mtenis.pun.pl - forum fanów tenisa ATP
Na klawiature to porównania same sie pchaj± no ale ... xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD no tak czy siak ja zawsze wiedzia³am, ¿e z M³okosa swój ziom jest
A tak na serio to mi³o by by³o zachowaæ odpowiednie proporcje miêdzy treningami i chwilami umilaj±cymi ¿ycie, ¿e tak to nazwe i bêdzie gicior.
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Last hit for Wimby
Nastêpny przechla swój talent -.-
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Ale siê Ernie'mu dowcip wyostrzy³ Nawet mistrz ironii COA da³ siê nabraæ Szkoda tylko, ¿e to wszystko tak wyrwane z kontekstu, ¿e faktycznie mo¿e rzucaæ negatywne ¶wiat³o na jego osobê.
gratulacje za to 35 miejsce w rankingu Erno, jeszcze trochê i bêdzie rozstawienie w Wielkim Szlemie
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Last hit for Wimby
Odnosi³em siê jednak do fragmentu o zaprzepaszczonym poprzednim sezonie.
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Ojciec Chrzestny
Meet Ernests Gulbis: The Next Big Thing in Tennis
The “late bloomer” is a bit of a tired cliché in sports. It’s a title that sports fans and pundits alike assign to lazy, injury-impaired, or generally underachieving athletes. Tennis is no exception, the sport has had its share of late blooming geniuses.
Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and others are the more notable examples of tennis phenoms who took a bit longer than expected to blast off the launching pad into the stratosphere of greatness. All world number ones, all multiple grand slam titlists, all considered to be the best in the business at one time or another.
I think that it’s time to add another to that lofty list of post-pubescent tennis icons. Enter: The lanky Latvian, Ernests Gulbis.
The 21-year old Gulbis has drawn the ire and criticism of many notables in the tennis community. The common theme amongst Gulbis detractors has always been his maturity and desire to win. There has never been a denial of his tremendous talent.
Gulbis has the perfect body type for the modern tennis player. He’s a 6’3” kid, tall enough to own an effective and potentionaly lethal service delivery, as well as harness the high two handed backhand with relative ease.
Yet, Gulbis is not obscenely tall. He’s not a 6’7” Juan Martin Del Potro, or a 6’9” John Isner, players whose height limits their mobility. Actually, Gulbis covers the court solidly and has plenty of room for even greater improvement, with extra conditioning of course.
Gulbis’ first big time result came at the 2008 French Open, where he orchestrated a run a to the Quarterfinals, before succumbing in a tight three set affair with Novak Djokovic. He was one of three rising stars, all around the same age. Do the names Marin Cilic, or Juan Martin Del Potro ring a bell? Gulbis was part of this group, and expectations were high.
Gulbis followed up his first grand slam Quarterfinal with a respectable showing at the U.S. Open where he gave former Champion and World number one, Andy Roddick all he could handle. Mind you, the U.S. Open probably boasts the fastest playing surface in tennis right now. The powerful Gulbis' game translated beautifully to faster surfaces as well.
Abruptly, the bottom dropped out. Rumors that Gulbis had turned down an opportunity to train in Las Vegas during the off season raised eyebrows. The opportunity was not to train with some random gym trainer, but rather with Gil Reyes, the celebrated physical trainer of eight-time grand slam winner and fitness hound Andre Agassi.
The declined invitation gave birth to a litany of rumors.
There was speculation on off court laziness, and a lack of focus. The fact that Gulbis came from an incredibly wealthy family, lead to the general perception amongst tennis insiders that the Latvian youngster simply didn’t have enough riding on his tennis. Many thought that he viewed his tennis as a hobby, an interest, but not a life defining career.
Gulbis’ 2009 results did little to sway public perception. To most on lookers, he was a spoiled rich kid who dabbled in tennis from time to time when it suited him. It was a clear case of Underachieving 101, especially when considering that his peers had made serious charges towards the top 20. Gulbis went the opposite direction; his ranking plummeted from a promising No. 53 to a qualifying level, No. 92.
Perhaps the song writer was right on the money when he said, “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”. Perhaps the reality of challenger events, and qualifying rounds finally woke the Latvian up. Perhaps it was the knowledge that there were less talented players ranked inside the top 10 in the world. Whatever the wakeup call was, he got it.
2010 has seen the arrival of Gulbis 2.0. The new Gulbis is a much savvier, disciplined player. His ranking is headed in the right direction, 35th currently. Even more eye catching than his 2010 win-loss record (a solid 19-8, including his first ATP title in Delray Beach), are the impressive list of his victims.
Gulbis' career defining victory came on the clay courts of the Master's 1000 event in Rome, over struggling world number one Roger Federer. The manner in which it came is irrelevant for Gulbis. The kid knows how talented he is, he knows that his best tennis can beat anyone in the world at any given time, Federer included. The important nugget for Gulbis was the fact that he was able to maintain his composure and do what so many guys have not been able to do to a player of Federer’s stature: close him out.
