At least, this coach already has somewhat of an understanding of Caroline Wozniacki.
Tennis.com reported that Wozniacki has hired fellow Dane Michael Mortensen to replace Thomas Hogstedt after Hogstedt declined to accompany her to Dubai following her third-round exit in the Australian Open.
According to tennis.com, Mortensen worked with Rory McIlroy's fiancée when she was a junior tennis player. He also coached current Australian Open champion Li Na to the French Open championship in 2011.
He predicted to Ekstra Bladet that "good things will happen" with his former and now current pupil.
"She needs to get her joy in playing back - both in matches and on the practice court," he said. "A lot has happened with her game, but I'd like to see more of the old Caro. I'd like to see a fusion of the old Caroline with the new Caroline. From the latest I've seen of her from watching her matches, there have been a lot of flat shots without any pace changes, something she earlier was a master at. She's shouldn't be just another one of the players on the tour who just hit hard. She needs to use more facets. She is a great strategist. She needs to get comfortable again with her game."
Hogstedt has had a close friendship with Wozniacki's father, Piotr, which led to the pairing with his daughter in November. Hogstedt had parted ways with Maria Sharapova last summer.
But trust never materialist during the two tournaments Wozniacki played under Hogstedt's instruction. She lost in the second round of the Apia International in Sydney to Lucie Safarova. Her first-week loss to No. 38 Garbine Muguruza knocked the former No. 1 player in the world out of the women's top 10.
Piotr has been Wozniacki's primary coach during most of her career. She has veered away from his instruction on occasion, working with coaches Ricardo Sanchez, Thomas Johansson and Hogstedt, but none of them lasted more than a few months on the job.
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