Kujoku @ The Rogers Cup

[kujo]

Sports-India.com's exclusive interview with Gabriel Urpi - Sania Mirza's coach
by kujo - your Sports-India correspondent

Q: Sania is right now at her career high ranking of 29. She has been performing really well over the last few weeks, after coming back from an injury lay off. Appearances in a final, semi and couple of quarters I believe. You have been coaching her during this period. Please tell us about your association with Sania Mirza.
A: In the beginning of this year, Sania's dad asked me to coach her. Not as a full time coach, but for a few weeks here and there. Then she got injured. We really started from Rolland Garros and then Wimbledon. They were happy and asked me whether I could do some other weeks. I agreed for San Diego, Los Angeles and then to Toronto. I am also coaching full time for Flavia Pennetta and had to be here in Toronto this week. So far it is good collaboration, I am happy.

Q: Would you be interested as a full time coach for Sania, given your commitment to Flavia?
A: It is difficult to say now, may be after the end of the US open or end of other tournaments. We will talk. Of course I am open to that. What is important is to work good and she is happy. It is not easy since I don't live in India. I live in Spain and already travel a lot.

Q: And do you have your own Academy as well?
A: No, I don't. I work by myself. Most of my career as a coach, I have been alone.

Q: What are the specific areas of improvement that you are looking into for Sania?
A: I think she has a great potential, quick acceleration, natural game is pretty good. I think she can improve in consistency, have better footwork and to have a little more planning. Having a better game strategy, in order to use her big weapons at the right time.

Q: Of late, she has been adding a bit of a variation, even in her forehands. We noticed that she tried to "mix it up", in her own words.
A: When you have such a big shot as she has with her fore-hand, her back-hand is very good too. But then you to have the ability of being able to mix it. Because, not all the situations in the match you are able to hit hard! You know, tennis is a percentage game.

Q: What are the specific areas, during your coaching association with Sania, that you are coaching her in terms of improvement?
A: Well, we talked a lot with her and her dad on what is needed. We talk about the matches, how she played the match, whether she played wrong or chose the right shots, how to use her game better. So tried to work a little bit on those things. Footwork, I think because I am from Spain and all the Spanish players are good in that, they probably think I can help on that. And I think there will be a big improvement for Sania in that.

She has a natural game. She has a very good understanding of the game. She is, I don't know how to say in English, not afraid. She is not afraid of playing. She is not afraid to hit the ball, not afraid of going for the big shot when the time comes. That is a very important thing.

Q: One of the things from the media and especially the fans too, that is being criticized in Sania's game is her serves. What is your take on that?
A: Well, you know, her (service) movement is her movement. It is hard to change these. But I think she can work in getting higher percentage serves in. So, really, have a second serve so that people can not attack her. She can defend herself good; when the point is being played she is okay. I think she has to try to go for a percentage serve. And then to be able to have a second serve that she can move it around a little bit.
Also for the first serve, being able to hit far into the forehand and backhand. So add a little bit more direction to the serve. But, she  can hit her serves hard, you know. Her serves are at 110 mph. But it is the percentage that, needs a bit more improvement.

Q: Do you think, may be she should add more variations in her serve? Spin the ball more, kick serve, etc?
A: Obviously, the spin gives you some safety. And kick serve is not easy. Almost none of the girls do a good kick serve. Only, may be, Henin or Maria or Kuznetsova can do it. Not many girls have a good kick serve. Of course when you give more spin in the ball you are more safe. When you want some percentage, you have to give some spin in order to put more balls in.

Q: You mentioned that she has great potential and to some extent she has realised much of that potential with her current ranking of 29. Do you see more potential to realise, more to achieve?
A: I think she is someone who can improve a lot. Because, some players, you look at them and you think 'Okay I don't know how better she can be'. But, if you look at Sania's game and age too, you see the margin to improve is very big for her. Of course all this comes with hard work, and you are lucky with injuries and all other stuff. There are many unknowns. But working hard, is what makes you become a better player. And, above all, having fun! Having fun is the best way to learn.

Q: Have you seen her getting frustrated during the game? Maybe because she couldn't use her weapons?
A: Sometimes, yes. Or she thinks, may be, she chose the wrong shot. But that is very good. Because, that means that she realises it, and she is also willing to do differently next time. You get frustrated and lose points. But for her, the next point she fights again. It is not like getting frustrated and then giving back 4 points in a row. She has a very good attitude. Great attitude!