Its one thing to outplay someone ranked number one in the world for three quarters of a match, but choke away important points and allow victory to slip away. But it takes a special kind of moxy to stare across the net from a 16-time Grand Slam winner, a guy you’ve never beaten before, and win the last point.
For Federer, it was just a bad match, one he'll throw away and not overthink. But for a guy who has been kicked to the bottom and had to claw his way back to the upper echelons of the sport, it’s a mental victory. The big win paid off, as Gulbis dodged the let down bullet in the next round against a formidable clay court opponent in home town favorite, Filippo Volandri.
The Gulbis run continued all the way up to the Semifinals where he stared down the King of the Hill, the undisputed clay court master Rafael Nadal. What ensued was simply put, the best match Gulbis ever played. Where as he merely “got through” the Federer match, he laid everything on the line for the Nadal match and held his own.
Striking the ball with great conviction, showing an innate court sense that cannot be taught, and tremendous serving, Gulbis gave Nadal everything he could handle. Though Nadal is, well Nadal, and he would eventually prevail 6-4 in the deciding set, Gulbis showed that he is indeed a top five caliber talent. He showed us all that he had the heart of a competitor.
Gulbis' successful clay court campaign so far, including a Quarterfinal appearence, is setting the stage for perhaps a real Roland Garros run.
In defeating Federer, and playing Nadal as tough as he did, Gulbis sent out a warning shot. He has the game to beat any player on any surface. He’s a rare talent whose game translates well from clay to hard court without much work. He can beat anyone, on any surface.
Depending on where he falls in the draw, he’s a legitimate threat to anyone. Federer, Djokovic, Murray, and Soderling are just a few of the big names who are not above being K.O.’d by this kid. If he is going to make a major move this year,
Roland Garros is the place where it will happen.
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Ojciec Chrzestny
Do powy¿szego gifu dorzucê informacjê, ¿e Ernest w dzisiejszym notowaniu rankingu Entry jest na 27 miejscu. To Jego rekordowe jak do tej pory osi±gniêcie. Gulbis jest tym samym pewny rozstawienia na Roland Garros i Wimbledonie.
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Bronic za bardzo nie ma czego w dalszej czesci sezonu, takze mozna spodziewac sie kolejnych awansow w rankingu. Kto wie, jak utrzyma forme moze jakos w okolice 10-15 zahaczy na koniec sezonu.
Ostatnio edytowany przez Bizon (17-05-2010 18:51:00)
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Ojciec Chrzestny
Gulbis out of the French with leg injury
Ernests Gulbis’ quest for a French Open title was cut short on Sunday. In the Latvian’s place in the draw will be France’s Julien Benneteau.
Julien Benneteau has not been playing well on clay in 2010. In fact, coming into Roland Garros, the Frenchman had only won 2 matches – in 4 tournaments. But when he stepped out on the court on Sunday, he played like a clay court expert.
Gulbis was already in trouble before he sustained his thigh injury from a bad slide in the second set. Benneteau was battering the Latvian from the back of the court. Gulbis did not help his own cause by serving at 43% for the set. Benneteau took advantage and secured a pair of service breaks, though he surrendered one of his own.
Benneteau continued to apply pressure in the second set. Gulbis already found himself down a break (at 1-3), when he slid awkwardly and sustained the thigh injury. To his credt, the Latvian attempted to continue playing, but at 0-1 in the third, he could no longer continue. Benneteau will play the winner of Leonardo Mayer and Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round.
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RG 2010 - wywiad z Ernestsem po pora¿ce w 1 rundzie
Q. What happened physically?
ERNESTS GULBIS: When I returned a serve, 2 1, second set, I stretched my leg, my hamstrings, and I heard two cracks. I don't know what is it, so I'm going to go to MRI to hospital in 20 minutes and check it. I hope it's nothing serious, because it can be anything, but it's for sure like a little bit stretch of the muscle, but I hope it's not here. So we'll see.
Q. You are in great form since two months. I guess a great deception for you you are in great form since disappointed?
ERNESTS GULBIS: Disappointed? Yeah, of course I'm disappointed. I prepared really good for this tournament, but it's okay. Whatever. I mean, it's okay. It's a Grand Slam, it's a big tournament. But I have maybe nine more, eight more years of my career, I will have 20 Grand Slams in front of me, and if I if I concentrate on one, which wasn't that good, I will get nothing, but it's okay.
It's also an experience I never went for a match before. I always finish the match until then, but this time it was I think a little bit worse than I ever had from injuries, so I hope I'll get ready for Queen's and Wimbledon. Disappointment, of course. Yeah, it's sport. It's great.
Q. You seemed to get a little bit frustrated in the first set. Were you a little bit more frustrated than you would have liked to have been?
