Ivan Ljubicic

[alsl]

Ivan has a blog!!I thought that was pretty cool..wish Marat had a blog
Sunday, January 1, 2006
Happy New Year! I’m pleased to say my wife and I saw in the New Year at a players’ party in the hotel bar. One thing I hadn’t thought of in India is the need to avoid putting ice in your drinks. People have said to me that you never know what type of water was used to make the ice and it could carry some health risks.

I woke up around 10.30 am and just had a light breakfast of toast with honey and jam. I didn’t want too much food in my stomach as I had a 2 pm practice. I had arranged to practice today with Spain’s Guillermo Garcia Lopez, but that was before the draw came out. I play him in the first round.

In situations like this players take it as automatic that they will find someone else to practice with, so we didn’t even need to call each other to cancel our practice. I just went to the tournament desk and told them I would now be practicing with Hyung-Taik Lee. I spoke to Guillermo later at the players’ party and he was fine.

When I first arrived in Chennai I practiced with Jiri Vanek. If we both win our first-round matches we will play each other in the second round. Players will still practice with each other in situations like that.

After practice I went back to the hotel for a poolside photoshoot with Paradorn Srichaphan, who is a big start here in Chennai. I went back to the club for a 5pm practice with Thierry Ascione and then had an early dinner.

Tonight my wife and I watched a movie, Shrek, which I had seen before but was happy to watch again. It’s a funny and beautiful movie made even more interesting by having famous actors doing the voiceovers.

Tomorrow my wife will get out and see some of the city. The hotel is really beautiful but it’s not the real Chennai. She wants to see what everyday life in Chennai is like. I hope to be able to take a look around on Wednesday.

Catch you tomorrow.

Ivan

the rest of ivan's blog can be found here : www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2006/blog_ljubicic.asp

[love15]

hehe thats heaps cool!

[SAFINNO1]

yeah thats a good idea from atptennis

[Annie]

HAHAHAHAHHAAHA that's brilliant stuff but knowing Marat he'll never have a blog...unless he hires someone to write it ROTFL

[Annie]

Ljubicic Ends Moya's Chennai Open Reign


Top seed Ivan Ljubicic saved one match point in his rain-delayed semifinal and won two matches in a day to capture the Chennai Open title, ending Carlos Moya's hopes of a third consecutive crown in India.

Ljubicic, who received a wild card into the tournament, came within a point of losing his semifinal against Belgian Kristof Vliegen on Sunday before winning 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6) to reach the final.

He then returned later in the afternoon to record a 7-6(6), 6-2 victory against Moya, the Spaniard who was looking for a third straight Chennai Open title.

Ljubicic, who began the year at No. 9 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings after winning two titles from eight finals in 2005, had planned to spend the first week of the season practicing in Monte-Carlo before receiving an invitation to play in Chennai three weeks ago.

The Croat made the most of his wild card, firing 12 aces during his 1-hour, 41-minute victory over Moya, ending the Spaniard's 13-match winning streak in the tournament.

With no breaks of serve in the first set, it looked as though the two-time champion Moya was going to take the opener as he led 4-0 and 5-2 in the tie-break. But Ljubicic fought back to take it 8-6 and then broke Moya's serve in the third game of the second set before going on to claim his fourth career title.

En route to the final, Ljubicic defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Jiri Vanek, Gilles Muller and Vliegen, while Moya, the No. 3 seed, won four consecutive three-set matches against Dick Norman, Justin Gimelstob, Bjorn Phau and No. 2 seed Radek Stepanek.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:
Ljubicic: "I played the best tennis of the week in the final. It's a great way to start the year. I don't remember the last time I played two matches in one day but today it really worked out well. I think playing this morning definitely gave me some advantage to get into the match and quickly find my rhythm.

"2005 was a fantastic year but I started 2006 in a better way even, so I hope this year is going to keep going the same way it started.

"Physically I feel OK, I have no complaints at all. I am extremely pleased about how fit I am and again, I really hope my body is going to keep up because I am planning some heavy schedule. "

Moya: "I had my opportunities in the first set and it's a pity I couldn't take advantage of them. Against a player like Ljubicic you must convert them in order to win. He has served great the entire match, which has probably made the difference. In the second set I had no energy left, it's been a very difficult week, but I must be happy about how things turned out.