Q: Her pattern of development since her junior years. Typically, she reaches a level and stays for a while at that level, sometimes even struggling to maintain that. And then suddenly she has a burst. Can you comment on that?
A: That, I think is common to most of the players. Improvement is never a straight line. You go up and stay(at that level); and then you go up a little bit more, etc. It is not linear, just curves up and down. As long as you keep working, keep improving, then you will move to the best of your capacity.

Q: Are you seeing her as rising up and improving right now?
A: Yes, absolutely. She has been rising not only now but for a while. I have seen her play two years ago. She is better player now and she is becoming more experienced and having some wins with these top-20 players makes you believe more in yourself. But it is also important that you see that you are working and you see the results and stay motivated.

Q: What is your prediction in the upcoming US open for Sania?
A: It is hard. Players like these, when they are improving, not yet at the top of her game, it is hard to make predictions. It is hard to know when they are going to play really good. It is not good to make expectations on her, one thing or the other. Of course if you are Roger Federer, you go to US Open to win. And may be you are not gonna' win. For the rest of the players, if they put too much pressure on one thing, sometimes it goes against you. So, I think you have to go step by step. Match by match. You know, in tennis, if you don't play good this week you got the next week to play.
Of course everybody wants to do well in the Slams. But if you put too much pressure then sometimes it goes against you. So, what is important is to concentrate yourself in improving your game, fighting every match, working properly. And then the results will come. Results are not as hard. It is a result of good, hard work!

Q: She is going to be seeded in the US Open. You think that will help her?
A: Yes, of course, always. But, I don't know. Like in this last tournament, the seeded players were more afraid of her! Because she won quite a few those match ups. If you just concentrate on your game and every point, at the end your results are much better. That is what I think.

Q: So, you have any long term plans with coaching Sania?
A: Let me see. If they are happy with me and for me it is possible to do it. So far, I am really happy to work with someone like Sania. Because, she is really nice. And family, the family also, they are very nice to me. Very nice people! So I am happy for this opportunity.

Thanks for your time coach!

[jaydeep]

Amazing work Kujo ...

U almost covered all issues which we were discussing ... And Urpi also talked freely as Jay was expecting when Mirzas not around him ... Very interesting and detail interview.

Jaydeep.

[shibi]

Thanks Kujoku for the great interview.

[Varma]

That's a lot of information you gathered from Urpi, Kujoku! Thank you!.

Looks like he is a nice guy and is willing to work long term with Sania.

- Varma

[suresh]

Thanks Kujo for taking the trouble.

[Kumar]

Great interview kujo.

[gbelday]

wow, kujo, nice job there...not too much talk about the "mental" issues...

[x_y_Z_a]

Great interview Kujo and thanks. Keep up the good work. IIRC, probably the only interview of a coach from our forum.

[sameerph]

Great work , Kujo to focus on Indian interest ( thru Sania's coach's interview) in a tournament which does not include any Indians. 

[10nis_ace]

Nice interview Kujo. Good job.

[kujo]

Thanks guys for all your posts.  I have also submitted the interview article to the front page news in Tennis section of Sports-India.com.  It has not yet been approved and published. So, if someone has the authority (Jay, Dhruv, PKB) please do so...

Meanwhile here is an updated set of images at Rogers cup with Gabriel Urpi and Flavia's photos. So, if you are wondering how the coach looks like....

cheers
-kujo

[DesiInCT]

Nice Work Kujo!

[jayakris]

Hi Kujo.  Excellent interview.  Stuck to the points and not go into anything sensational.  The newspapers should learn from you ... 

I will approve your front page article as soon as you finish editing (either you or one of my fellow moderators is editing it right now, it seems).  I will leave it as the second article now, as the Anup Sridhat upset requires top headlines.  I will move it up to top in a day or two.

Jay

[amr090]

Honestly, I think this is one of the best interviews I've seen anywhere on Indian tennis.  The length, depth, quality of questions and answers....I don't think any Indian paper has even approached such a level in any of their papers.  This article is essentially good enough to be inserted into any top indian paper...excellent word kujoku.....btw is that your name....or does it stand for something?

[kujo]

Thanks Arun, Jay and others.  No, that is not my real name. I just go by that moniker and would like to keep that.  Jay knows my real name though!

cheers
-kujo