ERNESTS GULBIS: I wasn't really frustrated. I was trying to push myself up because I was a bit too slow, not sleepy, but emotionally, too sleepy in the beginning of the first set or beginning of the match. I got broken immediately. Of course if I would get a break, on 3 2, the match would be different. I would serve on 4 2, 5 2, it would be same my way, a set and then maybe none of it would happen.
What happened, happened. It's okay. I'll learn from it. I think it can just make me stronger, but no, I was not really frustrated. I was just trying to push myself to fight. Okay, I broke a racquet, but for me, that's not a big deal. It's okay.
Q. What would you have to do to prove there was a really big deal if you just smashed a racquet and that's not a big deal, what would be a really big deal?
ERNESTS GULBIS: What would be a really big deal? Hmm. I don't know. I have to think. That's a good question, actually. Thank you. (laughter.)
I don't know what would be a big deal. Minimum three racquets smashed, throw them to the stands, hit somebody with a ball. I don't know. I have to think about it. I'll get back on you, yeah. I'll think about it.
Q. I don't know if you read Roger Federer words about it's more easy to play in clay courts than in hardcourts because in clay courts you don't have to volley, you don't almost to serve. More easy to play because you win so many points keeping the ball in play, and so first question: If you read and if you read it, what...
ERNESTS GULBIS: About me?
Q. No, in general.
ERNESTS GULBIS: In general that it's easier to play on clay?
Q. Yes.
ERNESTS GULBIS: I'm happy that it's easier for him. For me it's not easier. For me it's tougher. You have to run two hours more than you would run on the hardcourt, okay?
You don't volley, but, I mean, you have to be I think much more fitter you have to be fit anywhere, but on clay especially because the rallies get longer, so it's a lot of high balls, heavy spin. It's tougher physically. Game wise maybe it's you use a little bit less weapons, you know. Your serve is not that big like on faster surfaces. Shots are I mean, I don't know why you're asking me this. It's if it's easier for him, that's good. For me, it's harder and need to practice more.
Q. Every player that loses here, usually it's the British press, I will ask you about grass and Wimbledon. How keen are you and how optimistic are you that you can play well on grass?
ERNESTS GULBIS: I was really optimistic here, but look what I did. I will try not to be pessimistic for the grass court season. Obviously I love grass. I love the tournaments there. Not many tournaments, which I really like. Queen's, Wimbledon, I really enjoy, I enjoy playing on grass, and I think I can play really good on it. Okay if I don't play good this year I will play good next year. Some years I will play because I really like the surface.
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Ojciec Chrzestny
Gulbis nie zagra w Queens, mo¿e nie zagraæ tak¿e w Wimbledonie.
Ernest obecnie przebywa w Hiszpanii, gdzie przechodzi leczenie urazu, jakiego nabawi³ siê podczas meczu z Benneteau. Przerwa potrwa co najmniej 3 tygodnie, udzia³ £otysza w QC jest wykluczony, wci±¿ istnieje szansa na start w Wimbledonie.
¬ród³o:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/m … le1579987/
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Ojciec Chrzestny
Gulbis zrezygnowa³
£otysz Ernests Gulbis nie zagra w rozpoczynaj±cym siê w poniedzia³ek tenisowym turnieju wielkoszlemowym w Wimbledonie z powodu kontuzji ¶ciêgna uda - informuje PAP.
Gulbis by³ na kursie kolizyjnym z £ukaszem Kubotem. Polak móg³ trafiæ na Gulbisa w drugiej rundzie, je¿eli pokona S³oweñca Blaz Kavcicia.
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Ojciec Chrzestny
¦wietny wywiad z Gulbisem:
The Life of Gulbis
For the tennis player Ernests Gulbis (21) sport isn't everything in life. He doesn't think about tennis all the time and is not a fan of the sport enough to motivate him to practice 7 hours a day.
He isn't full of himself. It's the other way around – he's down to earth, exact in his opinions and free to express his emotions, with a sense of humor, knows a lot about literature, music and the way society is functioning. What a cool guy! Sounds different than what they wrote about Ernests before, right? Right! Up to this point, throughout the Latvian press there have been posted either the match results or the paparazzi stories translated from other countries' press, of course focusing on things such as prostitutes, suicide attempt and how rich Ainars Gulbis is. Also, it is assumed that Ernests doesn't give interviews .
I tried my luck and called his father. He responded to me. My personality wasn't the deal breaker – Ainars Gulbis likes the magazine IR. I promised not to ask Ernests those questions which he was growing tired of and killed his desire to give interviews: e.g. how do you feel before a match, how do you feel after a match, how does it feel to win, what do you expect to achieve.
