CHENNAI: As the WTA Chennai Open kicks off on Monday, 1987 Wimbledon winner Pat Cash, 57, is back in Chennai as coach of Chinese Qiang Wang who will face Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in the first round .
Excerpts from an interview:
Who do you think will be the favorite to win the title at the Chennai Open?
I don’t think there is a favourite. I think what we see on the women’s circuit is that anyone can win a tournament. That’s what makes it exciting.
What do you think Serena’s legacy would be as she walks into the sunset?
I think Serena changed the game and brought the element of power into the game. Serena and Venus Williams are superb athletes. They forced everyone to raise their level. Once they both became dominant, you saw others work harder and become better athletes as well. Players like Justin Henin who maybe didn’t have a lot of power but they had to develop it. A group of male players who wouldn’t watch many women’s games tennis but they were watching when Serena or Venus were playing.
Carlos Alcaraz is the most talked about player of the season. Where does it stand out?
It’s an X factor in him, you don’t become such a good player at that young age without having that. I saw Alcaraz a few years ago playing Challenger tournaments. At that time, I was coaching Brandon Nakashima. We saw him play on clay and he was doing well. Everyone hits the ball well, but when you consistently win games, you know there’s something special about it.
Do you see Federer making a comeback and is it possible he will be competitive again?
He has no chance of playing as well as before. But it deserves, if not something else, a farewell tour. He looks great and I saw him at Wimbledon and he hasn’t put on an ounce of fat. The world deserves to say thank you to him for all the highlights he gave.
Could you talk about the friendship you shared with Shane Warne?
It’s always sad and I was just thinking about him the other day when I was coming here – how popular he is. Shane is a superstar athlete and was a very good junior tennis player and was one of the best in Victoria. Few people realize this. He had a great service. We used to catch up as soon as we could. We text regularly. I also thought he did a great job as a commentator with his insights. He said what he thought and it’s rare these days with so much censorship.
Excerpts from an interview:
Who do you think will be the favorite to win the title at the Chennai Open?
I don’t think there is a favourite. I think what we see on the women’s circuit is that anyone can win a tournament. That’s what makes it exciting.
What do you think Serena’s legacy would be as she walks into the sunset?
I think Serena changed the game and brought the element of power into the game. Serena and Venus Williams are superb athletes. They forced everyone to raise their level. Once they both became dominant, you saw others work harder and become better athletes as well. Players like Justin Henin who maybe didn’t have a lot of power but they had to develop it. A group of male players who wouldn’t watch many women’s games tennis but they were watching when Serena or Venus were playing.
Carlos Alcaraz is the most talked about player of the season. Where does it stand out?
It’s an X factor in him, you don’t become such a good player at that young age without having that. I saw Alcaraz a few years ago playing Challenger tournaments. At that time, I was coaching Brandon Nakashima. We saw him play on clay and he was doing well. Everyone hits the ball well, but when you consistently win games, you know there’s something special about it.
Do you see Federer making a comeback and is it possible he will be competitive again?
He has no chance of playing as well as before. But it deserves, if not something else, a farewell tour. He looks great and I saw him at Wimbledon and he hasn’t put on an ounce of fat. The world deserves to say thank you to him for all the highlights he gave.
Could you talk about the friendship you shared with Shane Warne?
It’s always sad and I was just thinking about him the other day when I was coming here – how popular he is. Shane is a superstar athlete and was a very good junior tennis player and was one of the best in Victoria. Few people realize this. He had a great service. We used to catch up as soon as we could. We text regularly. I also thought he did a great job as a commentator with his insights. He said what he thought and it’s rare these days with so much censorship.