Kozlov Blasting Firepower Now, Powers Past Broady and Kudla

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By Scoop Malinowski

Stefan Kozlov looked like a dispirited, broken player at the US Open where he lost first round of qualies to Guido Andreozzi in straight sets. One tennis observer said he though Kozlov looked “finished… he has no weapons.”

Kozlov took a month off and returned to Challengers, winning Las Vegas over one of the red hot Tour players Liam Broady. This week in Charlottesville, VA he’s beaten Broady again, in another marathon battle 64 46 64 and is now ahead of Denis Kudla in the quarterfinal match 64 42.

There is a noticeable difference in Kozlov now. He’s blasting winners now off both wings, especially the forehand wing which was a previously criticized, flawed stroke. And to many tennis observers, Kozlov’s forehand was far too defensive. Also his serve has a heavier heft to it and it’s setting up many easy finish second balls.

But that forehand is a cracker now. Where not long ago Kozlov looked like a junior finessing and flimflamming his way to wins over heavier hitters, he now looks like a bonafide ATP machine ready for the main Tour. The counter punching is still there, the defensive savvy, the cat and mouse cleverness, deep returns off first serves to set up baseline dueling. You can see Kozlov’s game evolving and maturing. And now Kozlov’s results are ascending in the right direction. He just finished Kudla 64 63 and will play the winner of Smyczek vs Laaksonen in the semis.

He is ranked 126 after falling to the 150 region of the rankings. But I see him as a totally different, more explosive player right now than he looked over the last couple of years.

I asked his dad and co-coach Andrei what happened after the US Open and he said “we changed coach.”

I then asked to who? The reply: “It’s a secret…Andrei Kozlov and ???”

Could it be…. Andre Agassi?

It certainly looks like Kozlov is pulverizing the ball like Andre Agassi.

 

[El Dude]

That's good to hear. How often does a young player have a complete makeover in such a short time?

Maybe Borna Coric needs the same coach.

 

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Scoop Malinowski writes:

Not really a makeover just the addition of power now. The power was lacking before on the forehand side, it was too spinny and almost like a push. But it's a potent stroke now. I would guess only a guy like Andre Agassi could have made this kind of influence on Kozlov. Remember, Kozlov was just in Vegas for the Vegas challenger, which he won. And I know the Kozlov's had been trying to connect Stefan with Andre for years, fruitlessly. I can think of no other mystery coach who could have done such a brilliant job in such a short amount of time.

 

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Scoop Malinowski writes:

Sock and roll baby. I never gave up on Sock and never will. I know he has the stuff of greatness and the stuff of legends. This week we are seeing him take another step closer. Doesn't matter who he beats in the final. Just like Nadal beating Puerta in his first French Open final did not discredit or diminish the victory. A Paris indoors title is still a Paris indoors title. Anybody who dares to try to discredit it because he beat Krajinovic, if he beats the Serbian, is an imbecile. The draw was deep and there were a lot of players who needed points and who needed to win this title.

 

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Scoop Malinowski writes:

Tomic is in the Bratislava draw for next week. So is Baghdatis. Smyczek vs Sandgren in Charlottesville final. Kudla and 17 yr old black lefty Danny Thomas in the doubles final as wildcards.

 

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Scoop Malinowski writes:

That's pretty interesting stuff to hear Goerges actually say she felt she was in control of Coco's emotions. Very rare to hear a player say something so blunt and honest, exposing a frailty in the opponent. Usually players are very careful to say anything even remotely offensive or controversial about an opponent. My respect for Goerges just shot up several notches.