THE SCOOP: SUNDAY, AUGUST 12

Kafelnikov must be desperate … asks our reporter to coach

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

MASON, OHIO, AUG. 9 – If you’re looking for a real hot tennis scoop, here’s one to try on for size. This tennisreporters.net correspondent has received a new job offer as a player coach!

The offer came from none other than Yevgeny Kafelnikov after he lost to world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinals at the Tennis Masters Series-Cincinnati on Friday evening. Here’s how the coaching prospect with Kafelnikov came to light.

The ATP communication specialists prepare daily notes for the media at tournaments and the notes on Friday identified one Joe Guiliano as Kafelnikov’s new coach. “Joey G” as Guiliano is known around the tour, is no stranger to this tennisreporters.net writer – we all hail from the New York area. A good friend of the McEnroe’s – John and Patrick – this writer was of the opinion that Guiliano was here with Patrick McEnroe, the Davis Cup captain and ESPN announcer, when I saw them chatting in the player’s lounge earlier in the week. But our media notes said he was the “new coach” of Kafelnikov’s, so I decided to ask the Russian two-time Grand Slam champion what made him pick Guiliano as his newest guru of choice.

Kafelnikov denied that Guiliano, who has briefly worked with a number of players including Mary Pierce, was his coach, saying, “He’s just a friend of mine. I just got lonely last week and he is just helping me out.”

The next question from tennisreporters.net was “So how long are you going to be lonely or … er … working with him?”

Now here’s the good part where the coaching job comes to surface as Kafelnikov replies, “I don’t know. I’m going to ask him to come with me next week. I think even perhaps you can coach me as well as anybody. I’ll play the same tennis I always do.”

Considering the fact that journalism isn’t the highest paid profession in the world, I immediately jumped on the opportunity, honestly telling Kafelnikov that “You’re on. It’s more money than I’m making doing this.”

To be truthful, Kafelnikov, who understands English with no problems, barely cracked a smile, leading some people present to believe that his offer to me wasn’t genuine. Others in the room said I should hold out hope and keep him to his word since they were of the opinion his comments would hold up as a verbal agreement to contract me as his coach.

Of course, one concern I had immediately came to the surface about taking on a tutoring role with Kafelnikov – and no it isn’t that I don’t have the playing skills necessary for the job since from the sidelines, in a position as a tennis analyst, I probably have a good handle on winning tactics. But I do fail to have a Masters degree in psychology and that kind of analysis could be required. As immensely talented as Kafelnikov is, it is also well known that keeping him in focus and his mind on the court is no easy task.

In fact, many people have applauded his recently departed coach Larry Stefanki, who helped Kafelnikov to his 1999 Australian Open championship as well as to the final Down Under the following year. Of course, Stefanki, who just started coaching Tim Henman, came to Kafelnikov with plenty of previous experience working with players that were hardly easygoing personalities – John McEnroe and Marcelo Rios.

Here’s a hint – if the articles from this tennisreporters.net correspondent don’t keep appearing, you can assume Kafelnikov called and Stefanki offered some sage coaching advice.