Due to a muscle trauma Ernests spent a week in Latvia and was able to spend 2 hours for our interview. We met the Saturday after Jani on a motor yacht in Andrejsala. This is not going to be a deep sports interview. Neither it will talk about tje father's strong influence on his son. It is time to put an end to those talks. Especially because Ernests himself is a good speaker and has things to say.
You were in Latvia during the Jani celebration. How was it?
The last time I celebrated Jani in Latvia was when I was 7 years old – I was shooting a beer can with my little pistol and was very happy about it. All other years I spent in London, Germany. This year I was at my friend Karlis' place, here in Riga. There was no bonfire, I jumped into a pool wearing all my clothes.Do you have friends here in Riga?
Yes. Tennis players, schoolmates from the second middle school and some people I met in the last few years. It's a small group of people. Sometimes they come to one of my tournaments, or wait for me in Latvia. With the tennis players we have a football team – the Tennis Flower.
Why do you reside in Latvia, whereas many tennis players choose to live in Monaco or Nice?
Because of the taxes. Part of the players live in other countries because their own countries have imposed a tax which should be paid at the tournament location, as well as the place where it's held. Since Latvia doesn't have those rules, it saves me money to call Latvia my home. (Editor's note – Latvia has a tax deal with 50 countries, excluding Russia) If changes are made to these rules, then I'd have to think of some other place to settle in. I would like to stay in Latvia, though. Beautiful nature – the sea, plenty of waters. When I own a house, it will definitely be near water.
What other countries do you like?
Russia. I am not very fond of America, except for New York and Las Vegas. It might seem to others that this life of constant traveling is a dream come true, that you are able to see so much, but in a day I barely have 2 hours of free time. When I was at the Pilic Academy, I lived in Munich – I liked it. Once I parted from the coach, I moved.
You make it sound like you broke up with your girlfriend and not the coach.
But that too is a real relationship! Almost like a husband and a wife. Every day together. You know – small things that bother you, and you can easily start a fight?! It is hard to have the patience for a person for 5 years in a row. This way I learned how to have a better relationship with my father.
What do you usually put in your suitcase?
(At this moment we drove into the river Daugava, the yacht started to rock – the coffee slips out of the hand, the cup is broken. It's fun, but a little bit scary. Ernests doesn't look too sure of the situation, as he admitted himself.)
Today I am afraid of almost everything. Because I've got a hangover. How does it feel? No positive thoughts in mind. It's better not to think at all. If you begin to think, you can think too much nonsense and screw yourself up. In about 4 days it will end. A long time will pass before I will want to repeat any of this again. During the tournaments I am not allowed to party, otherwise the training the next day will be very difficult to manage. The next holiday I will have will only be at the end of the year, therefore I've decided to party hard during my mid-season trauma, so that I have no desire to party for a while.
What books I take along with me? I quite like Haruki Murakami. I read “Dance, Dance, Dance” in Russian. I mostly read in Russian. My grandmother is Russian, and I speak Russian just as well as Latvian. Right now I am reading “The Revolution of the Ants” by Bernard Werber. He compares the human and the ant civilizations: ants don't understand the existence of humans – they see the fingertips of humans and call humans fingertips. It's quite interesting to compare to the human race – if we would be this tiny, would we even understand what is going on around us? Among the philosophies, Buddhism is the closest to being my favorite. Second year in a row I am trying to meditate in the simplest way – through breathing. To free myself from what surround me at the moment, to feel my inner self. Buddhism has helped me in tennis, because I can control my mind during the important moments. In Christianity, the Holy Trinity is defined and eternal, but in Buddhism everything changes – I live by these principles. Today things are this way, in 3 years time everything will be different. Maybe I'll be doing something completely different.
It seems that you live a simple life.
I am concerned about my career, my loved ones, my own health and the health of my loved ones. I try not to think about the rest. What happens, happens.
What would you be doing if there wasn't tennis?
I would be a different person. Tennis change your character. It's a very egotistical sport – teaches you how to think only about yourself. On court you're alone, during the training you are alone. Tennis is the loneliest sport. When you're in a team, team members support each other, but I am looking for support from the people who surround me. It's good that my dad goes along for the ride and joins me at tournaments. During the evening we go out and eat, we talk. His support is very important to me. I learned a lot from him. My father is my best friend, I can talk about anything with him. I have slightly different relationship with my mother, but with her I can talk about anything as well.
Does your dad follow you to every tournament?
Not every single one, but the majority of them definitely. When he has some business to take care of in Riga, he leaves.
At what point does a tennis player move up to the higher rank and starts to choose, which Grand Slam tournament to go to?
