Peter Lundgren

[raghda]

I loved Peter .... I wish MArat can find such intimate good coach again

[maryb]

Article is about Pat Cash hinting (strongly) about working for the LTA. But it refers to the possibility of Peter taking on a bigger role other than Davis Cup coach.

Good for him! He's a wee gem.



The Times November 27, 2006
Cash value yet to register as LTA prepares its new order
Neil Harman, Tennis Correspondent



When the extravagant list of new employees in British tennis is confirmed this week, Pat Cash’s name will not be among them. Neither will that of any other Wimbledon champion, but as winning the ultimate accolade was about the only prerequisite for a job not included in the LTA’s criteria, it should not be construed as a personal snub.
At 41 and having spent most of past 20 years living in London, though, Cash has more appreciation than most of what has (and what has not) been going on in the environs of the sport in Britain. And being an Australian hardly disqualifies him from having a say, given that Britain once employed an Australian as Davis Cup captain and the vast majority of those to be introduced into the LTA’s new wonderland come from overseas.



Cash, the 1987 champion in SW19, has had three meetings with Roger Draper, the LTA chief executive, outlining what he thinks he could offer to Britain, especially since his country has given him the cold shoulder. He has yet to discuss specific roles but would be willing to work between 15 and 20 weeks a year as he contemplates winding down his participation on the Seniors’ Tour.

Ann Quinn, who was in Cash’s corner 19 years ago, is to be confirmed this week as the LTA’s head of sports science and having the pair back in tandem would make logical sense.

“When I met Roger, I said, ‘Look, you need a lot of help and I think I am someone who can be a big help to you,’ ” Cash said. “Making champions is not brain surgery. You need kids playing at school, free court time, some decent coaches and the kids will flood through. There has to be an accessibility in parks and schools, otherwise Britain will stay a nation of footballers.

“It is a numbers game, simple as that. And Britain needs far better coaches at the bottom before it starts worrying about the top because there has to be an overhaul of the whole system and that is a massive, massive job. I’ve seen them come and go for the past 20 years. A lot of well-meaning people have had jobs, but I’m still shaking my head at what’s happened. The problem is that coaching here is 20, even 30 years behind the times.”

Cash added that people who became LTA-trained coaches were still teaching youngsters to hit side-on forehands “that went out 20 years ago”.

“They need to put their hands up and say, ‘Sorry, we’ve had it all wrong, so let’s start again’.” Cash said. “And that’s bloody tough to admit to. What needs to be tackled is the grassroots stuff, the little kids, which isn’t the glamorous end of the game, but it is where the work has to be concentrated. I want to put myself to good use and if that’s for Britain rather than Australia, so be it.”

Cash will await this week’s appointments and hope to engage with those charged with the important tasks. Peter Lundgren, the Swede who coached Roger Federer and Marat Safin to grand-slam success, could be one of those, for it is mooted that Lundgren is in line for a more expansive role in the organisation than simply coaching the Davis Cup team.

The prospect of Paul Annacone working for the LTA, but not as the overall head of men’s tennis because he does not wish to relocate from the United States to England, is hardening, as is the likelihood of Jeremy Bates, who resigned as Britain’s Davis Cup captain in July but remained as the interim performance director, gaining a new position.

[Cynthia]

Peter back to work with Marat

[lau]

thiaela said:

Peter back to work with Marat

what do you mean?

[maryb]

Article in The Independent

Rocker on a roll: Key figure in LTA revolution raring to go
Peter Lundgren helped Roger Federer become No 1 in the world. Now the Swede, whose favourite band is AC/DC, is ready to make a racket as Britain's Davis Cup coach
By Paul Newman
Published: 13 December 2006
Peter Lundgren has spent more than half his life on the international tennis circuit. The former world No 25 competed in all the Grand Slam tournaments and main tour events, winning titles in America, Australia, Germany and Israel. As a coach, the 41-year-old Swede went on the road with Marcelo Rios, Roger Federer and Marat Safin, guiding Federer to his first Wimbledon title in 2003 and Safin to the Australian Open in 2005.

However, Lundgren will break new ground next month. His next tournament will be at the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre in Wrexham, where he will watch players not ranked high enough to play regularly on the main ATP tour compete at a Challenger event for a grand total of £13,000 in prize-money . He says he is "really looking forward to it".

