Daria Gavrilova has appointed compatriot David Taylor as her new coach until July after a slow start to the 2019 season.
Having only won two of her ten matches so far this season, Gavrilova has decided to bring in experienced Aussie David Taylor to her team.
Taylor has worked with former number ones such as Martina Hingis and Ana Ivanovic before as he looks to turn Gavrilova’s year around.
Speaking about the potential partnership, Taylor has said that Gavrilova has some goals in mind, “When we decided to start, she’s been very good in communication already,” Taylor told Australian reporters.
“She’s set out goals, she wants to get a lot more defined in her playing style; looking for forehands, using her movement in an offensive way, not just a defensive way. Having clear patterns of play to build her game around. I like that, the fact she’s looking to be a lot more structured.”
The partnership will begin in Rabat, Morocco in late April and will last until after Wimbledon, where they will review the success of their partnership.
In addition to Hingis and Ivanovic, the Australian has also recently worked with Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko and Elise Mertens, who won her first Premier event under Taylor in Doha.
The former Fed Cup captain hopes that previous experience with Gavrilova will help their relationship, “I think being Australian, and for so long being the Fed Cup captain and just involved in Australian tennis,” Taylor explained.
“Even though I’ve coached outside of Australia for so long, I’ve just taken a real notice and interest (in Gavrilova), I think it’s gonna be a very easy start, just because I know her so well.”
The only two wins of Gavrilova’s season came in Indian Wells where she beat Dayana Yastremska and Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Now the world number 54 is preparing for Australia’s Fed Cup semi-final against Belarus in Brisbane, which is on the weekend of the 20th-21st of April.
