The Good, the Bad, the Goran

Croat tennis star will bring a sense of fun to the sport at Dubai Duty Free Men's Open

It's likely that more than one Goran Ivanisevic will show up in Dubai this month to try and regain the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open title he first claimed in 1996. The eccentric Croat has always been a complex character, combining genius and an occasional tendency to let his emotions get out of control.

But it's his sense of humour more than his power tennis that has captured the hearts of fans around the world. And nothing epitomises that sense of humour better than the case of the multiple Gorans.

It was on his way to becoming Wimbledon champion last year that Ivanisevic famously explained there was not one but three Gorans: Bad Goran, Good Goran and Emergency 911 Goran. If Bad Goran starts breaking the racquets, he calls upon Good Goran to get back on track. If things are really bad and he starts to panic, Emergency Goran is called for.

"Third one had to come, I had to call him," said Ivanisevic after one of the battles that took him to the Wimbledon title. "He's the emergency one. Emergency 911 call, and he came on deuce. Calm down, two aces, thank you. He's the one who just comes when it's a very emergency situation. He's like behind the scenes.

"When it's tough, he steps in. Sometimes he cannot help, you know, because Crazy Goran is too crazy to help him. If he has to come, he comes. Otherwise he sits and watches and enjoys the two Gorans working together."

Commenting on Ivanisevic's return to Dubai after a four year absence (he last appeared as singles runner-up and doubles champion in 1997), Colm McLoughlin, managing director for Dubai Duty Free, said: "We're delighted that this great former Dubai champion is returning to play here at a time when he's clearly enjoying the sport so much.

"His victory against Pat Rafter in last year's Wimbledon final was one of the all-time great tennis matches, and we're looking forward to seeing what he will achieve here in Dubai this year."

Ivanisevic's on-court blow-ups are now much more a thing of the past, perhaps after he went "a racquet too far" at a tournament in England a little more than a year ago. On that occasion he became so frustrated with his performance that he methodically smashed every one of his racquets and was forced to default the match.

Nowadays, though, Crazy Goran accepts Good Goran. "After so much time struggling I decided they can travel together," Ivanisevic explained in his inimitable style.

"They are good friends and that's very important. Then I play good tennis. No complaining, no throwing racquets. Even when some calls are close, I go one step to complain but the other (Good) Goran jumps in and says, 'Go back', so I go back."

If anyone had to beat British favourite Tim Henman and go on to become the people's favourite to win last year's Wimbledon, it was Ivanisevic. The reason: He brings a sense of fun to the sport. He entertains.

"A lot of guys, they are playing like machines," said Ivanisevic. "You can't see some fun on the court. I'm the guy who can play a lot of shots, sometimes stupid shots.

"Nobody plays between the legs on important points. I do that. I don't know why. I just like to do it, you know. That's me. It's always going to be me. I think people should learn that with me you never know. I'm not surprised because I'm the guy who can turn up one day and beat anybody, or I can lose to some strange people, which I did, you know, past years."

So many times, in fact, that at the beginning of 2001 his career was in crisis. "My lowest point was the Australian Open," he revealed. "I fly 24 hours to stay there and tank the first round of qualifying, then go back after three days, flying again 24 hours. That's painful. That was killing me. Those things you shouldn't do. It was really a low, low point, humiliation. I heard people saying, 'Why is he doing that?' I don't know why I did that. After that I woke up - and I am awake, very awake now."

He is also, finally, playing for himself. "I was thinking that maybe it was going to be my last year (in 2001), but I would just try my best and finally play for myself, which is strange for me. I never played for myself in my life. I always played for somebody.

"Now I'm playing for myself, which is just beautiful. When I started in my career, my sister was very sick. I played for her because we didn't have money. So the better I did, she could go to doctors and heal herself. Now everything is fine and she's great.

"Then the war came. Then I had motivation to play for my country, for the people who were fighting for my country. Then that was over also. Then I just found myself asking, 'What to do now?' I was trying to find how to play for somebody, but I couldn't. Then I said, 'Man, after 12 years on the tour, I think you deserve to play for yourself a little bit, give yourself a little bit for all this hard work you did.' So now it's paying off."

Which means that Goran Ivanisevic could once again hold aloft the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open trophy - either alone or with his two helpers.