After a solid playing career, Paul Annacone became Pete Sampras’ coach in 1995, guiding his compatriot to tennis glory. In 2010, Annacone had the opportunity to work with another legend, Roger Federer, leading the Swiss to the Wimbledon crown in 2012.
Sampras and Federer are among the greatest players in history, especially on the pitch, sharing 15 Wimbledon trophies and dominating the cathedral of tennis at different times.
Being familiar with both players ‘games and tactics, Annacone said Sampras’ strength evolved primarily from his powerful serve, able to serve his best when it mattered most.
On the other hand, Federer has both the incredible serve and the ability to catch the ball early from every part of the court and run to the net in no time. Speaking about Federer’s return, Annacone said that Roger still loves the game and enjoys the environment.
Praising the Swiss, Annacone noted that he has been at the top for many years while enduring the pressure of being ‘Roger Federer’
Paul Annacone spoke about the return of Roger Federer.
The 39-year-old Swiss had to skip most of the 2020 season after a knee injury, underwent surgeries in February and May and decided to close out the season and focus on 2021.
Roger returned to the practice court in October, working on his physical strength and setting his eyes on big goals in the second half of the new season. Roger skipped the Australian Open and made a long-awaited comeback in Doha, entering the draw as the second seed.
In the second round, Federer beat Daniel Evans in three sets to reach the quarterfinals against Nikoloz Basilashvili. Roger played well to take the first set before the Georgian rallied in the second to force a decider.
Roger blew a match point in the final stages of the third set and suffered a close loss in his second match since January 30, 2020. “Roger loves the game and enjoys the environment.
He has been at the top of the game for many years, and accepts and enjoys the responsibility of being ‘Roger Federer’; It sounds easy, but it is not. It doesn’t take much of Federer and Sampras to play at the level most players can’t even reach.
When Federer’s pragmatic approach is added, the roller coaster of emotions tied to winning and losing tends not to show up in his life. It’s pretty stable, “said Paul Annacone.
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