Günter Bresnik raves about Nadal - Rublev and Tsitsipas he does not yet trust Paris titles
Günter Bresnik has once again known himself as a great admirer of Rafael Nadal - and assessed the chances of Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner with regard to the French Open.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: May 02, 2021, 09:20 am
Günter Bresnik was recently in Monte Carlo, as coach of Gael Monfils. And there he got an overview of the current status. His conclusion: almost everything is the same. A lot of whining because of the current situation, "only one has practiced: Nadal. Two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon - twice as much as the rest," said Bresnik in an interview with heute.at .
Nadal has been playing the same exercises for 20 years: "The backhand to the point, forehand point stroke. His coaches count whether the ball lands where it has to. It's all about the quota. If it fits, the next exercise comes." Nadal never gets bored, "he works for success. That is simply impressive." Nadal played two tournaments on clay, two to go. And: "He trains more than anyone else. The self-confidence is there. It looks good."
Bresnik: Djokovic and Thiem can demand Nadal
Nadal's opponents in Paris: especially Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. Djokovic has recently made two bad appearances, but no cause for concern for Bresnik. "But I don't believe him. He's fully there in Paris," said the 60-year-old. And Thiem: "I know that he is physically in top shape. The rest is a stranger." Should Thiem reach a quarter or semi-final in Madrid or Rome, the path will fit. "For me, Dominic is the only one again this year who can really endanger Nadal and Djokovic in Paris."
But what about Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev, two players of the hour? Tsitsipas, who challenged Nadal to the limit in the Barcelona final and even had a match point, was in good shape overall in 2021, also beating Nadal in Melbourne. "He has improved. He's going online, so everyone faces problems. But for two weeks over five sentences - no," said Bresnik. And Rublev, who beat Nadal in Monte Carlo, was "not physically fit enough for more than five sets", went in too often and had already played too many matches this year.
Bresnik, however, thinks a lot of Jannik Sinner. Ricardo Piatti is the boys' best coach. "Only the serve is still a drawback." But he is guaranteed to make something out of him because he makes a lot of speed with his forehand and backhand. That's what it's about. "
What does Bresnik say about Roger Federer and Aslan Karatsev? Read the full story here.