Lundgren, recently appointed British Davis Cup coach under the captain, John Lloyd, is a central figure in the revolution led by Roger Draper, the Lawn Tennis Association's chief executive, who has recruited some of the planet's leading figures in an attempt to end decades of under-achievement. Brad Gilbert, Andy Murray's new coach, was the first high-profile arrival, Lundgren soon followed and by the end of last month the flow of world-class talent had become a stampede.

Paul Hutchins, the former British Davis Cup captain, is the new chief of men's tennis, while his head coach is Paul Annacone, who guided Pete Sampras to the top and now works with Tim Henman. British women's tennis, meanwhile, has been placed in the hands of Carl Maes, the former coach of Kim Clijsters, and Nigel Sears, whose charges have included Daniela Hantuchova.

Lloyd, Hutchins, Annacone and Lundgren met at Queen's Club yesterday to discuss how the talents of the latter two in particular will be used. Lundgren, having been initially contracted to work 15 weeks of the year on Davis Cup duty, will now be available to Hutchins for another 15 weeks, while Annacone will be available to the LTA for 20 weeks.

Hutchins wants Lundgren and Annacone to work with the best British players across a number of age groups, although he is determined to ensure they have enough time to make an impact. "We're not going to parade them around," he said yesterday. "Rather than give them an inch with everybody I'd rather give them a foot with a few."

As Britain's most successful Davis Cup captain of modern times - no subsequent team has come close to matching his achievement of reaching the 1978 final - Hutchins will be well aware of the challenge facing Lloyd and Lundgren. With the 33-year-old Greg Rusedski on the brink of retirement and the 32-year-old Henman yet to commit to a Davis Cup return, a new generation of players is desperately needed to compete alongside Murray.

Most of the likely contenders are not ranked high enough to play on the main circuit, which is why Lundgren will be spending much of his time in the twilight world of Challenger tournaments, a level down from the main ATP tour. You can tell who is in charge of Davis Cup affairs: while Lundgren will head for Wrexham next month, Lloyd will be at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Lundgren sees a parallel between Britain today and Swiss tennis a decade ago. In 1997 the Swiss opened their new performance and administrative centre in Biel and recruited respected overseas coaches such as the Dutchman Sven Groeneveld, the Australian Peter Carter - and Lundgren. Draper has assembled a similarly diverse team as the LTA prepares to open its new £40m national tennis centre at Roehampton in the new year.

"It's good when you bring together a wide range of people like that because they can bring different talents and a respect for each other," Lundgren said. "It's a good feeling to join a team who you feel are going places. I just hope we can have the same success we had in Switzerland." The success of the Swiss adventure was down in no small part to the emergence of one man. Federer was a product of the Biel performance centre and when he went his own way on the senior circuit in 2000 he chose the national trainer as his personal coach.

Federer and Lundgren worked together for the next three and a half years. Within a year Federer had won his first title and reached the world's top 20, although his Grand Slam breakthrough did not come until he won Wimbledon in 2003 at the age of 21. He went on to win the Tennis Masters Cup that year before deciding the relationship with Lundgren had run its course.

The Swede began working with Safin in April 2004. Within nine months the Russian had won the Australian Open, beating Federer in the semi-finals and Lleyton Hewitt in the final. They parted company this summer.

Lundgren believes that representing his country played an important part in Federer's development. "There were so many matches where Roger showed great talent, particularly in the Davis Cup," he said. "Those were the occasions where he showed that he had the ability and the temperament to get him through tough times.

"He proved it against Morocco. We played away to them and we had to win to stay in the World Group. It wasn't easy. Roger played unbelievably. He only lost a few games. I also remember him playing really well against the States the year before."

Lundgren's personal experience of playing in the Davis Cup amounted to just two rubbers, as Stefan Edberg's doubles partner. "I remember being extremely nervous, much more so than in tournaments" he said. "It's not easy playing in the Davis Cup. All of a sudden you're playing for a team rather than for yourself. The experience of playing in the Davis Cup can undoubtedly help you in the future. If you have the chance to play in the Davis Cup I think you should definitely take it."

