Former world number one Carlos Moya is enjoying a late resurgence to his career after the Spanish baseliner adopted a more aggressive approach on the advice of his new coach.
The 31-year-old 1998 French Open champion appeared to be fading away as a force on the circuit after slipping from a regular place in the world's top 10 to a lowly 43rd at the start of last season.
However, Moya reached the quarter-finals at the French and the US Opens last year, his best results at the majors since 1998 when he won at Roland Garros and reached the last four in New York.
The Mallorca player says new coach Pedro Salas has fired his desire to avoid a slide into anonymity.
"I didn't want to end up playing as bad as I did the last two years," Moya told Reuters at the ATP Chennai Open.
"I wanted to prove myself so that I can think of beating these [younger] guys," said Moya, winner of 20 career titles, including two in Chennai.
"2007 was an excellent year," he added.
"I never expected to finish 17th [world ranking] but right up until the last week of the season I had a chance of qualifying for [the Masters Cup in] Shanghai.
"I was very motivated and came back to one of my best levels," said the oldest player ranked in the top 20.
NEW PASSION
Moya said Salas helped re-ignite his passion for the game.
"I changed my coach and it was a new experience," he said.
"I tried to go more into the net. He showed me how to play more aggressively.
"I'm getting older so I try to make the points a bit shorter than I used to. I can still use my experience and try to be more smart."
Moya felt his best chance of adding to his sole Grand Slam success came at the 1999 French Open when the defending champion lost in the fourth round to eventual winner Andre Agassi.
A back injury then dogged him and he never came close to winning another major.
Moya was philosophical: "You never know, I could have won more, could not have won at all."
Aiming to finish 2008 in the top 15, Moya is now a mentor to younger compatriots, including world number two Rafael Nadal.
He hailed Nadal's intense rivalry with Swiss world number one Roger Federer.
"Probably you have the best player ever against the best clay-courter ever. They've totally different styles of game and that is great for the sport.
"Rafa is evolving, that is for sure," he said. "He is a better player than he was two years ago.
"If you are the number two player for three years, that means you are better than three years ago because everybody is improving, they get to know you better.
"He is closer than ever to Federer but he has to be careful with the guys coming from behind like [Serbian world number three Novak] Djokovic."
(Reuters)