Strain in Djokovic-Becker tie-up, no plans yet for 2017

SHANGHAI: World number one Novak Djokovic said he hasn’t made any plans to retain Boris Becker as coach next year as they appeared headed for a split on Thursday.

SHANGHAI: World number one Novak Djokovic said he hasn’t made any plans to retain Boris Becker as coach next year as they appeared headed for a split on Thursday.

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Djokovic, speaking after cruising into the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals, said he had only made arrangements with the German great for the rest of the season.

“We are still working (together), yeah... for now the plan is the rest of the season, what’s left, indoor tournaments,” he said.

Asked what would happen next year, Djokovic said: “We still haven’t talked about it.”

Becker joined Djokovic’s coaching team at the start of 2014, helping him win six Grand Slam titles and put together one of the all-time great seasons last year. But speculation about their partnership has grown since the Serb suffered a crisis of motivation and a series of injuries since completing a career Grand Slam at the French Open.

NADAL CONSIDERS SLASHING SCHEDULE

SHANGHAI: Rafael Nadal said he may call an early halt to his season and hit the practice courts instead as he bids to halt a slide in his form and results in time for next season.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next couple of weeks. It’s something that I need to think about”, she said.

“I cannot say now what I’m going to do during the next month. I’m not sure about my calendar. I’m not sure about the things that I need to do to try to be 100 percent ready for next year.”

PAES-BEGEMANN PAIR IN TASHKENT FINAL

TASHKENT: Leander Paes earned himself a shot at his third ATP Challenger level title of the season by reaching the final of the $125000 Tashkent event with partner Andre Begemann on Thursday .

The third seeded Indo-German duo annihilated local pair and giant-killers Sanjar Fayziev and Jurabeck Karmov 6-2, 6-0 in 42 minutes.