In tennis, only the first dozen at the top are able to make money. (Editor note – Currently Gulbis is 29th in the world rank) The rest are not able to bring their coaches along to the tournaments. At first I though that the coach is not needed at tournaments and brought a helping friend instead, but then I realized that to be able to compete with the top ranked players I need a coach with me. At the moment, I have 2 coaches and a physio. It looks like I earn a lot, because nobody counts how much I spend – I need to pay for the hotel, the plane tickets, and food for the whole team. If there wasn't the help of my father, I wouldn't be able to survive with the money I make. Tennis cannot be compared to hockey, where a federation pays for the hotels and training spaces. To be able to practice, we pay for the courts ourselves, we pay for the hotels with our own money. In hockey the money is not divided by so many people as it is in ATP, which hardly supports the players. The biggest Grand Slam tournaments earn about 70-90 million dollars every year. That money mostly gets divided by the 4 biggest countries – America, France, UK and Australia, and they in turn are able to support the newcomers. In the last few years tennis is going through major changes. Just now we had a match where an American played a Frenchman for 11 hours and the final result was 70:68 in the 5th set! The viewers were probably amused, but physically it is impossible. Which other sport has a season that lasts 11 months?! And you have to prepare for the season as well. That's why you need to act like I did this week – party hard, so that the desire to party leaves you for another year. (He pauses for a moment. Then continues.) I like to play tennis, not think about it. I realize – if the career in tennis is over, then I'll have to think about what to do next.You'll probably become a coach, that's what all ex-players do.
Not all of them do it. Training somebody isn't for me! After all this time on tour to go around the world and train somebody? No!
You are so young and talented, that I can't dare to say the words “after the career is over”!I hope to play until I'm 29. We'll see what will happen to my health, the results.
How do you plan the tournament schedule?
2, 3 months ahead. From time to time everything changes – I've got the injury right now, will have to play more. If I had a physio beforehand, 90% certain I wouldn't get injured. It is very important, for example, to make the smaller muscles stronger.
Aren't you tired of the life in the hotels? They are such bland places!
It depends on a hotel. In cool cities we choose to stay at normal hotels, to be in a better mood, because if we choose something like the AC Gava Mar in Barcelona, things won't go as nice. Everything's grey and cold. Most importantly, for there to be quiet and a chance to sleep well.
During your travels back and forth have you noticed any changes in Latvia?
For the worse. In Latvia, for some reason, people don't understand that it is unnecessary to shut down sport schools. What are the kids going to do? I am all for the support of the children, for the organization of sport camp. In other countries, there are special events when the sports stars come in and play with children. Children like it so much! After matches I try to give autographs specifically to children, because it is so important to them. I would love to take part in such events where I could play with young players, but in Latvia nothing like that exists. I would like children to fan about tennis and not some silly things. They become stupid, while watching Hollywood films and playing Counterstrike.
Are you using any of the social media networks – Twitter, Facebook?
I've never seen twitter in my life. I am only on Facebook, but under a different name. I don't sit around and stare at photographs, only keep in touch with the closest friends.
Are you going to vote this autumn?
I've never voted in my life and won't do it. The government's attitude towards those who live in Latvia and sports was proven to me by that time when the president of the country got up in the middle of my match and left the arena. It is against the tennis ethics! Yes, I saw it with my own eyes, because how can you miss a group of people from the Olympic committee. I am not saying that I started to play worse and lost because of that, but I won't lie if I say that it affected me to some degree. After the match, the Russian commentators came up to me and asked me whether a war has begun in Latvia, that the president had to run away so quick. As far as I know, he left to go see the basketball game.
The skeleton(ist?) Martins Dukurs in an interview once said that a degree in higher education has helped him a lot, because the muscles work properly not with the force, but with a brain. Do you need higher education?
I don't think so. If you're smart, you'll manage to fill your time with normal interesting things: you'll read books, you'll watch movies, you'll talk to interesting people. You'll be able to fullfill your intellectual needs. 2 years ago I took classes at the Arts Academy in the Art and Culture program, I attended a few lectures, but couldn't manage both that and the sport. The classes were interesting, after my tennis career is over I'd love to continue studying. For myself. I love art, especially Latvian art. A large painting collection belongs to my father. In my room there is a work by Oto Skulme on the wall.
The Olympic champion in BMX, Maris Shtrombers once agreed that 30% of the readers are interested in the sport, the rest are interested in the life of the player. At your age, hooking up with girls is natural, but were you really not aware that in Sweden prostitutes are strictly not allowed?
It happened like this. I was driving in a car in downtown Stockholm. Saw 2 cute girls. No, they weren't wearing short skirts, it was cold outside. I stopped, asked whether they'd like to hop in the car. They agreed. We chatted, drove to the hotel. In two minutes the police rushed into the room, put my arms behind my back, put me in the car and drove me to their station. How was I supposed to know that they were prostitutes? When I meet a girl, I don't ask what her profession is – whether she is a hairdresser or a chef. Simple as that – cute girls! Well, very cool girls! I slept inside the cell until 10 in the morning. On the walls there were words in Russian – swears about the Swedish police. Yes, it was an interesting experience, because something like this I would only see in movies before, but then and there I felt on my own skin what horrible attitude is against those who break the law. They basically threw me into the cell, didn't let me go to the bathroom. In the morning I told at I was guilty – I broke a Swedish law.
