Trainer finds Li Na easy to deal with
Source: Agencies |
January 17, 2012, Tuesday
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WHILE China's Li Na famously says she only has to listen to her husband and coach Jiang Shan one hour a day, her fitness trainer Alex Stober has never had any problems getting through to the French Open champion.
The world No. 6 cruised into the second round of the Australian Open yesterday with a routine 6-3, 6-1 win over Uzbekistan's Ksenia Pervak in stifling heat at Melbourne Park.
German Stober, who whipped Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi into shape, said that while Li can get a little fiesty with her husband, her dedication to her tennis career is without question. "I can tell you Li is incredibly easy to work with, she's incredibly disciplined, she's a hard worker," he said.
"She would never question whatever you are telling her to do, she is fantastic to work with and she's in very good shape. She can keep going for another two, three years easily at this level of tennis, no problem. She is playing her best right now."
Li's fitness was put to the test yesterday in the Melbourne heat and she admitted to battling fatigue on a day when many matches became survival of the fittest.
"At the end of the first set I was really feeling the heat on the court," Li said. "I couldn't breathe. I was feeling like, what's going on? Lucky I won so easy in the second set."
Stober said her colorful remarks about Jiang, including threatening him with divorce unless he lost weight and stopped snoring, were only possible because their relationship was so strong. "Sometimes he reads it or hears about it and he's just shaking his head," Stober said. "He has a laugh about it. Sometimes. Not all the time.
"There have been a few that he hasn't laughed about but they have a fantastic relationship and that's why she can say some of the things she does. She has a smashing sense of humor. How would I describe their situation? It's a love-hate thing sometimes."
The world No. 6 cruised into the second round of the Australian Open yesterday with a routine 6-3, 6-1 win over Uzbekistan's Ksenia Pervak in stifling heat at Melbourne Park.
German Stober, who whipped Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi into shape, said that while Li can get a little fiesty with her husband, her dedication to her tennis career is without question. "I can tell you Li is incredibly easy to work with, she's incredibly disciplined, she's a hard worker," he said.
"She would never question whatever you are telling her to do, she is fantastic to work with and she's in very good shape. She can keep going for another two, three years easily at this level of tennis, no problem. She is playing her best right now."
Li's fitness was put to the test yesterday in the Melbourne heat and she admitted to battling fatigue on a day when many matches became survival of the fittest.
"At the end of the first set I was really feeling the heat on the court," Li said. "I couldn't breathe. I was feeling like, what's going on? Lucky I won so easy in the second set."
Stober said her colorful remarks about Jiang, including threatening him with divorce unless he lost weight and stopped snoring, were only possible because their relationship was so strong. "Sometimes he reads it or hears about it and he's just shaking his head," Stober said. "He has a laugh about it. Sometimes. Not all the time.
"There have been a few that he hasn't laughed about but they have a fantastic relationship and that's why she can say some of the things she does. She has a smashing sense of humor. How would I describe their situation? It's a love-hate thing sometimes."
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