Goran Ivanisevic had been doing so well. In the three years that he had played on the BlackRock Tour of Champions he proudly stated that he had never once broken a racquet.
He can no longer make that claim having mangled two in as many minutes after losing to Marc-Kevin Goellner on Saturday in Hamburg.
Goellner will now meet the undefeated Michael Stich (pictured) in an all-German final on Sunday after winning 5-7, 6-4, 10-8 (Champions’ Tie-Break).
Ivanisevic once said that he had paid more in fines for breaking racquets than many other players had earned in their whole careers, and, when 8-5 up in the third set Champions’ Tie-Break, ‘Bad Goran’ - the alter-ego that Ivanisevic told us about during his run to the Wimbledon title in 2001 - suddenly took over.
He missed a catalogue of shots that he would normally make, smashed two racquet-heads into triangular shapes, and then stomped off the court muttering words to himself that cannot be repeated here.
In the final, Goellner will face Stich after the 1991 Wimbledon champion maintained his 100% record with a 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 (Champions’ Tie-Break) victory over Henri Leconte.
Anders Jarryd will face Pat Cash in the third/fourth place play-off. Cash defeated Thomas Muster 6-1, 6-1.
SAMPRAS DEBUT DELAYED AS SAO PAULO CHANGES DATE
Pete Sampras will make his debut on the BlackRock Tour of Champions one month later than scheduled after the date of the Tour stop in Sao Paulo, Brazil was changed to 19-22 June, 2008.
The Tour opened in February with Anders Jarryd successfully defending his Belfast title. In Barcelona last month, Marcelo Rios triumphed, while Muster won in Rome last week.
Ivanisevic Completes Dramatic Recovery
Fast Talking Goran Earns Hamburg Reprieve
Stich Starts Well in Hamburg
Champions Arrive in Hamburg
View Hamburg Order of Play