It turns out that one is not allowed to drive a girl in the car in Sweden. But that wasn't your goal of course.
Of course, the ultimate goal is one. If you're a normal guy and you like girls – it's only natural. I don't see anything bad about it. I will never go to Sweden every again in my life! Well, fine, when I'll have to go to the Davis Cup, there will be problems.
Did you have a chance to “drive around” girls in other coutries?
In every country there are different tactics. I am not the worst and the ugliest type, I play tennis, sometimes I have a chance to chat with somebody. I am young, single, where is the problem? I see – a cute girl, why not get to know her? Maybe she's an interesting person. It's such a beautiful thing! ( Just like in a movie, down the river swam a pair of swans, Ernests cracks a joke: “Swans live as a couple their whole life. When one dies, the other slowly dies too. It's definitely not about me.”)
Federer's wife is with him almost during every tournament.
It's very difficult to find a person who would understand the daily schedule of a tennis player: you have to go to sleep at a certain time, wake up as well. You have to travel along, to help. The tennis player is responsible and cares for his game only.
What's the point of talking about wives, where you have to go clubbing! Which clubs did you attend in Riga?
I was at every single one, but only when I was 16. During this holiday I was at Studio 69 and Push (Editor – Where the “Vernisazha” used to be).
Csic – csic – tuc- tuc kind of music. Ewww!
Yes, I hated the music there. It's a crime to put it on!
But the girls were great.
Yes! Even though I don't go to clubs often, I usually go to somebody's house. I have to use my free time to the limit because the next time I'll be in Latvia in November. I'm a typical young man, I like to party! I lead an interesting life. I think that any young person should play a sport, especially if he's a guy. It builds your character. Those emotions you gain from a victory in sports can't be achieved by doing anything else. It's a feeling of complete happiness. It doesn't last long, but it is worth playing for. What can bring such happiness – you can make money, find a girl, but nothing compares to the feeling of winning an important match.
You go hunting. What do you shoot?
Little does, rabbits.
Do you not feel sorry for them?
No. Do you eat meat? (Me and the photographer nod in agreement.) If you eat meat, why can't you do the hard work of getting it? Every day people go to the store and buy something that was killed by somebody else. I eat what I kill. I haven't been to many hunts, but to those that I went to in Kurzeme I liked.
Then you must be against the vegetarians, vegans and fresh produce eaters.
I think they must be hiding something.
In the professional sports it would be difficult without meat.
Meat and fish are very important parts of the diet.
What qualities do you not accept in people?
Lying, envy and jealousy. I myself am trying to be honest.
Are you annoyed by the fact that many think that your dad brings you coffee in a cup?
I don't give a damn about what others think. They can think whatever they want. It's their problem. I do what I do. If somebody wants to watch my matches, cool – I am glad. If I play even better, I will promote Latvia even more. Would love to do that!
To Latvians you wish that...
...they play more sports and don't count the money of others.
Ernests Gulbis
Born: 1988. 30th of August.
Family: 3 half sisters (the oldest lives in Paris, middle and youngest live in Latvia – both play tennis), one half brother (lives in America, plays golf)
Music: Zemfira, Boris Grebenshikov, Nautilius, DDT, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Beatles, David Bowie. (“I listen to music while driving in the car. Sometimes I watch the musicians' interviews on the internet”.
Personal dislikes: egoism.
Observations: “I play well during full moon”
Latest concerts: Boris Grebenshikov, Bi-2, Paul McCartney.
Latest theater performances: “Mes un Lacis” at the National theater, “Revidents” at the New Riga Theater, “Ilgu Tramvajs” at the Theater Observatory, “and definitely one more, but can't remember”
Favorite film director: David Lynch. “I watched all of his movies. “Mullholand Drive” I saw at least 8 times. “
Which actress he likes the most: the blonde or the brunette? “Both”Debuted in movies: During childhood with mother Milena Gulbe in a movie “Izpostita Ligzda”. The director of the movie and the writer was Milena's father, actor Uldis Pucitis.
Sports: Football, skiing.
Person who involved him in tennis: Irina Pucite, Milena's mother, who played tennis as a hobby.
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Come on Andy !
Ernests' Evolution
DEUCE
Ernests Gulbis often appears to play the sport like it is a magnified game of table tennis.
He has risen 64 places in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings.
Ernests Gulbis is working hard to step from dangerous floater to consistent performer in order to achieve his goal of becoming a future World No. 1.
You have to be on the ball when you speak to Ernests Gulbis. An articulate speaker, the Latvian can be very direct in answer to a question he doesn't like but he can be equally charming and witty, with a dry sense of humour, if you gain his seal of approval. Either way he is faultlessly polite, respectful and doesn't take himself too seriously.
