Inside the Mind of Goran Ivanisevic

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss Mark Hodgkinson's article "Inside the Mind of Goran Ivanisevic"!

[TheWatcher]

This man Goran. Relying on aliens. I think he thinks he has resolved what is unresolved.

[klacr]

Goran will be Goran. Unique talent with unique ideas. One of the most entertaining and unpredictable players to watch.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca raton

[kenh]

I knew it would be a short article from its subject.

[johnyandell]

kenh,

Good one!

[maxply]

Yeah, but it really ought to be three articles. One for each Goran.

1
The good goran,
2
the bad goran and
3
emergency 911 Goran.

[biodegradableeric1979]

Goran will be Goran. Unique talent with unique ideas. One of the most entertaining and unpredictable players to watch.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca raton

He played and won the greatest match of all time.

[klacr]

emotions

He played and won the greatest match of all time.

It was certainly an incredible atmosphere. That 2001 Wimbledon final vs. Rafter. After a water logged final Sunday, the match was moved to Monday and allowed for open admission. Huge number of rowdy Croatians and Aussies filled centre court. The match itself was the last true serve and volley match to be played. It was epic.

I remember exactly where I was at the time. I was a Nike tennis camp instructor in Michigan. I asked for that Monday off so I could watch it. All the instructors were staying in the dorms provided by the hosting college. I had a huge tube television in a cramped dorm room. I was yelling at the screen. Hopping up and down. Rooting, cheering, screaming. I don't think I ever wanted a player to win a match as badly as I wanted it for Goran.
He finally won. I cried. It was just the 2nd time I cried after a tennis match, the first being 1995 French Open when Thomas Muster claimed victory. I was on the verge of tears in 1996 when Richard Krajicek dominated in his Wimbledon campaign and took the title, but I held it together, barely.

Memories...

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[biodegradableeric1979]

You said it! When the crowd was going nuts and Ivanisevic kept that intensity going, I was thinking, "COME THE **** ON!" Tennis would be on another level exciting if the ATP would loosen up a little on the crowd rules.

[klacr]

You said it! When the crowd was going nuts and Ivanisevic kept that intensity going, I was thinking, "COME THE **** ON!" Tennis would be on another level exciting if the ATP would loosen up a little on the crowd rules.

An easy thing to do is to bring the people in the upper portions of the stadium down to the front seats. Tournaments do not look good on TV when first 10 rows are empty. Get people close to the action.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[maxply]

It was certainly an incredible atmosphere. That 2001 Wimbledon final vs. Rafter. After a water logged final Sunday, the match was moved to Monday and allowed for open admission. Huge number of rowdy Croatians and Aussies filled centre court. The match itself was the last true serve and volley match to be played. It was epic...
yelling at the screen. Hopping up and down. Rooting, cheering, screaming. I don't think I ever wanted a player to win a match as badly as I wanted it for Goran.
He finally won. I cried...

Memories...

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Klacr, wow, amen, Yes.
I can still feel the jaw soreness of that Monday, from four hours of smiling and laughing, marveling at Centre Court's most remarkable ever atmosphere. I definitely remember shedding tears of joy at the end of that crazy last game of the fifth set. Impossible to dislike or show less than a ton of respect patrick rafter....but that "People's Monday" was a heck of a moment for all tennis fans.

Not to get off topic...
but here are some other notable "pure joy" matches (from my perspective as a tennis player and fan since kindergarten):

75 wimbledon final, cassius clay over foreman....i mean, ashe over jimmy;

77 forest hills final, vilas over jimmy;

1981, Mac overcomes borg at Wimbledon;

Yannick swashbuckles past Wilander in the 83 Roland garros final, pioneering the exuberant bear hug with ecstatic father in the stands;

1985, 17 yr old Becker over curren, the conqueror of both jimmy and mac;

Cashy over lendl, 87 wimbledon final, bear hug with dad II;

1989, Chang somehow overcoming Lendl then later, Edberg at roland Garros (i still cannot believe this result);

90? Roland garros, andres gomez over Andre;

91 wimbledon, stich stuns boris;

Davis cup, US over the Swiss, mac and pete winning the dubs;

Aus open quarters, with pete serving bombs past courier amid crying jags over Gully's illness;

1995 davis cup final, Saaamprrrras d. Mother Russia in singles, dubs and singles;

Pete over paddy rafter in their wimbledon final, emotional bear hug with dad III;

1999, Andre over medvedev after getting ripped in the first two sets, roland garros final;

2000, guga kuerten over magnus Norman after a rocky tiebreaker;

2002 us open final, pete over a surging Andre;

2003, roger over flipper, wimbledon final;

The aus open roger won with Rod Laver presenting the trophy...just beautiful;

Roger grabbing the 2009 french open;

Muzza over Djoko, wimbledon final;

Stanimal, putting together an absolute gem, denying Djokovic the 2015 Coupe des Mousquetaires.

But none of these quite matches up to that People's Monday at Centre Court. What a celebration of this great game. Well, okay, maybe Guga's heart on the clay at Chatrier.

Ok, confirming my citizenship in tennisdorkland, i am heading elsewhere on this site to watch one of my favorite ever music videos, God Save The Serve and Volley.

[don_budge]

Greatest match of all time…GMOAT

He played and won the greatest match of all time.

Pure and utter nonsense.

[biodegradableeric1979]

Seems harsh. Just an opinion.

[maxply]

Oh, it's all opinions. Man, that final was a blast! The great Don Budge himself would have enjoyed it.

Not the greatest display of pure tennis, but certainly the all-time most uniquely entertaining atmosphere at a Wimbledon final. And the fifth set did not disappoint. 9-7!

What's not to love about Wimbledon 2001?
The emergence of a young lion edging a legend (roger, Sampras);
outsiders getting in (the fans and also the two finalists);
On the way to the final, Goran the wildcard overcoming Safin, roddick, rusedski and hometown hero, tim henman...then winning the title against a perennial contender who had beaten Agassi in the semifinal;
Rafter and Goran, both with a history of heartbreaking final losses at the cathedral of tennis.

Great day for the game. Thankful I got to see it live. Thankful it is on youtube for the young to see.

[gzhpcu]

I was happy for Goran, but sad for Pat.