The Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) announced this Wednesday that Javier Fran will be the new captain of the Argentine tennis team YPF. The former player, Olympic medalist in Barcelona 1992will take office with the aim of keeping the team at the top of world tennis. This year, the group led by Guillermo Coria reached the Final 8 of the Davis Cupwhere he was eliminated by Italia -current two-time champion- in the quarterfinals.
Frana, 57 years old, has extensive experience in this sport. As a player, he reached 30th place in the world ranking in singles and number 14 in doubles. In addition, he represented the country in the Davis Cup for 12 years, contesting a total of 20 series.
After retiring as a player, Frana dedicated himself to training young talents, among whom are Gastón Gaudio, José Acasuso, Juan Ignacio Chela and Sebastián Báez. His experience in both facets made him a consensus candidate to lead the national team. In addition, his role as a commentator on major tennis broadcasts for more than 15 years kept him linked to the sport.
“I feel super honored and grateful to have been considered for this very special role.”Frana declared after his appointment. “What one expects, in addition to results, is to accompany the kids, helping them to carry out this career and experience these challenges as something stimulating and far from drama,” added the successor of the Dry.
To assume the position, the man from Santa Fe had to leave Sebastián Gutiérrez’s academy, where he served as technical advisor to Báez and other Academy players such as Juan Bautista Torres and Solana Sierra. On Friday, December 6, starting at 10:00 at Belgrano Athletic ClubFrana will hold his first press conference as captain of the national team, accompanied by AAT authorities.
Frana’s first challenge as captain will be the key that Argentina will play against Norwayas a visitor, the week of January 27 next year. “In Davis Cup there are no series easier than others”Frana stated. “There may be a series that is more comfortable, logistically, depending on where the players come from or where they have to go. The draw was in Norway and we will have to start putting our heads into that situation to try to anticipate as best as we can everything that we are going to experience in those days,” he said ahead of the duel against the Scandinavians.
The president of the AAT, Agustín Calleri, also spoke out after the confirmation of the news that traveled through the tennis halls in recent days. “We trust Javier because he seems like an ideal person, whom we respect a lot, who in his time as a player defended the colors like few others and who He has had different experiences working with professional tennis players in the last twenty years.“said the leader.
Javier Frana is one of the most outstanding tennis players in Argentine history. His medal of bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Gamesnext to Christian Miniussiis one of the most remembered moments of his career. In doubles, he also had great success. Won the tournament Roland Garros in 1996, together with Patricia Tarabini -mixed doubles-, and was a finalist in Wimbledon in 1991along with the Mexican Leonardo Lavalle.
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