Sports

Nigel Sears returns to scene of collapse for Anett Kontaveit’s quarter-final


Nigel Sears smiles weakly about the prospect of returning to Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, having collapsed and almost died there during a match four years ago.

The British coach, a slim and fit 6ft 3in – and Andy Murray’s father-in-law – was mentoring Ana Ivanovic when, he believes (although he cannot be certain) a toxic buildup from the sushi he used to eat in large quantities struck him down.

He was rushed to hospital, recovered quickly and was soon reunited in London with Murray and his daughter, Kim, to celebrate the arrival of a granddaughter.

Now he returns to the tournament’s main theatre with Anett Kontaveit, the 24-year-old Estonian who plays the former world No 1 Simona Halep in the quarter-finals, an engagement she earned with a battling, three-sets win on Monday over the last remaining teenager in the draw, Iga Swiatek.

“Actually, I do still eat sushi,” Sears said. “I think I was very unlucky, because they make great sushi here. I said to Andy Bettles [another British coach]: ‘I really don’t feel very good. I think I ate something.’ And he said: ‘Ten days in a row eating sushi, you’re bound to get a dodgy one.’”

As for his next assignment, Sears says the world No 31 Kontaveit represents the sort of threat to big names that a lot of young players do who reside just outside the elite bracket.

“Anett needs to remember that she’s earned the right to be here to play Simona,” he said. “It’s all about trying to get the best possible performance out of Anett, in a way that she’ll come out and be dangerous. She’s one of those players, and she is dangerous.”

Anett Kontaveit has reached a grand-slam quarter-final for the first time.



Anett Kontaveit has reached a grand-slam quarter-final for the first time. Photograph: Rob Prange/Shutterstock

If she causes the upset, she earns a place in the semi-finals against either Garbiñe Muguruza or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Spaniard, unseeded here but hitting a pleasing rhythm, was too strong for ninth seed Kiki Bertens in two quick sets, while the Russian had to fight hard to beat the former champion, Angelique Kerber, over three sets in two hours and 37 minutes.

Sears, meanwhile, was inevitably asked about Murray’s recovery from bruising to his right thigh bone, an injury picked up in recent months and apparently unconnected to the hip surgery he had a year ago. He speaks to him regularly on the phone and agrees with his slow, steady approach to coming back on Tour.

“I think that he needs to take it quietly,” Sears said. “He’s absolutely right. He knows his body better than anybody by now, and he’s being as thorough as he possibly can be.

“He’s put an awful lot of work into his rehab, as you know. He’s still continuing to work very hard. I’d just love to see him back. If he can be, I’m sure he will be – when he knows that time is right.”

He described the recent documentary on Murray’s journey back from the brink, Resurfacing, as “very honest”, adding: “It gave great insight into how he thinks and what it means to him. He knows everything about tennis. He does a lot of research on all kinds of different subjects. His mind is like that. He is a great player and has a lot insights, whatever angle it comes from.”



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