Bruguera aims to mould Chinese stars in HK
Man credited with making Spain a global force in the game is aiming to set up an academy in the city to develop players capable of making the top 100
The good book says God made man from clay, a substance which Luis Bruguera believes also goes into the making of a good tennis player – well at least if he or she has a good grounding on the surface.
Bruguera, whose son Sergi won two French Open titles in 1993 and 1994, is a man with a mission. The former Davis Cup captain of Spain, who runs a tennis academy back home in Barcelona, is in search of the first Chinese man who can break into the world’s top 100.
And he hopes a Hong Kong-based academy can fast-forward that process. “But this academy must have clay courts. For it is on this surface that you can best teach a youngster what is the most important aspect of the game – how to think,” said Bruguera, who was in town this week talking to various people who could play a role in the dream.
While Li Na is making waves on the women’s professional circuit having won a grand slam title, the highest-ranked mainland male player on the ATP rankings is Wu Di (234) followed by Zhang Ze (259). Roger Federer said last month in Shanghai that it “would be amazing” and good for world tennis if a male Chinese player could break into the top 100. Bruguera, 65, is amazed too, but in a different way.
He was in China nine years ago at the invitation of the Chinese Tennis Federation and at the time saw “five or six” youngsters who had the potential to go all the way. “What happened? I don’t know. It is amazing that today these players are nowhere.
I was in Guangdong nine years ago for two weeks and was impressed with what I saw. But there have been no results. I hope I can help in this process to uncover a star from China, or even Hong Kong,” said the Spaniard. Bruguera is a firm advocate of the Spanish system where mind matters more than a power game. Having all the shots in the book is of no use, he says, if one cannot think how to win a point and have a feel for the game.
“It’s all about being able to control your mind, control your body, control your racquet and control the ball,” says Bruguera. “In tennis if your physical condition is not good, you cannot play at the top level. But at the same time you need the mental toughness and this is best learned on a clay surface where you cannot win a point as easily as on a hard court where power prevails. “In Spain, most youngsters learn the game on clay courts. In the United States it is mostly on hard courts.