The role of former players as coaches and advisers is a relatively new trend in tennis. It is evident throughout the top end of the men’s game.
Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker, Andy Murray and Amelie Mauresmo and previously Ivan Lendl, Marin Cilic and Goran Ivanisevic. Roger Federer and Stefan Edberg, although the Swiss ended the relationship in December. The list goes on.
It is also becoming an increasingly common sight in the women’s game.
Enlisting the help of former players who have already treaded the path, endured heartbreaking defeat and elation in victory, dealt with pressure situations and life in the spotlight must provide invaluable insight to a player making their way in the game.
On that basis, Elina Svitolina may have struck gold.
Earlier this month, the 21-year-old Ukrainian announced former world No 1 Justine Henin had joined her team as a consultant.
Seven grand slam titles and 117 weeks at the summit, Henin achieved it all during her illustrious career.
There is also not a former player in the world you would rather have courtside at Dubai, considering Henin won a record four titles here.
“My coach focuses more on the technical. She’s more for the mental side,” Svitolina said of the new dynamic of her team. “Between them, they cover all the things I need.
“Justine is sharing her experience from when she was a player, and of course my coach is looking from a different side. That’s why, for me, that’s so important.
“It’s just amazing she accepted.”
The addition of Henin, although early days, seems to be paying dividends as Svitolina took her place in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals on Thursday after a battling 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win over American CoCo Vandeweghe.
Svitolina, a quick mover and solid baseliner, faced the rough and tumble of Vandeweghe, a player with a heavy serve and thunderous groundstrokes.
The two opposing styles complimented each other to make a closely-fought and engaging opening set.
The American, unsurprisingly, produced the more winners, but it was her unforced error count that proved decisive.
Despite winning the first set, there was always a danger for Svitolina, that if, or more appropriately when, Vandeweghe began to find her range, she could be powered off the court.
So it proved at the start of the second set. Vandeweghe, in a bid to claw her way back into the match, went on the attack, and the American’s ambition was suitably rewarded.
After just 28 minutes and three breaks of the Svitolina serve, the match was level.
The signs were ominous for Svitolina when she was subjected to more of the same in the early exchanges of the deciding set.
In cruise control and seemingly motoring into the semi-finals, Vandeweghe’s weapons inexplicably abandoned her.
Credit must go to Svitolina for retaining her composure during the nine game onslaught, but for Vandeweghe it was a rapid and steep decline.
From 2-0 up to 5-2 down, the American could barely land a shot in play.
All Svitolina needed to do was not make mistakes and she was all but assured Vandeweghe would lose the point.
She brought up match point with arguably the shot of the day, a delightful crosscourt, heavy top-spin forehand that evaded the sprawling Vandeweghe.
“I had a good start then I was struggling a bit,” Svitolina said. “I think it was something in my head. I was just somewhere not on the court, but I was really happy that I could find a way to start the third set well.
“OK, I was 2-0 down but I still felt that I was getting there.”
On handling the heavy hitting of Vandeweghe, Svitolona said: “You need to react fast. If you do that, then sometimes she will overpush.
“I was reacting fast, and this was the key – to chase every ball, to let her push even harder.”
Next up is Italian Sara Errani, and should Svitolina navigate her way through the semi-finals, she will be one win away from her first Dubai title.
And if there is one person who has been here and done it all before, she is already in her corner.
jturner@thenational.ae
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