Yanina Wickmayer

Wickmayer hires Fed Cup captain as coach

Ticker - Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Yanina Wickmayer has split with her French coach Patrick Mouratoglou and will now be coached by Belgian Fed Cup captain Ann Devries, reports Sportza. "I want to give her stability as soon as possible," Devries said.

Wickmayer’s father Marc, who also coaches her, said that Mouratoglou was not there enough for her. "He never really been coach of Yanina," he said. "First he was working [Aravane] Rezai, he was coach of [Jeremy] Chardy and now he follows mainly [Grigor] Dimitrov."

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Yanina Wickmayer must find new coach

Yanina Wickmayer no longer works with French Patrick Mouratoglou. Mouratoglou had collaborated with Wickmayer, 22 years old, since September 2011 for his second time after a first attempt in early 2010.

According to Dutch newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, "communication problems and missed appointments" are the cause of separation.

The number one Belgian, 31st in the world, must now find a new coach. Ann Devries, Belgian Fed Cup captain with whom Wickmayer maintains very good relations, is on the list. "I have an appointment with Yanina. I wish I could offer her stability as quickly as possible," said Ann Devries.

Wickmayer looking to stay healthy

Former champion Yanina Wickmayer is concerned more about getting through the ASB Classic pain-free than with the prospect of a third consecutive appearance in the final.

Wickmayer, 22, heads into Auckland tournament and the start of a new season having been through the longest lay-off in her career, after a back injury forced her to retire from the US Open in August.

"Five months is a pretty long time - it's half a year - so it feels weird to be back on tour and to see everyone again," she said.

Apart from a doubles exhibition, Wickmayer hasn't play since the US Open, and she is unsure what her form will be like during the Classic, which begins on Monday.

At the same time, there won't be the same expectations on her.

"There's no pressure on my shoulders now," she said.

"I've been injured a long time. For myself, it's just important to keep playing matches without having pain.

"If that goes okay, then I can go and set my goals for this year."

AAP

Yanina lost to Wozniacki, 4-6 6-4 6-4.

Wickmayer was looking for her first Top 5 win. "She's No.1, so she has to have something why she wins all her matches," the Belgian said. "I guess it's because on the important points she's a little bit better than any other player."

From AFP:

World number 12 Yanina Wickmayer is facing a race against time to be fit for the French Open following surgery on her left elbow.

The injury dates back eight years to when Wickmayer was accidentally knocked over by a car.

She remained hopeful of being back in time to play in the French Open.

From tennis.com:

Yanina Wickmayer's father Marc has said his daughter will not play in Belgium's Fed Cup tie against Estonia unless she is in the starting singles lineup. The two nations will meet in Hasselt, Belgium, at the end of April.

Wickmayer is currently the highest-ranked Belgian, but with comeback queens Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin also on the team, she could find herself warming the bench until the tie is decided.

"It's the beginning of the clay season and Yanina does not want to risk injury in a match without significance," Marc Wickmayer told Le Soir, questioning Henin's motives for volunteering for the tie.
"Why does Justine want to play? Because the match is taking place in Belgium? To look after her popularity in Flanders? If she's there again next year to go to Russia or the Czech Republic, then I'll present her with my apologies."

Marc Wickmayer also said Clijsters "doesn't talk to me a lot and is very distant with Yanina."

The Flemish anti-doping agency's appeal of the lifting of Yanina Wickmayer's two-year ban from professional tennis will be heard in April of 2011.

At that time, the agency - the one which wanted a one-year ban in the first place - will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the body which lifted the ban so that Wickmayer could play on the tour.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, which called for the two-year ban, is also appealing the lifting of the suspension. Both bodies will make their arguments to the CAS, and then a decision will be made regarding Wickmayer's future.

Complicated case, and sad for Nina really, this was just a bit of negligence and surely no harm done, but one must comply I guess. Tough lesson to be learnt, let's just pray for a miracle that she escapes any sort of lengthy suspension which would be a blow to the WTA as Wicky is one of the brightest stars on the scene.

An appeal by Flemish anti-doping authorities against the lifted bans of Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse will nto be heard till April 2011.

Yanina Wickmayer has signed up with the Mouratoglou Academy, joing Aravane Rezai, Jelena Dokic, Sorana Cirstea and Grigor Dmitrov.

Wickmayer, a wild card into the event after a court last month overturned a one-year ban when she fell foul of the Belgian doping authority's "whereabouts rule", beat Israel's Shahar Peer 6-4 7-5.

She will now play experienced top seed Pennetta, a player she has the utmost respect for.

Wickmayer said: "I think she is one of the most stable players of the last couple of years and last year was a great year for her as she reached the top 10 for the first time.

"She's been playing well here also and has beaten everyone quite easily. She is older than me and she has a lot more experience than me.

"This is a final, and she has played more finals than me, and it is always different playing in a final and I think the more experienced players are always a little bit ahead when they are playing finals."