Teltscher to coach Pe’er in next tournament

Shahar Pe’er will have a new coach when she returns to the WTA Tour.

By ALLON SINAI
311_Peer looking disgusted at ball (photo credit: Associated Press)
311_Peer looking disgusted at ball
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Shahar Pe’er will have a new coach by her side on Tuesday when she returns to the WTA Tour in Stanford, California after more than a month out of action.
After almost two years together, Pablo Giacopelli split with Pe’er because of personal reasons last week, leaving the distraught Israeli to find herself a new coach just days before the start of the North American hard-court season.
Pe’er trained with 51-year-old Eliot Teltscher in Los Angeles in the past week and has decided to continue with the American, who previously coached Pete Sampras, for the next two weeks. At that point, she will make a final choice on whether he will be Giacopelli’s full-time replacement.
Giacopelli began working with Pe’er in November 2008, and the Israeli has played some of the best tennis of her life in 2010, reaching a career-best number 14 in the world last month.
Pe’er, who is currently ranked 16th, faces Daniela Hantuchova (25) in a tough first round encounter in Stanford on Tuesday and will be hoping her work with Teltscher will bare fruit immediately.
Teltscher, the son of an Israeli-born mother and whose father is a Holocaust survivor, had a very successful playing career, winning 10 singles titles and reaching No. 6 in the world in 1982.
Besides Sampras, Teltscher also served as a traveling coach to Justin Gimelstob and Taylor Dent, among others, and was named as USTA Director of Tennis Operations in 2002.
Meanwhile, another former coach of Pete Sampras has found a new client as well.
Paul Annacone, who coached Marat Safin and Tim Henman in addition to Sampras, has been working with Roger Federer on a trial basis.
“I’ve been looking to add someone to my team, and I’ve decided to spend some days with Paul Annacone,” Federer said on his website Monday.
Annacone is also currently the head coach of men’s tennis for Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association.
“As Paul winds down his responsibilities working for the Lawn Tennis Association, we will explore our relationship through this test period,” Federer continued. “Paul will work alongside my existing team, and I am excited to learn from his experiences.”
In the past two months Federer has slipped to No. 3 in the ATP rankings, the first time since November 2003 he’s been that low. He trails No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Novak Djokovic.
AP contributed to this report.