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New coach for 18-year-old tennis prospect Françoise Abanda is a big name in the sport

New coach for 18-year-old tennis prospect Françoise Abanda is a big name in the sport

After nearly six months without an official coach, Montreal's Françoise Abanda will now have a mentor to guide her who could very well prove to be worth the wait.

Antonio Van Grichen, who is based in Delray Beach, Fla., will arrive in Montreal next week and is set to help put the 18-year-old's career back on track.

The 36-year-old from Portugal has an impressive resumé. He began coaching Victoria Azarenka a decade ago, when she was the top junior in the world but outside the top 200 in the WTA rankings. When Azarenka left for Sam Sumyk five years later, she was in the top 10.

"When she stopped with Simon (Larose), we wanted someone appropriate who wiould really have an impact. In my opinion, she's a real treasure chest (of potential), hopefully someone can open it," Fed Cup captain told Eh Game.

"Time will tell. I would have preferred he were available sooner, but it was worth the wait, rather than take someone who would have had less of an impact, but was available."

 

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus hugs her coach Antonio Van Grichen after defeating Serena Williams to win the women's final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in 2009. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus hugs her coach Antonio Van Grichen after defeating Serena Williams to win the women's final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in 2009. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

At age 15, Abanda was just a few games away from making the 2012 junior Wimbledon final an all-Canadian affair, eventually losing her semi-final in three sets to the vastly more experienced Elina Svitolina, who has since reached the top 20.

Van Grichen with Ana Ivanovic at the 2010 Australian Open. He didn't last long but then, that's true of most of Ivanovic's coaches. (Stephanie Myles/opencourt.ca)
Van Grichen with Ana Ivanovic at the 2010 Australian Open. He didn't last long but then, that's true of most of Ivanovic's coaches. (Stephanie Myles/opencourt.ca)

But she missed a year and a half with a shoulder issue, scuttling anything she might have accomplished during her peak years in the junior ranks. Having turned the page on that level (even though technically she was still eligible this season), Abanda has struggled this year as a full-time pro.

She began 2015 about No. 200 in the world, but currently sits at No. 323.

Since her star turn at the Fed Cup tie against Romania in April in Montreal (she upset world No. 33 Irina-Camelia Begu, and took another experienced player, Alexandra Dulgheru, to three sets) and posting a pair of quarter-final efforts at $50,000 tournaments in the U.S., Abanda has lost in the first round of her last four tournaments.

That included a sub-par effort against a Japanese qualifier ranked No. 691 at the Granby Challenger last week, although she was bothered by an elbow issue.

She's playing the $25,000 tournament in Gatineau, Que. this week. Her first-round match against fellow Canadian Vanessa Wong was suspended early in the third set by thunderstorms, and will resume on Tuesday.

After Azarenka, van Grichen worked with Vera Zvonareva, Ana Ivanovic, Monica Puig, Jarmila Gajdosova and, more recently, was the coach of ATP Tour player Marcos Baghdatis.

Van Grichen with former top-10 men's played Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus at the 2014 US Open. (Stephanie Myles/opencourt.ca)
Van Grichen with former top-10 men's played Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus at the 2014 US Open. (Stephanie Myles/opencourt.ca)

He is known as a serious taskmaster, which could be a serious shock to the laid-back Abanda's system.

"He's very demanding, very rigorous, very conscientious, those are excellent qualities, and that's what she needs at this stage," Bruneau said. "There are no half-measures with him, and he doesn't accept excuses. She wanted a structure, now she’ll have one. A tight one."

The Portuguese former player had a six-week trial with Abanda's countrywoman Genie Bouchard in the summer of 2013, through Wimbledon (she lost in the third round to Carlá Suarez Navarro after upsetting Ana Ivanovic in the second round). Reports at the time had Van Grichen as the one who ended the trial, not satisfied with Bouchard's work ethic.

While that's difficult to understand – of all the criticism levelled at Bouchard this season, the most unfair is that she doesn't work hard enough – it gives you a sense of what his standards are, standards Abanda will have to step up significantly to meet.

The two made contact for the first time on Sunday, Bruneau said. Van Grichen is expected in Montreal early next week, once his current commitment is complete, just in time to get working for the Rogers Cup. While nothing has been announced, Abanda is expected to receive one of the three main-draw wild cards Tennis Canada has available.