By virtue of winning his first ATP World Tour title at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in February and beating Roger Federer at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, some topics — such as his privileged upbringing, what he hopes to achieve and whether he has to prove himself to anyone — have killed off his desire to give regular one-on-one interviews. For the record, his father, who often travels with his son to tournaments, doesn’t own a submarine or a spaceship.
"I don't like fame or recognition," says Gulbis, who admits he hasn’t read anything about himself online for nearly three years. "Anything personal you want to know about me can be read on ATPWorldTour.com. I really would like no one to know me, especially in my country because when I go out, you cannot have 100 per cent fun as everyone is looking at you with a microscope."
He also endures the misfortune of not liking "flying, travelling or spending too many hours on the court practising" with good grace, so to sidestep a number of occupational hazards he has developed a systematic approach to life as a professional sportsman with the help of Hernan Gumy, a former coach to Marat Safin, since September 2009.
Gulbis"Last year I didn't know how to practise well, prepare for tournaments or get a good schedule," says Gulbis, in the player's lounge of the LA Tennis Open. “More or less everything is planned now two or three months ahead of time. I now know what I am doing day-to-day. Before I was practising one week good, then four days I didn't do anything. I would then go to a tournament and play badly. I am now consistent in a system.
"Nothing I do is like the joy of winning a tennis match," he confirms. "I'm only happy when I'm on court." Gulbis, who is too intelligent to be a tennis freak, simply stays in his room, "reading, sleeping and playing PlayStation" during tournaments.
Gumy has put Gulbis in the right state of mind. No longer do 60-plus racquets a year find their way into a rubbish bin. Over the past 12 months Gulbis has streamlined his lifestyle and is learning to temper the exuberance and immaturity of youth in order to master the intricacies of the sport which, in the words of former ATP pro Justin Gimelstob, require players "to simultaneously maintain both heightened intensity and detached calm."
"It isn't only his [Gumy's] influence, but mine," insists Gulbis, who once believed talent alone would see him improve his ranking. "He has put me in the right state of mind; he showed me how to work consistently. I don't like it when people tell me, 'Listen you have to do this, this, this. You don't have to do that,' like some kind of teacher.
"He has had a different approach, a friendly approach. I like his attitude towards me. Slowly, slowly, I am changing. I am not ideal or perfect. I am making mistakes, but I am learning. I fight myself on court and try to keep my brain stable. When I am in Latvia, I still sometimes don’t come to practice. But it is a learning process."
GulbisGulbis turned professional in 2004 and has posed a threat to the sport's elite ever since he beat Tim Henman on his Grand Slam championship debut at Roland Garros in May 2007. Yet he has not won back-to-back matches at a Grand Slam championship since June 2008 at Roland Garros, when, aged 18, he produced the best tennis of his life to reach the quarter-finals, where he lost to his childhood training partner Novak Djokovic.
His supporters, who share an affinity for drama and risk, have marvelled in notable wins when he appeared to play the sport like it was a magnified game of table tennis, combining a rhythmic service motion with a forehand that can generate electricity and artful drop shots. But his fans have also shared in his frustration when his concentration deserted him.
This season his trigger-happy days are becoming few and far between. He appears to have regained his teenage poise, reaching six ATP World Tour quarter-finals (or better) and rising from No. 90 to No. 26 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings, largely due to better shot selection, a stronger physique and consistency on return of serve.
"Winning Delray Beach earlier this year wasn't a relief," says Gulbis, who was coached by Nikola Pilic for six years in Munich during his teenage years. "I knew it was going to come sooner or later. I have always played tennis for my family because I enjoy it. So pressure-wise, there is zero pressure. I do it for my joy and my family."
Confident and assured, Gulbis confesses, "I have set myself a goal to be World No. 1." For fans in Latvia, it is quite an admission. Latvia's government once provided its tennis federation with an annual budget of £5,000 and have since developed five world-ranked players.
Just as his mood lifts, he states, "I think a sportsman mentality is to set new goals and expectations for himself... if you don’t push yourself to new goals, your life is over."
GulbisOne thing is for certain: When Gulbis does decide to retire from tennis he knows that he doesn't want to act, as family members already have a pedigree in films and on television.
"I have acted all my life on a tennis court, so when I retire I will stop acting," he says. "I hope to find something after tennis which is exciting as tennis, not competition-wise, but to keep setting myself new goals as you always have to persist with life."
A free spirit, who "couldn’t sit in one place for more than five minutes" when he was younger, the Riga native has a multi-faceted personality and all-court game that, like Safin, could touch the peak of the sport. His destiny remains tantalisingly open. It will be interesting to watch his evolution over the next decade.
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Gulbis Records 30th Match Win Of Season
Latvian Ernests Gulbis earned his 30th match win of the season on opening Sunday at the BNP Paribas Masters, holding a 7-5, 2-2 lead when Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela retired one hour into the match with a right wrist injury.
