SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2014 Nadal prefers continuity to celebrity

DOHA: World number one approves of the latest trend of top players using legends as coaches, but says he won’t seek such high profile help himself. While Nadal’s rivals have employed Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl, and Michael Chang - winners all - ’ leading player prefers to work with his uncle Toni. That’s not only because family is special for the islander from Majorca, but also because of Nadal’s self-description as a “long-term boy”. Continuity is more important for him than a celebrity whose experience may never- theless help other players gain an extra edge at the top. “My idea of life and teamwork is to have continuation on all the work for so many years. I never fired anyone in my team since I started my career,” said Nadal, whose start to the 2014 ATP World Tour contin- ues by seeking a place in the final of the Qatar Open yesterday. “I changed physio (Joan Forcades) but he left because he has kids and he prefers to be at home, not because I fired him,” Nadal emphasised. “I feel comfortable like this. If I haven’t changed it by the age of 27 I’m probably not going to change.” Lendl works with Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Becker has recently been taken on by seven-time Grand Slam champion , Edberg has joined up with Grand Slam record-breaker Roger Federer, and Chang has linked with the top 20 Japanese player Kei Nishikori. However it seems unlikely that any of these legendary ex- players is likely to contribute a great deal technically to the modern greats, because the game has changed so dramatically since their day. Their greatest contribution may more often be in the mentality, the ambience, and the attitude which they encourage - a feeling of being a winner and a way of approaching the big tournaments confidently. Nadal, who has 13 Grand Slam titles and time to overtake Federer’s record 17, already knows how to create those feelings, possibly having learned from a professional football culture amongst members of his family and friends. Toni Nadal probably performs other functions, amongst which may be overseeing detailed training sessions and ensuring chronicled per- formance records remain close secrets. Because Nadal is a tennis ath- lete with few equals this is vital. However it works, it is certain that DOHA: ’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis during their quarter-finals tennis theirs is the longest lasting coaching partnership in the elite game. At the same time Nadal likes what others are doing. “In the end tennis is a match in Qatar’s ExxonMobil Open in Doha on January 2, 2014. —AFP simple sport,” he said. “You don’t need to study a lot to teach tennis, in my opinion. “But in talking about the tour, it is true it’s much better if you have Li, Peng advance to Shenzhen final big stars, past stars involved like Lendl, like Becker, like Edberg. It’s great news for our sport that they will be around the tour more often today BEIJING: Chinese superstar Li Na and her thigh. Li, 31, is the defending improved a lot over the last year. I’m because of the new status that they have. “What makes sports big is a compatriot Peng Shuai advanced at the Shenzhen Open champion and currently quite looking forward to the final.” King combination of history and new events. It’s great to combine events Shenzhen Open tennis tournament yes- ranked number three in the world. Her had upset second seed Sara Errani of Italy with a lot of history, and so it’s great to combine the past champions terday to set up an all-Chinese final. Li, success has sparked new Chinese inter- on Wednesday, but Xinhua quoted her as who have a lot of influence on the tour today with their status.” Asia’s highest-ranking player in tennis est in tennis as well as a swell of national saying she began to feel pain in her leg Nadal was keen to point out that everyone is different. “Everybody history and the top seed at the WTA tour- pride. China’s state broadcaster CCTV during that match and decided to with- has his feelings. The same things don’t work for everybody. I am a per- nament, swept aside Germany’s Annika this week named her rise its number two draw ahead of the upcoming Australian son that 95, 99 percent of the time feels that if something is going Beck, who was seeded eighth, 6-1, 6-3. sports story of 2013. Open in order to rest. “It was a really diffi- wrong is because of me - not because of others. “Today I am working Peng, the fifth seed, booked her slot “It’ll be a tough match tomorrow, as cult decision for me to pull out because I with Toni, and with Francis (Roig, assistant coach) and for me it works in the final with a walkover after we’re quite familiar with each other,” Li hate losing and not competing,” King well. If what I have never worked well, maybe I could think of a change. American Vania King withdrew from said of Peng, the official Xinhua news said, according to Xinhua. “But I just have But if works well it is because the team is the right team.”—AFP their semi-final after reportedly injuring agency reported. “We both have to look out for my health.” —AFP Colts hope for deep NFL postseason run Bengals turning into a LOS ANGELES: The Indianapolis Colts are seeking to crash the Super Bowl party by becoming the first wild card team since model of NFL stability Green Bay in 2010 to make a run deep into the NFL playoffs. History shows that a team from the wild card round usually CINCINNATI: Losing season after losing season, they were the football is what it is,” offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth said. makes some kind of postseason run and the Colts hope that same old Bungles. Changed quarterbacks every couple of years. “Systems determine success and longevity. There’s no coach on holds true for them. “If you check out the last six Super Bowl Wasted high draft picks on lower-talented players. Signed players the face of this earth that can have a system in one year or two winners, they got hot at the right time,” Colts defensive end with a lot of baggage and wound up making excuses for their years. It takes years. Robert Mathis said. arrests. Fired the coach and started the cycle all over again. “And sometimes it takes resetting a system over a couple of “That’s what it is all about. Getting hot at the right time.” Nobody could argue when one television commentator referred to years. We’ve done that here, and kind of cleaning house and saying The fourth seeded Colts host the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday them as the NFL’s Siberia, a place where nobody wanted to end up all right, we had a couple guys here that we think we need to get in one of four wild card games this weekend. The postseason if they could avoid it. Look at them now. rid of and let those (other) guys kind of become the leadership of kicks off with the wild card round followed by the divisional The Bengals (11-5) have become a model of stability in a league this team.” This time, they’ve gotten it right. Lewis readily acknowl- round on January 11, the semi-final conference champi- where everything seems to change overnight. Up the interstate in edges that on any other NFL team, he would have been fired after onships on January 19 and the Super Bowl on February 2. Six Cleveland, the last head coach got run out of town less than a year going 0-4 in the playoffs and posting a losing record overall in 10 of the last eight Super Bowl champions were teams that took after he was hired. While coaches and quarterbacks come and go seasons. In Cincinnati, he got an 11th season and another chance to part in the wild card round, including Green Bay in 2010. in other places, Cincinnati is an example of how patience can suc- win a playoff game Sunday against San Diego (9-7). Indianapolis comes into the contest riding a hot streak, ceed. The AFC North champions have gotten to the playoffs for the In the last three years, a lot has changed. “All of the things that having won three straight games in which they allowed a third year in a row by keeping their head coach and coordinators have been written all of the time and the shots taken, that’s way in total of 20 points. Quarterback Andrew Luck finished his soph- and spending a lot of money to return the core of their team the past,” Lewis said. Not entirely. The Bengals still haven’t won a omore regular season on a positive note by completing 26-of- intact. playoff game since the 1990 season, tied for seventh-longest 37 passes for 282 yards as the Colts rolled to a 30-10 win over “To me, probably the most disheartening, saddest part about streak of futility in NFL history. They’ve emerged from their years of Jacksonville on Sunday. Luck threw 23 touchdown passes for this level of football is too many CEOs and owners just toss coach- languishing as a down-and-out franchise by reaching the playoffs the second-consecutive year and threw just nine intercep- es around like hotcakes and don’t realize that the reason college three years in a row for the first time in their history. —AP tions. —AFP