KEY POINTS:
Those rivals encouraged by news that Roger Federer has split with Tony Roche should look back to the last time the world No 1 parted company with his coach.
Within six weeks of dismissing Peter Lundgren in December 2003, Federer won the Australian Open. Twelve months later, when
he had still to appoint a replacement, he had won 74 of his 80 matches and lifted three Grand Slam crowns.
A key difference, nevertheless, is that Federer's form in 2003 was on an upward curve after a year in which he had claimed his first Wimbledon title, won the Tennis Masters Cup and moved to within touching distance of Andy Roddick's position as world No 1.
Now Federer is in the middle of his worst run since he went to the top of the rankings more than three years ago. Since winning the Australian Open in January and the Dubai title five weeks later, Federer has suffered four defeats.
One was in the final at Monte Carlo where his rival Rafael Nadal recorded the most impressive of his seven wins over the world No 1, but the others have been in the early stages of tournaments and against opponents he would have been expected to beat comfortably.
While it was his forehand that let Federer down badly in the Monte Carlo final, almost every aspect of his game looked shaky against Filippo Volandri in Rome last week.
Federer and Roche seemed to have concluded that the way to tackle Nadal, who until last week was the only player to have beaten him on clay in the past two years, was to take him on at his own game from the baseline. Others, however, have felt that Federer should be more ready to attack him at the net.
While Federer has shown in the past that he can more than manage on his own, he is likely to seek a replacement as soon as possible. Darren Cahill, Lleyton Hewitt's former coach, looks a strong contender, particularly as he was close to Federer's first guiding light, Peter Carter, who died in 2002.
Roche could in turn link up with Hewitt, who has been without a coach since parting with Roger Rasheed, another possible contender to work with Federer.
Federer concludes his preparations for the French Open, which starts on May 27 and is the only Grand Slam title he has yet to win, by playing this week in the Masters series tournament in Hamburg, which has been his most successful tournament on clay.
- INDEPENDENT