Lloyd and Lundgren will dovetail their schedules. Lloyd, who is based in Los Angeles, will be going to the main events in America, as well as the Grand Slam tournaments. Lundgren, who is based in Switzerland, will be working principally in Europe. As well as helping British talent, he will scout future opponents. With Britain's April tie at home to the Netherlands in mind he will be going to the indoor tournament in Rotterdam in February to look at the Dutch players.

Most of Lundgren's Davis Cup time will be spent working with the likes of Alex Bogdanovic, Jamie Baker and Josh Goodall, the best of the next generation of British talent. Bogdanovic has already made a good impression, winning the Challenger tournament at Shrewsbury last month on the first occasion that Lundgren saw him.

"I want to build a good long-term relationship with the British players and coaches," Lundgren said. "I'll be going to tournaments and watching them play and I hope that I'll be able to help with their coaching. Four eyes are always better than two.

"I believe we'll get results, but it won't happen overnight. Nothing is easy. It takes time to build a team. I just hope that the press and the public will be patient." Lundgren acknowledges that the team will be heavily reliant on Murray. "I think he's a potential top 10 player for sure," Lundgren said. "He's got a great game. He's a very smart player."

The Swede has known of Henman's talent since he lost in straight sets to him at Queen's Club in 1994, Lundgren's penultimate year on the tour. "I thought I had a good draw, but when I played him I quickly realised that he had the potential to be a really good player," Lundgren recalled.

Like Lloyd, he is hoping that Henman will return to the Davis Cup fold. "I want Great Britain to get back in the World Group and if Tim is back the chances are much higher," Lundgren said. "He's playing as well as he has for a long time. He's got so much still to offer."

Lundgren said Rusedski had been "fantastic" in September's Davis Cup victory in Ukraine, but the former world No 4 has a long-term hip problem and has tumbled so far down the world rankings that he will struggle to win a place in most events on the main tour. While Rusedski would like to play against the Dutch in April, it remains to be seen whether Lloyd and Lundgren will consider him to be in good enough shape to play.

If it is hard to disassociate Henman and Rusedski from the British Davis Cup scene, so it is difficult for some veterans of the international circuit to picture Lundgren, who looks like an ageing rocker with his long hair and goatee beard, without the guitar which he always used to take with him.

These days, however, the Swede's acoustic and electric instruments stay at home and he has to find other ways of indulging his passion for 1970s and 1980s rock (he counts AC/DC as his all-time favourite band). "It got to be a real pain trying to take the guitar through the airports," he said. "I travel with a laptop these days and I have my music on there."

Team player is the right man, says Federer

Roger Federer believes Peter Lundgren's background makes him a good choice as British Davis Cup coach. "He was part of the Swiss Davis Cup team for a couple of years alongside me and everybody else," said the world No 1, who appointed Lundgren as his personal coach in 2000 and worked with him for more than three years (including when he won Wimbledon in 2003. "He's especially good in a team, which is obviously useful for a job like this. He brings great spirit to the team and as a Swede, the Davis Cup is obviously a huge motivation every time. I think he's a good guy to have in the team. I guess for him it's just a matter of getting to know the players."


;D Bless him. ;D

[lau]

Thanks for the article maryb It´s really long!! I can´t finish it now, but it seems very interesting. I´ll do it later
Thanks again

[Annie]

Just finished reading..thanks mary Very interesting, he seems really entusiastic about this whole thing.... good luck Pelle

[maryb]

OMG Lau, no wonder it's long. The text has duplicated itself several times in one article!?!

LOL. I thought bits of it seemed familiar. Thought I was just losing the plot. LOL

Strange.

[maryb]

Sorry guys - I've modified the text and deleted the extras!!! ;D

LOL. Lau and Annie, didn't you guys get a sense of deja vu? LOL. ;D

[maryb]

Tennis stars head to North Wales ;D Hope the sun comes out ...
17/1/2007

Many of Britain's top tennis players will be heading to the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre in Wrexham next week (21st-28th January) hoping to impress Great Britain's Davis Cup coach Peter Lundgren and win a place in April's Davis Cup tie
against the Netherlands.

They will be taking part in the ?21,250 event against players from as far a field as Israel, Pakistan, Australia and the USA.

