In a sun hat and shorts, the Spaniard has an easy smile and friendly manner. Some may remember him as a determined clay courter who was able to wear down bigger opponents with tenacious retrieving: He played Davis Cup for seven years and won two ATP tournaments during the late 1970s and *80s.

But the 52-year-old is best known today for coaching some of the best women's players of the past 20 years, including Gabriela Sabatini at the height of her career success, Mary Pierce, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Aranxta Sanchez. A member of the famed Sanchez-Casal Academy, he is currently the coach of world number 11 Daniela Hantuchova, the top seed in Bali.

"Every player is different," he said Friday. "You just adjust to how they are and their personality."

He sat down on Friday to discuss the coaching life and the prospects for his latest charge.

What's it like being an international tennis coach?

I'm doing the thing that I like to do. In one way it's hard, because you're away from home, but in another good because you always have a goal which keeps you motivated.

Does your player become like a daughter to you?

No, this is a professional relationship. It has to be like that. She is a person who has many qualities, including searching for improvement. That is the focus of the coach.

The most important thing when you coach a player is to give her a way to play, and then on a daily basis she has to try these things. But as a (former) player, I know that on some days you lose the focus or you're not really into it, and then it's the work of the coach.

Sometimes from the outside you can see things very well, but players on the inside cannot.

How do you deal with losses?

A loss is always tough, but I always try to take it in a positive way. I'm always in the positive, I want her to see that aspect to keep on improving.

What was tennis like during the early 1980s? Has it changed for the better or worse?

It was beginning to be professional, in that everything started to have coaches, also agents were starting to join. It was different, but times change, not only in tennis but everything in life. You have to adjust in life. Today everybody has a professional way to do things.

You're not a big man. Is there a place for smaller people in today's power game in men's tennis?

It's good to be tall, especially on the serve, but not too tall. In the game today, many people think about the power, but when you look at the top, they're not that way. They're all-court players. It's not only about generating power -- sometimes it's more important where you place the ball.

How do you size up Daniela's chances in the future?

When she plays her best tennis, she is the best player in the world. But this is the thing now, she has to do it consistently. I think we are on our way.

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