Marcelo Ríos, former number one in the world, is motivated and happy for the work done in this trial period with the Chinese Juncheng Shang, a great tennis promise who is only 17 years old
The Chinese Juncheng Shangone of the great promises of world tennis, made an offer to the Chilean regarding a month ago Marcelo RiosATP number one in 1998, to be his coach.
Given this, the ‘lefty from Vitacura’ confessed at the beginning of July the progress of the negotiation and the desire to be a protagonist as a ‘coach’ on the professional circuit. “He has just turned 17 and is 1.83 meters tall, which is rare for a Chinese (…) The manager told me ‘Do you know what happens? That this dude thinks he is Marcelo Ríos. He thinks it’s you”, he indicated at the time.
Finally, the ‘Chinese’ accepted the proposal of Jerry Shang, as he is known, a professional since 2021 and today in position 334 in the world ranking.
Training began at the end of July. From the hand of a talented like Ríos, the young Asian already beginning to show some progress in your game.
Asked regarding his first jobs with Shang in Bradenton, Marcelo Ríos told La Tercera that “we started on Friday the 22nd, we had six days to train. This was more like a test to decide if we are going to continue or not. They offered me a financial settlement and Jeff (Schwartz), my agent, is negotiating with them”.
“It occurred to me that, since he was going to play five challengers, I told him to play four and rest following the first two; then we trained for a week and I accompanied him to the others for free and that he only paid me the tickets, ”he added.
A posture of the Chilean who was very well received by the environment of the racket of only 17 years. “What they are most grateful for is that I don’t charge. Tell them I don’t want money, you can’t see that, ”she said.
“I had to close a contract with him on Monday, but I said no, because I want to go to these two challengers with him and know what it is like to be there before making a decision,” said the world’s ex1, who works three hours a day of tennis and physical in the followingnoons.
When announcing the changes he has made to Shang’s game, he indicated that “he has a very good right, left-handed, which is very heavy but very flat, a bit like mine. Then, I tried to put that right hand that stings more, like Nadal’s. We trained her one day and the hueón grabbed her altiro. I also don’t want him to be thinking regarding doing it every time he hits him, but he did it and he screwed up how well he did.”
Other modifications have to do with the return and service. “On the return he backs down and on the plus side I told him that stand in line and take a stepas I did, and hit him there, “he said.
Regarding the serve, the national indicated that “technically it’s the same as mine, but he threw the ball very low. Now he’s pulling her higher and he’s grabbing her up”.
To finish, the ‘Chinese’ apparently said he was happy, mainly because of Shang’s good response to his rules. “I taught him that he has to train how will the game play. I prefer that he train 20 minutes well than four hours badly (…) Imagine that he already put the junior world number one 6-1, 6-1and when they play in a tournament the other is going to be psyched that they took the chucha out of him in training, ”he sentenced.