Among the competitors are many rising stars of the British game including Josh Goodall, Richard Bloomfield and Jonny Marray. Alan Mackin who performed superbly during the Australian Open qualifying rounds and reached the main draw of the event
for the first time in his career will be hoping to continue his outstanding form and stake his claim for a place in this year's Davis Cup squad.

Peter Lundgren who has coached current world number one Roger Federer and former world number one Marat Safin will visit Wales for the first time in his career and the trip is a crucial part of his role with the LTA.

"I'm really looking forward to visiting Wales, spending time with the players in Wrexham and seeing how they compete against some of the world's up and coming tennis stars. I will be identifying players to compete in ties this year and in the future
and looking at ways to help them fulfil their potential."

The men's singles final will be played on Sunday 28th January at 11am and the doubles final is scheduled to take place on Saturday 27th January. Results will be available at the end of each day's play at: www.LTA.org.uk/newsroom.

Entry to the event is free for all spectators.

[Annie]

Hang in there Peter

Davis Cup - Annacone replaces Lundgren in GB role
Eurosport - Wed, 02 Apr 18:04:00 2008

Roger Federer's former coach Peter Lundgren resigned from his role with Britain's Davis Cup team.

Paul Annacone, the men's head coach, will replace the Swede as Davis Cup coach.

"I would like to thank Peter for all his work over the past 18 months," Britain's Davis Cup captain John Lloyd said.

"He has been a great asset to the Davis Cup team. Peter is keen to spend more time with his father who is unwell and our thoughts are with Peter and his family at this difficult time."

Lundgren was given a leave of absence from coaching last summer after reportedly slurring his words in front of other coaches at an event at the LTA headquarters.

American Annacone, who worked with Pete Sampras and Tim Henman, will now focus on Britain's World Group playoff in September after they were beaten by Argentina in the first round.

"Paul has been working closely with many of our top players in his role as head coach and his knowledge and experience will be vital as we prepare for the play-off," Lloyd said.Reuters

[maryb]

Thinking of you.
X

[maryb]

uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11052008/58/atp-tour-lundgren-wants-quick-return-gb-exit.html

ATP Tour - Lundgren wants quick return after GB exit
Eurosport - Sun, 11 May 16:53:00 2008

EXCLUSIVE! Former Roger Federer and Marat Safin coach Peter Lundgren explains his sudden departure from the British Davis Cup team and says he wants to get back to coaching as soon as possible.

More StoriesMore Davis Cup news
Q: You were forced to leave your role as coach on the British Davis Cup team when your father became ill. How is he doing and what are your plans for the future?

A: My father's health has improved a lot and right now he is out of the woods. So I really want to start working again, but I don't have any regrets about taking a little time off with my family. It was absolutely necessary at the time.

Q: Do you have any contact with your former players?

A: I talked to Roger Federer about a week ago, but it was more of a friendly conversation. We didn't talk at all about work. But we did work together for seven years so we phone each other up every once in a while.

Q: But you don't have any reunion plans with Federer?

A: Oh, no.

Q: ...or with Marat Safin?

A: No such plans either.

Q: What do you want to do in the future?

A: I would absolutely like to take on a player on the tour again, if the circumstances were right of course. I've had some contact with a few agents but it's almost impossible to get any answers right now as we are in the middle of the season. It usually gets clearer after Wimbledon.

Q: You also suddenly left as coach for Alex Bogdanovic. What happened?

A: The LTA already have Brad Gilbert, who had coached Andy Murray, on their salary list and because they pay him a lot of money they wanted him to take on Alex Bogdanovic too. There wasn't room for another coach among the British players, it's as simple as that really. But I'll probably help Alex for a week or so this year, we'll see what happens. We talk regularly anyway.

Q: Wold you consider working with tennis in some other way in the future?

A: Yeah, there has been some talk about working with TV, but nothing has been decided. Things happen really fast in this business. It only took a couple of weeks after I stopped working with Roger Federer for Marat Safin's agent to phone me. You take it as it comes, and I've got quite a few contacts...

Q: Any favourite player you would like to coach?

A: No, I don't think like that. There are so many interesting players out there. But if you're going to work with someone very closely, you have to be very exact when it comes to how much you're going to work, etc.

Peter Juman - eurosport.se / Eurosport