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Tommy Haas: What A Difference A Year Makes


By Joel Drucker

There'll be an engaging symmetry in play when Tommy Haas arrives to play his first round match at the SAP Open at the H-P Pavilion in San Jose this coming February.  Back in February 2004, Haas was pacing the player's lounge at the same tournament, gearing up to play his first ATP match in more than a year.  There had been an operation on his right rotator cuff in December 2002, and then arthroscopic surgery on the same shoulder in July 2003.  Even before that, Haas, shortly after reaching his career-high ranking of number two in the world in the spring of 2002, had suffered the pain of watching his parents recover from a near-fatal motorcycle accident.  On this February night, though, it didn't matter that Haas was a millionaire or one of the most recognizable celebrities in his German homeland.  Having spent months rebuilding his body - including a mix of cross-training activities on the basketball court and tons of time in the yoga studio under the tutelage of longstanding yoga guru Sybel Boss - all he wanted to do was play a tennis match.

Haas' coach, Red Ayme, is one of the more engaging coaches in the entire sport.  Naturally, just as Haas burns with exceptional energy, so Ayme flies on his own brand of rocket fuel.  Whether fetching a racket, arranging a practice session, watching a match or merely eating, Ayme conducts himself with a heightened sense of urgency and constant game-time intensity.  But that night, an hour Haas took the court versus Vince Spadea, Ayme spoke to me with the patient focus of a financial planner advising newlyweds on their investment strategy.  “We're not looking for anything right now other than to be out there and play some tennis,” he said.  “This for Tommy is really a chance to begin a second career.  This is a process.”

Haas lost that night in straight sets.  He hit some fine shots, but as Ayme had noted, overnight success was hardly in the playbook - particularly for a player like Haas.  A rangy 6'2”, weighing 195 pounds, Haas has the long athletic build of a tennis thoroughbred.  Neither grinding baseliner nor forthright attacker, Haas' game is not the sort that springs out of the box ready to go.  It's more like one of those stereos you assemble, many different components that need to be carefully tuned.  To make it work, he needs to play a lot of tennis and over time find the right groove of movement and hitting.  Most striking in Haas' game is his powerful and versatile one-handed backhand, a shot in many ways more well-constructed and efficient than the sweeping stroke of a Gustavo Kuerten or Roger Federer.  Haas also has a fine serve, crisp forehand and keen ability to play the net.  But as Ayme noted, tennis is a process, and for Haas, 2004 was all about getting in enough play to regain that special brand of confidence that separates winners from losers.  That's particularly important for Haas, who's known to get more revved up than a car idling in traffic during tight spots.

By April, he'd won the US Claycourt title, beating Andy Roddick in the finals.  In July came another tournament win in Los Angeles, highlighted by a scintillating quarterfinal win over Andre Agassi.  At the end of the summer, Haas reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open and has now cracked the top 20.  “It took a long time to get back to play,” said Haas in New York.  “This whole year, I'm actually just very pleased that I can play and that I have played on some high level, and that the shoulder is holding up. That's still the main thing. So it's been a great, great fun.” 

Entering 2005, though, Haas will feel the burden of expectation.  Last year was all upside.  Having reached the fringes of the top, at age 26 he now certainly hopes to not merely feel well, but to make a serious go at winning tournaments of all shapes and sizes.  Certainly San Jose is one he'll pursue ardently.  The indoor environment is devoid of the elements that can sometimes beguile him (as during his windy quarter at the US Open versus Lleyton Hewitt).  He should be match tough - but hopefully not broken down - following the Australian Open.  All should be quite different from where he stood when showed up in San Jose in 2004.

Other articles about Sybel's Yoga:
Fruit of the Spirit

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