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                                                                                                       SPORTS Thursday 5 april 2018



















            Struggling Djokovic announces


            splits with Agassi, Stepanek




            By HOWARD FENDRICH           Novak  and  Andre  Agassi  different  ways  to  regain
             AP Tennis Writer            has also ended."             winning form."
            Novak  Djokovic  is  done  Djokovic  has  struggled  on  He  began  working  with
            working  with  Andre  Agassi  the court this season as he  eight-time major champion
            and  Radek  Stepanek  af-    deals  with  a  right  elbow  Agassi on a part-time basis
            ter  the  latest  in  a  series  of  problem  that  just  won't  before  last  year's  French
            coaching  changes  for  the  seem  to  go  away,  even  Open  in  May.  He  added
            12-time  major  champion  though he took the second  Stepanek,  who  just  retired
            who  has  gone  nearly  two  half of last year off and then  as a player, to his team at
            full years without winning a  had  a  medical  procedure  the end of November.
            Grand Slam title.            in  February.  His  latest  set-  Djokovic  stopped  working
            Djokovic       announced  back was a straight-set loss  with Boris Becker in Decem-
            Wednesday on his website  in  his  opening  match  last  ber  2016,  then  fired  long-
            that he has split from Agassi  month at the Miami Open,  time  coach  Marian  Vajda
            after  less  than  a  year  and  a  tournament  he  has  won  shortly   before   bringing
            from  Stepanek  after  less  six times.                   aboard Agassi.
            than six months.             Earlier  in  March,  Djokovic  All of this followed the most
            The  30-year-old  Serb  has  dropped his opener at Indi-  successful stretch of Djokov-
            lost his past three matches.  an Wells, where he has won  ic's career, which included
            "The  private  relationship  five titles, to Taro Daniel, a  a  run  of  four  consecutive
            with Stepanek was and will  qualifier ranked outside the  Grand Slam titles that con-
            remain  great,  and  Novak  top 100.                      cluded at the French Open
            has  enjoyed  working  with  Before that, Djokovic lost in  in  June  2016.  That  made   - In this Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 file photo, Serbia's Novak Djokov-
            him and learning from him,"  the fourth round at the Aus-  him the first man in nearly a   ic  coaches  Radek  Stepanek,  right,  and  Andre  Agassi,  left,
                                                                                                   watch Djokovic play United States' Donald Young in their first
            the posting on the website  tralian Open.                 half-century to hold all four   round  match  at  the  Australian  Open  tennis  championships  in
            says.  "He  remains  grateful  "Novak  remains  focused  major trophies at the same    Melbourne, Australia.
            and appreciative of all the  and  eager  to  come  back  time, as well as the eighth
            support  he  has  received  stronger and more resilient  man in tennis history with a  Federer  (20),  Rafael  Nad-  Djokovic has zero titles and
            from Radek during the last  from (the) long injury break  career Grand Slam.           al  (16)  and  Pete  Sampras  one  runner-up  finish.  He  is
            period."                     that  has  affected  his  con-  It  also  capped  a  span  in  (14).  He  also  has  finished  ranked 13th this week.
            The only mention of Agassi  fidence  and  game,"  the  which  Djokovic  reached  four  years  at  No.  1  in  the  The next major, the French
            comes  in  the  final  sen-  website posting says. "He is  the finals at 10 of 12 majors,  ATP rankings.            Open,  begins  in  Paris  on
            tence, which reads simply:  continuously  and  passion-   winning  six.  His  total  of  12  But  over  the  past  seven  May 27.
            "The cooperation between  ately  looking  for  new  and  such  titles  trails  only  Roger  Grand  Slam  tournaments,  q



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