TENNIS in DEPTH.

Fernando Verdasco finished on a high note with a win for Spain in The Davis Cup in 2008, but who did he beat? Then he capped of his Davis Cup win with a show of confidence at the 2009 Australian Open with victories over Tsonga and Murray before losing out to Nadal in the best semi final match he ever played.

His ranking jumped up to place him in the top ten. But since then his performance has be less than spectacular. He is currently ranked at#7, due in part to the inconsistent performance of Giles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He took off a month to nurse an injured left foot, returning to Indian Wells where he lost to Roger Federer 3-6, 5-7 in the quarter final.

At the Sony Ericsson in Miami he was humiliated by Andy Murray 1-6, 2-6. Next up was a switch to clay in Monte Carlo where he went down to Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, followed by a trip to his home town where he lost to Fernando Gonzalez 3-6, 6-4, 4-6.

He has not beaten a top ten player since the Aussie Open, and has played poorly and inconsistently. He starts slowly in almost every match and tries to come from behind. His service is erratic and his forehand, considered by many to be among the best on the tour, has not been effective. I have lost count of the number of times he has thrown his racquet down in frustration, or the number of times he has raised his arms in despair as if appealing to the crowd for sympathy.

Unlike Roger Federer, who may be the epitome of self discipline, Verdasco is not capable of producing his best tennis without a coach. His Davis Cup play was in part a result of the team coaching and support he received in Argentine.

If he has aspirations of climbing higher or staying in the top echelon of ATP players, then he needs to hire the services of a qualified coach.

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