It’s onerous to discover a tennis participant or coach who hasn’t learn Brad Gilbert’s e book Successful Ugly because it was revealed greater than 30 years in the past.
Drawing upon what he discovered throughout his enjoying days when he reached a world rating of 4, Gilbert revealed methods that might be utilized by each the skilled and leisure participant.
He harassed profitable tennis would not need to be aesthetically pleasing – a degree he has acknowledged summed him up as a participant – however as a substitute constructed on a variety of ways designed to outsmart an opponent.
Gilbert went on to get pleasure from a adorned teaching profession that included guiding Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick to main titles and the highest rating in males’s tennis.
His e book nonetheless attracts an viewers, though there may be somebody who hasn’t flicked by means of its pages — his present pupil, Coco Gauff.
“I purchased a duplicate however I did not learn it,” a smiling Gauff instructed an Australian Open media convention.
“Perhaps I ought to add it to my studying checklist … my mum really acquired it for me once we had been within the talks of simply presumably working with Brad and she or he was like, ‘It’s essential learn this’.
“She learn it and I did not learn it. However I really feel like I acquired the actual model so I do not want a e book. However possibly it might assist.
“I am going to in all probability do it simply to shock him.”
Despite the fact that she hasn’t learn Gilbert’s e book, Gauff adopted its key theme to a tee in her gritty Australian Open quarterfinal win over Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday.
She trailed Kostyuk 1-5 within the first set, earlier than clawing her means again to win a tiebreak, after which misplaced the second to her Ukrainian opponent on Rod Laver Enviornment.
Once more, Gauff was compelled to regroup forward of the third set however she ultimately sealed her first Australian Open semifinal berth with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 triumph after greater than three hours on courtroom.
The match statistics didn’t make fairly studying for Gauff. The world quantity 4 posted 51 unforced errors, gave up seven service breaks and dedicated 9 double faults.
Gauff might solely handle to hit 17 winners to Kostyuk’s 39, but nonetheless discovered a approach to win.
After Gauff’s US Open triumph final September, Gilbert — who had solely linked up with the 19-year-old within the lead-up to the ultimate main of the season — praised his cost for her “problem-solving” expertise after she misplaced the primary set in three of her matches earlier than grinding out a victory.
This included her defeat of Aryna Sabalenka within the ultimate.
Whereas she didn’t lose the primary set to Kostyuk, Gauff needed to dig herself out of a gap early to maintain her Australian Open hopes alive.
“In the present day was irritating as a result of I knew how I wanted to play. I simply could not execute,” Gauff mentioned.
“Ultimately, I used to be capable of finding it, which is what I am pleased with.
“However problem-solving is tennis. You can play somebody in the present day and possibly per week later they will play you utterly totally different. It is part of it.
“On the finish of the day you are given a scouting report, however you must go along with feeling and take a look at your greatest to win. That is what I did in the present day.”
When behind on the scoreboard within the first set, Gauff knew she needed to take it sport by sport if she was to get on high of Kostyuk.
She had a easy strategy: battle as a lot as doable.
“Clearly, generally while you’re down 5-1 you are not anticipating to win the set,” she mentioned.
“I imagine each level, each sport issues, and ultimately the rating began to get nearer.”
You can be mistaken in pondering Gauff’s feedback had been lifted straight from a web page in Gilbert’s e book.
She might not have learn Successful Ugly, however she is aware of what her coach was writing about.