, but the American may just prove to be a valuable sounding board.
“It’s in the details, and it’s very important to me what Paul tells me and what Severin also tells me, who I’ve been with for three years now,” said Federer. “It’s an interesting time right now, because I went through times where I didn’t have a coach. I had times where I had two coaches, one coach. Here we are at the stage again where there’s someone new to the team, and I kind of like those times.”
