22-Mar-14:
He can dive, he can dance, and the
Superman of squash is aiming to fly to the top
11 POINTS WITH MIGUEL ANGEL RODRIGUEZ
By ALAN THATCHER
 1:
Hi Miguel. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you back in
action at Canary Wharf next week. What were your thoughts on
playing the tournament for the first time last year?
It was a pleasant week for me, something new for me! The set-up
of the court and the crowd behave so positively! Really loved
it.
2: The crowd certainly enjoyed watching you play Nick
Matthew in a fantastic match and they gave you a wonderful
ovation as you came back on court for the after-match interview.
How did that moment feel?
Unreal! It’s not usual to have that big an ovation when you lose, so it
was a very nice and happy feeling for me to play in front of an
English crowd.
3: The screensaver on my computer is a picture of you
diving across court in that match. You are certainly one of the
best divers and retrievers in the game. Have you ever hurt
yourself doing that?
No! Never! It’s just a natural movement. I think I react this
way unconsciously.
4: You have the honour of playing the opening match this
year against Adrian Grant on Monday. How do you enjoy your
matches against Adrian?
We have not played yet on the tour. It will be an interesting
match and I hope I can play at my best to get a good result.
5: Please tell us a little about the work you are doing
with your coach, David Palmer?
Spent few weeks at the beginning of the year and few months in
overall during the year focusing on my weakness but more on my
strengths. We train 6 times a week and twice a day from Monday
to Friday.
Lot of routines in the morning with him or the other players
like Steve Coppinger, from South Africa, and we play practice
games in the afternoon.
6: Knowing a little about David’s background, I imagine
you will focus on the psychological aspects of the game as well
as fitness, movement and strategy.
What lessons can you share with our audience at Canary Wharf?
 Now
am working more in the strategy of the game and how to move the
ball around depending how your opponent plays the ball and
choose the right time to attack or defend.
But I am still doing lot of ladder stuff (for footwork), quick
movement, sprints and some weight training.
7: You have climbed up to a career-high of 14 in the PSA
world rankings, which is a fantastic achievement.
What areas of your game do you think you need to improve to make
that next big push into the world top 10?
Be more confident, be aware of the situation on court in a
matter of seconds to decide what to do with the ball, and to
believe I can beat the top guys.
8: I enjoyed watching a video on Facebook recently in
which you were doing an incredibly fast footwork routine. Are
you good at Latin-American dancing?
Ha ha ha. Yes! (Well that’s what my friends said to me). I think
most of the Latin people know how to dance and it’s a bit of
advantage for my training.
9: Your achievements must be helping squash to grow in
Colombia. Do you get much media coverage back home?
Right, it’s getting bigger and bigger every year, not only for
my results but also for the junior players who are working hard
to follow my steps. They are 6 or 7 times South American
champions so I think I am the example/the image/the figure back
at home they want to copy.
10: Do you enjoy travelling the world as a squash pro?
Which is your favourite country to visit, and why?
Yes, I do! My favourite place is Qatar, because they take care
of us very well. The hotel always is 5 star, we have
transportation back and forth whenever we need it and the
weather and the city are amazing!
11: Do you enjoy trying different foods in different
countries, or do you have a strict diet?
I have a strict diet. I like to follow it, and have good habits.
For me, eating healthy is a pleasure... I don’t like to try
things that could ruin my stomach.
Thanks Miguel, and good luck on Monday
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