Thomas Johansson and Sorana Cirstea: The new successful duo on the WTA tour
With ex-top ten man Thomas Johansson, Sorana Cirstea has apparently found a coach who inspires her to new heights on the WTA tour. And who also brought her to the semifinals in Miami.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Mar 30, 2023, 03:22 pm
Thomas Johannsson was a very successful player on the ATP tour when he was active and made it to seventh place in the individual world rankings. The Swede has won nine titles, the biggest of which was of course in 2002 at the Australian Open. But Johansson has also long since established himself as a coach, so the now 48-year-old accompanied David Goffin's success story for a long time.
So now things have sparked professionally between Thomas Johansson and Sorana Cirstea. And how! With her success against Aryna Sabalenka, Cirstea moved into the semi-finals of the WTA Tour 1000 tournament in Miami. In March alone, this was the third success over a top five player. By early 2023, the Romanian had only clinched five victories against competitors in this price category.
Cirstea wants to become a "complete player".
So it's no wonder that after the coup against Sabalenka, Cirstea said she was playing the best tennis of her career. It was always clear to her that she had the ability to play, but: "I've certainly found my inner peace and the good results have given me self-confidence. On the one hand, I'm calmer on the pitch now. But at the same time I fight as hard as possible.”
Which is also the credit of Thomas Johansson. "I think he's great at reading the game," Cirstea continued. “He's trying to improve my tennis IQ. This means that I assess my position and that of my opponent better and try to make better shot selections. Playing a bit more aggressively, attacking with the slice – or with a higher ball.” The goal is to become a complete player.
Incidentally, Sorana Cirstea still has to wait for her next opponent in Miami: Because of the rain, the last quarter-final between Petra Kvitova and Ekaterina Alexandrova was postponed to this Thursday.
Here is the individual tableau in Miami
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