Kodes tips bad boy Kyrgios for slam title
Print Edition
NICK Kyrgios is three years away from winning a grand slam and the latest in an illustrious line of tennis ‘bad boys’ bound for greatness, according to former Wimbledon champion Jan Kodes.
The Czech said Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase and Roger Federer were also a whole load of trouble at the same age — yet they matured and won a slew of majors.
Kodes won the French Open in 1970 and 1971 then Wimbledon in 1973.
The 69-year-old said Kyrgios, the talented but temperamental Australian whose volatile behavior on and off the court shook up this year’s Wimbledon, definitely had the makings of a grand slam champion.
“I’ve seen him play. Kyrgios has great volleys, serves, everything. He plays a round game. He needs three more years and he might win,” Kodes said in an interview.
“Look at Connors, McEnroe and Nastase when they were 20. They all behaved badly. Federer in the juniors was terrible, breaking racquets. The press would like to have Kyrgios behave like he’s 28. But he’s not, he’s 20.
“You need time to get experience. When you are young, you don’t think. You don’t have any responsibility. You can take risks.”
Kodes, an inductee in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, said self-belief, an array of “weapons” and, critically, deploying those skills at the right moment remained the difference between good players and champions.
“There are some people who say tennis is completely different from my era, but I don’t agree. Either you stay back or you come in and make the points,” said Kodes, who was known for his attacking groundstrokes.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