"Although I started the year better the last two years, it's definitely been a great way to start 2006, and I really hope this year will be different than the last one. I hope things will go well from now on, I am motivated and I think it can be a good year for me."

On is schedule for the coming weeks :"I'm going now to Sydney and Melbourne and I will then play on the clay of the South American swing, but for now my main goal is to do well in Melbourne."

On his form: "Physically I feel well, a little tired on my legs but that's normal. As far as my shoulder and injuries everything is fine."

[SAFINNO1]

His last blog from chennai after winning

www.atptennis.com/en/blog/ljubicic.asp

[Annie]

Ljubicic takes captain's role after Ivanisevic snub
2006-01-17 09:39:23 GMT (Reuters)

By Igor Ilic

ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Ivan Ljubicic will captain Croatia's Davis Cup team next month after Goran Ivanisevic turned down the post, local media reported on Tuesday.

Ljubicic, competing this week at the Australian Open, will be playing captain for the champions when they open their defence in Graz against Austria, Feb. 10-12.

The Croatian Tennis Association (HTS) appointed Ljubicic at its session late on Monday. HTS's president Radimir Cacic said all team members had supported the decision.

"Ljubicic will himself decide who will be on the bench during his own matches," state news agency Hina quoted Cacic as saying after Monday's meeting.

Niki Pilic, who piloted Croatia to its first title last year, resigned last week. Former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic, who was supposed to take over from Pilic, rejected the offer saying it was his final decision, reports said.

Media speculated that his decision had been prompted by Ivanisevic's dissatisfaction with the idea that Pilic should stay with the team as his advisor, denying him the right to choose an assistant by himself.

However, Cacic said he would again hold talks with Ivanisevic next Saturday in a bid to persuade him to take the captaincy.

"If talks with Ivanisevic fail again, Ljubicic will remain captain for the time being," Cacic told the Vecernji List daily.

[SAFINNO1]

WOW i never saw that coming.i thought single handingly winning the DC was hard but captain???

[Annie]

I think they're quite desperate and had no other way

[love15]

tonites match against ivan and the cyprian player is gonna be mad!
full of crowed support for both parties!

[davis]

The Long March: Ivan Ljubicic’s tennis journey

Ivan Ljubicic’s long, slow rise to the Top 5 has been about more than just winning tennis matches.
Watching Ivan Ljubicic stride slowly and purposefully around a tennis court, it’s hard to believe he’s just 27 years old. But then you’d expect him to be mature beyond his years. At 13, Ljubicic and his family escaped war-torn Bosnia, an experience that left young Ivan exceptionally independent and motivated.
Before his family’s escape, Ljubicic was a top junior in Bosnia. But an ethnic-cleansing campaign by the Serbs in 1992 forced non-Serb families to flee, including the Ljubicic clan, who are of Croat heritage. They eventually made it to Croatia after a 36-hour plane-and-bus journey. With help from the Bosnian Tennis Federation, the Ljubicics sent their son to Italy, where he trained near Florence for five years with a $50 monthly grant to cover expenses. “There’s not a lot you can do with $50 if you need shoes,” Ljubicic once said.

Upon settling in Italy, Ljubicic’s tennis game drastically improved, and though it’s taken him a few years to hone his skills as a pro, since 2005 he’s steadily—maturely—moved in the rankings. This year, he’s established himself in the Top 5 for the first time, proving his versatility by reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the semis at Roland Garros. He’s also become a national hero in Croatia, last year taking the tiny country to its first Davis Cup title, an effort highlighted by Ljubicic’s earning all three points in Croatia’s first-round upset of the U.S. (he accomplished the same trifecta in 2003, making him only the second man to inflict such a wound on an American Davis Cup team in the World Group). Earlier this summer, he reflected on his life and tennis.

What did you learn from the experience of having to leave your homeland on such terrible terms?
I was a kid, so what did I know? We thought it was for only two or three months, but then it turned it out wasn’t. The life lesson I learned came from my father. He’d invested everything into our house, and then lost everything. So I learned that you better enjoy what you’ve got when you’ve got it, because you never know what’s going to come next.

What was it in you that helped you become a fine tennis player as a child?
I was talented, physical, and a good student. I started at 9, which is kind of late for a world-class player. But I was always very coordinated, good at things like soccer, basketball, handball, table tennis.

