Jürgen Melzer - not only sports director, but also coach of Barbara Haas
New dream team in Austrian tennis: Barbara Haas, number one in women wants to make it into the top 100 with the new ÖTV sports director Jürgen Melzer as coach.
by PM
last edit: Dec 18, 2020, 05:08 pm
Austria's best tennis player Barbara Haas can now count on the support of ÖTV by Jürgen Melzer. The 39-year-old is the new coach of the 24-year-old from Upper Austria. Melzer, who announced the end of his successful career a few weeks ago, will take up the post of sporting director at ÖTV in January 2021.
The two already worked together during the US Open in New York. “Because of the strict Corona requirements, I couldn't take a supervisor with me to the USA. Jürgen Melzer was very helpful and jumped in. I can only benefit from his know-how, ”says Haas, whose next big goal is to make it into the top 100 in the world rankings. The 24-year-old is currently in 149th place.
"Babsi will move her training base from the performance center in Linz to the ÖTV training center in Südstadt," says Manfred Nareyka, Barbara Haas' manager. "The center of life remains in Upper Austria."
Melzer also hopes to qualify for the Australian Open
If Corona allows, the premium for the new season should take place in January in Dubai, where qualification for the Australian Open will be played. Melzer will accompany Haas to this tournament. As in previous years, New Zealander Nick Carr will continue to assist her as touring coach.
"ÖTV is very happy that Austria's number one is training in the Südstadt from now on," says Jürgen Melzer. “I will try to use my experience to further develop your game in order to make it into the top 100. Babsi has enormous talent and has been trained very well. You can tell from the fact that she can implement new things extremely quickly. I'm really looking forward to working with them and I hope that we can get off to a good start in qualifying for the Australian Open. "
ÖTV President Magnus Brunner also sees the new sporty double as extremely positive. “One focus of the new Presidium is women's tennis. We always emphasize that we want to learn from the best. Jürgen Melzer is one of the best we have ever had. I am sure that the cooperation will be a successful one for both sides. "