Goran舊訪問
"I'd like to carry the flag at the Olympics in Athens before my
retirement"
"I was there when the government of the Republic of Croatia
promised the Tennis academy, and now something else appeared.
Prime minister Racan promised the Academy and he can't say I've
never been there. What happened after that, I don't know and
I can't tell you. And we really need the academy and it can
function well, if it is led by the right people. But they are
in great debt, and someone has to pay. But the Croatian tennis
association is not able to..."
We have counted the days until his comeback. We are glad to see the comeback
of the best Croatian tennis player of all times, Goran Ivanisevic. He played
his last match in Buenos Aires on April 5, when he played doubles with
Ivan Ljubicic for the Davis Cup. And the inevitable shoulder operation was
performed on May 16 in Munich. The revalidation went with difficulties, but
successfully. And now we count the minutes until the comeback of the
Wimbledon champion at the Tour. After 289 days Ivanisevic will play tennis
again. The final preparations on the eve of the first official performance
at the ATP Challenger in Heilbronn, which starts Monday, are done at Nikola
Pilic's Academy, not far from Munich. There he played the first set, at which
he did not serve 'underarm'
How does it feel to play a serious match after nine months?
"I'm satisfied. I still miss some creativity, but all in all it's good. But
it's still too early to say something, I still have to see how everything
functions in a match."
Since you were not allowed to play tennis during the revalidation,
you paid a lot of attention to the physical preparation. So you
are ready for the efforts to come.
"I don't know yet. I'm physically well to do all the practice. I only practice
and practice. We have started a business in warm water. Seriously, I don't
know what else I should do about my condition. I long for the performance in
Heilbronn. There we can see where I am, and how the arm is holding up."
Do you have stage fear close before the first official performance
after the shoulder surgery?
"Not yet, but it is still a while. I will be a little frightened, but I don't
have extraordinary expectations. I will see whether I'm ready to play the
doubles match in the Davis Cup or not."
How realistic is it to expect your performance in the double
against America, and singles?
"Singles is out of the question. Double is more likely. The problem is just
every fourth game I serve, when the arm cools off a little. But we'll see. I
can't tell yet whether I will play or not, where and what. First we have
Heilbronn, then I come back to the Academy for seven days, then I go to Zagreb.
Every day my arm is better and better."
With you in the team there will definitely be a good atmosphere.
And Ancic's excellent form is encouraging, and Krajan has shown
he can play fully play against Roddick. What is your prognosis for
the match in which the Americans, at least 'on paper', are
favourites?
"We are playing in Zagreb. The advantage of a home court in the Davis Cup is
big. Yes, the subsoil is also good for them. They have two, actually three,
very good players - Roddick, Blake and Jan-Michael Gambill, who are in
excellent form. And Mardy Fish. I hope we will have a packed hall, with a lot
of support from the public. Then decisions may turn our way, these are
important details."
Current number one in Croatia, Ivan Ljubicic, disappointed with a
loss against qualifier Vadim Kucenka at the beginning of the
Australian Open. Does it influence his performance in the team?
"It doesn't mean anything more than that he played bad at the start of the
season. Many players play bad at the start, and in the end they are in the
'top 10'. It's important that he gets in good shape, that he believes he can
play well. I believe he can play well in Davis Cup. And the Davis Cup can be
the turning point and gain him self-confidence. After all, he'll play two
tough matches. And I think we will win, why not?"
On the eve of the Australian Open, Australian Patrick Rafter ended
his career. How do you feel about Rafter and did his retirement
make you think about your pension?
"I regret that he has decided to do so. We are very close friends, Rafter is
a phenomenal tennis player and even a better person. I don't know why he's
retiring, I can't look inside his head. I think he could have been in the
top-10 with ease, but apparently he isn't motivated anymore. As for my
retirement, we will see, this year will be really important. There are a lot
of tournaments ahead of me, we'll see how they go."
Some years ago you said that your farewell will be something
special, never seen in the tennis world. Would you like to uncover
some of the details?