Was there a player you looked up to?
I copied everything Stefan Edberg did. Until I was 16 or 17, I was always going to the net. When I got to the Wimbledon junior final in ’96, I served and volleyed. But then I realized it was better to stay back and become more of an all-court player.
I also liked the way he was quiet and well-behaved. To me he was the perfect example of what a player should be. Some people like fist-pumping—especially in the U.S.—but that’s not for me.

What was hard for you adjusting to the tour?
Everything. I turned pro in ’98. Juniors miss lots of balls, but in the pros, there are no free points. You have to earn your points.

What was easy?
The travel. I’d been on my own since I was 13, living in Italy, so I had to take care of myself.

Talk about the importance of Davis Cup.
It’s fantastic. Forty-eight weeks a year, we’re on our own, and so in Davis Cup it’s great to join forces as a team with Mario [Ancic]. Back in 2001 Goran [Ivanisevic] was telling us how good it is to get into the World Group and play all the good teams. We were in Latvia and Ireland and I would dream about just getting to the World Group.
And soon enough, Croatia made it to the World Group. Croatia as a nation didn’t even start until 1991. So we were creating the history. Well, it was Goran who did it on his own, and finally we were good enough to join him just as his career was ending.

Americans are well aware of how well you play in Davis Cup.
The first time we beat America was at home [in 2003], on this very fast court. We felt we had a good chance, and things were helped when Andy [Roddick] pulled out with an injury. For me the big thrill was winning the doubles with Goran. His shoulder was hurting, but we came back and I couldn’t believe it.

You beat us again two years later, only this time in America.
That was even more amazing. I’d gone from Dubai to L.A., a 12-hour time difference and I was so jet-lagged. I was hoping I could win one singles match. But I got lucky and then, for Mario and I to beat the Bryan brothers was one of the biggest wins ever.

And then Croatia went on to win the whole thing last year. The funny thing was that in the next round [after beating the U.S.], we were playing at home versus Romania and nearly lost. All the good tennis we played against the U.S. would have been forgotten. I just can’t begin to tell you how emotional it was for us to actually win Davis Cup.

You’ve really blossomed in the last couple of years. What’s been the key to your improvement?
In November ’03 I started working with a new fitness trainer, Salvador Sosa. He’d been with Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja, and radically changed my approach to fitness. Before I’d done more general fitness, but he made it more specific, did more on the court with things like weights and the medicine ball.

But there’ve also been changes in your personal life that made a difference.
Yes, getting married near the end of ’04. We’d been dating for seven or eight years, and everything’s been great since then. Marriage helps me be more quiet, more solid.

What makes you effective as a player?
My serve is my biggest weapon. I get a lot of free points from my serve. And I never give up. I’ll fight and grind. I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve come back three times from two-sets-to-love down.

What do you want to improve?
Everything. I’d like to improve my serve-and-volley play.

You’ve done so well at other events, but not as well at the Slams. What’s the key as you see it for doing well at the Slams?
Scheduling is very important. Before, I was playing 25, 26 events a year, but only 50 matches. Now I get that many matches in 12 events. You’ve got to look at the program of tournaments. I try not to think more than four or five months ahead. The other thing at Slams is confidence. For me, in long matches, the problem was less physical, more mental.

How do you enjoy yourself away from tennis?
You travel so much, so it’s nice to e-mail friends all over the world. I also like to read books by Wilbur Smith, stories that are fun escapes into Africa. And I like to scuba dive.

[jenhatter06]

Ljubicic Elected To ATP Board

The ATP Player Council on Friday elected Ivan Ljubicic to the vacant position of European Player Board Representative. He will fulfill the existing term that ends in December 2009.

Etienne de Villiers, ATP Executive Chairman said: "I am delighted to welcome Ivan to the ATP Board on a permanent basis and congratulate him on his election. Ivan's experience will be invaluable as our sport continues to grow."

The 29-year-old Ljubicic, who served as vice-president and president of the ATP Player Council in 2006-07, has eight career ATP titles. He reached a career-high No. 3 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings on May 1, 2006 before finishing the season No. 5.

www.atptennis.com/1/en/2008news/ljubicic_board.asp