By Sandra
Eggers
Friday, July 13th, 2001
Goran Ivanisevic entered the 2001 Wimbledon draw as the one hundred and
twenty-fifth ranked player in the world. He asked for, and received, a wild-card
entry from the All England Club, though he was prepared to go through
qualifying. Proclaiming that he's "tired of coming in second", Ivanisevic
promptly dispatched Britain's top hopes, defeating Greg Rusedski in the fourth
round, and outlasting Tim Henman in a semifinal match that took three days
to complete due to rain delays.
How appropriate, then, that this tennis "bad boy" would win his first Wimbledon
on "People's Monday", the first time an extra day has been added since 1988.
Because of rain during the final weekend, play was forced over, and eager
fans waited with anticipation to snag one of the 10,000 unreserved Centre
Court seats that went on sale just hours before the match.
In one of the most memorable Wimbledon finals ever played, Ivanisevic and
Patrick Rafter put on a show to be remembered for decades to come. The atmosphere
was electric, reminiscent of U.S. Open euphoria, but in England. Henmania-like
behavior exuded Centre Court for the Croat and the Aussie.
Could Ivanisevic, the adopted son, ask any more from his frail shoulder?
Would this be lucky #3 for Pat Rafter, finalist the past two years, and on
the verge of retirement? Three hours later, it was Ivanisevic 9-7 in the
fifth, winning what would be the longest fifth set of any final, dating back
to 1877. In doing so, Ivanisevic became the first wild-card ever to win a
Grand Slam singles title, and when he woke up the next day, he found his
ranking had skyrocketed from one hundred and twenty-fifth to sixteenth, literally
overnight.
That's where Emergency 911 Goran comes in. All these years, especially the
last eighteen months as his ranking has plummeted, the Good Goran and the
Bad Goran have been battling on court. The multiple psyche's of Ivanisevic
have kept him in mental turmoil, thus contributing to his disappointing losses.
Enter Emergency 911 Goran. Introduced to us at Wimbledon, Emergency 911 Goran
is called on when Good Goran and Bad Goran aren't getting along.
When you think of Goran Ivanisevic, you may remember racquet-throwing tantrums,
or the dark personality that he has shown us over the years. Make no mistake,
though, this man has a huge heart. Fighting back tears in his final service
game, and finally realizing his lifelong dream, he has given back to the
game he loves. During the Wimbledon fortnight, we've been treated to New
Goran. One with determination, a quirky sense of humor, and a game that was
the best.
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