"I know everything, but I won't tell anyone, not a chance. Of course, it's a
unique idea, like I'm unique and everything I've done in my life is unique.
It is definitely something else than all other farewells."
Did you, in your search for useful advises, talk to tennis players
like Goran Prpic who came back after an injury and later made
comeback of the year?
"I don't need special advises. This season's goal is to keep up for a whole
match, without any pain in my arm. I want to think about tennis, not about
whether my arm is holding up or not. After that, results, results, victories,
victories. Of course it won't be satisfying if I don't win. I won't play
qualifications anymore. I've played qualifications at the beginning of my
career, I've played qualifications two years ago, when I was below the top
100, I won't do it for a third time."
Are you planning a special programme to prepare for Wimbledon or
another Grand Slam?
"Tennis is not like football. You can't create form in tennis. Tennis is one
of the most demanding sports. The tennis season lasts from January until the
end of November and begins end of December. You can't just say: Let's work on
the shape for two weeks. Before I won Wimbledon, I hardly played any tennis.
You can't play well for the entire season, that's for sure. And now, where
I will play well, where it will start for me, even God doesn't know. But you
have to give your best, you must believe in it, and then probably something
will happen." :)
At the Australian Open was the largest amount of Croatian
representatives until. Especially in the men's draw. Except
from skiing, tennis also backs out of the crisis in Croatian sport.
How do you view there successes?
"Croatian tennis, especially with the men, has never been better than the
past two years. Six, seven tennis players in the top-200, we never had that
before. When I leave, there will still be enough young, promising youngsters
for any kind of surface. That is definitely something good."
Everyone points at you if they are asked for a idol. Do you feel
any responsibility or inspiration on their way to fame?
"It's good for me to see that they look at me as someone who can show them
the way. That really is a great recognition. I've been alone on the Tour for
my entire career. And now, apart from myself and Ljubicic, are also Ancic
and Krajan, a real Croatian colony. Of course it helps me to show them how
things can be. Look at Agassi, he's 32 and still playing top tennis, he's
playing while he's enjoying it."
Are you planning to perform at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004?
"That's one of my goals. I'd like to carry the flag in Athens and play
another Olympic tournament. But this year is important, everything depends
on this season, and how my comeback at the Tour goes. After that we can
calmly make plans for the Olympic Games."
希望Goran可以實現夢想:)
The past few weeks, the 'tax payment' theme is a topical subject.
Ante Kostelic said he'd rather serve life imprisonment than paying
taxes in Croatia. And Boris Becker has been sued for his stay in
Monte Carlo, while he spends the greatest part of the time in
Germany, where he is subject to tax. Do you fear the taxes?
"The law says that one has to stay in Croatia for 183 days to be obliged to
pay taxes. And al these years I've never been that long in Croatia. Only last
year I was longer than 183 days at home, but last year I didn't earn anything,
so I don't have to pay anything. By the way, over everything I've earned in
Croatia, from Davis Cup to tournaments in Split and Zagreb, I've been taxed
and I've paid. People only look at how much we earn. But at the tournaments
we immediately pay 20 to 35 percent. But once I will move to Croatia, live in
Split and pay tax just like anyone else."
After Slaven Letica, Radimir Cacic became chairman of the Croatian
tennis association. Do you follow the events and did you talk with
Cacic?
"I had a talk with the new chairman. I told him how the association should
improve, I don't like certain things. There is no money, the situation is bad.
But it's not something that can't be improved. Firstly, there must be help
for young tennis players. It can't happen overnight, but...
The burden for the Croatian tennis academy, which was opened last
year, is big for the Croatian tennis association...
Everyone tells their own stories. I was there when the government of the
Republic of Croatia promised the Tennis academy, and now something else
appeared. Prime minister Racan promised the Academy and he can't say I've
never been there. What happened after that, I don't know and I can't tell you.
And we really need the academy and it can function well, if it is led by the
right people. But they are in great debt, and someone has to pay. But the
Croatian tennis association is not able to..."
Source: www.vjesnik.hr, 19-1-2003
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