The 22-year-old Gulbis, who won his first ATP World Tour title in February at Delray Beach, is making his debut at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Paris and next confronts No. 9 seed Mikhail Youzhny. The pair has split their two meetings, with Gulbis claiming his win in May at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open.
Albert Montanes’ best ATP World Tour season came to a close as he lost to French wild card Florent Serra 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) in one hour and 47 minutes. It marked his fourth straight loss to Serra in five career meetings.
After posting 24 match wins each of the past three season, the 29-year-old Montanes compiled a 37-23 match record in 2010 and reached a career-high No. 22 ranking. He defended his Estoril Open title, en route defeating Roger Federer in the semi-finals, and claimed the Stuttgart crown with successive victories over Jurgen Melzer, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Gael Monfils.
World No. 70 Serra, 29, snapped a four-match losing streak as he recorded his first tour-level win since September at Bangkok. The Frenchman next faces fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, who is attempting to clinch one of three remaining Barclays ATP World Tour Finals berths this week.
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The Last Word: ATP No. 24, Ernests Gulbis
The baby-faced assassin: Few others can crack a forehand like Gulbis.
Best of 2010
The young Latvian recorded the biggest win of his career when he came back from a set down to upset Roger Federer in Rome. Two months earlier, Gulbis marched through the field at Delray Beach to win his first career title.
Worst of 2010
Gulbis was at his worst when it mattered most—at the Grand Slams. He lost three opening-round matches, all in straight sets. Juan Monaco and Julien Benneteau undid Gulbis at the Australian Open and French Open, respectively, while Jeremy Chardy knocked him out of Flushing Meadows. Gulbis pulled out of Wimbledon with a hamstring injury.
Year in Review
Gulbis started the year ranked No. 90 and responded with his most successful season. He vaulted 66 spots in the rankings and, Grand Slam performances aside, demonstrated that he can play with—and beat—some of the best players in the world. And his first career title in South Florida knocked an extremely heavy monkey off his back. The hard-hitting Gulbis also showed some much-needed versatility. An offensive-minded player who relies on his forehand, Gulbis has been pegged as someone only dangerous on fast surfaces. He debunked that myth when he outplayed Federer on clay in April.
Still, the talented Hernan Gumy product has given off signs of disinterest and dissatisfaction. He has voiced a lack of interest in practicing and at times admitted to not wanting to be on the court. It’s an attitude may directly correlate to his lack of success at the Slams.
See for Yourself
When Gulbis defeated Federer in Rome, his potential was realized—at least for a day. The 16-time Grand Slam champ won the first set handily, but Gulbis kept him on his toes for the remainder of the match and rallied to take the final two sets.
The Last Word
The light-hearted and likeable Gulbis is often compared to Marat Safin, for both his attitude and playing style. But don’t expect Gulbis to win multiple Slams or earn the No. 1 ranking—at least not right now. His lack of consistency and drive should keep him below No. 20 for the immediate future.
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Ojciec Chrzestny
2010 w liczbach
Ranking: 24
Turnieje: 1 (Delrey Beach)
Fina³y: 0
Bilans gier: 31-20
Zarobki: $689,920
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Pó³finalista turnieju w Sydney, rozgrywanego przed kilkoma dniami, zajmuje obecnie swoj± najwy¿sz± lokatê w historii startów w ATP World Tour. £otysz znajduje siê na 23 miejscu rankingowym.
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Ojciec Chrzestny
07.02.2011
W dzisiejszym notowaniu rankingu ATP Ernests Gulbis zajmuje najwy¿sza pozycjê w dotychczasowej karierze. £otewski tenisista jest 21.
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Ernests Gulbis: 'I enjoy going out. You can't think only about tennis'
Ernests Gulbis was named after Ernest Hemingway by his
literature-loving parents
Ernests Gulbis has the talent and pedigree to be in the world top 10 but, as he tells Paul Newman, sometimes partying gets in the way
When the best week of Ernests Gulbis's tennis career ended in a battling three-set defeat to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of last year's Rome Masters, the Latvian might have been expected to take time to reflect on a memorable sequence of results. He had reached his first Masters Series semi-final with three victories over higher-ranked players, including Roger Federer, then the world No 1.
There was only one problem. It was Saturday afternoon and it would not be long before the nightclubs opened back home in Riga. Gulbis headed for the airport. "We arrived in Riga at one o'clock in the morning and we went straight to a nightclub," Gulbis recalled. "I can't remember how late we stayed. I met some friends. Then afterwards I went back with them to my apartment."
Losing to Nadal is clearly a signal to relax. After taking the Spaniard to four sets at Wimbledon two years previously Gulbis admitted he "went back to Latvia and had the best week of my life. Obviously it didn't do my tennis much good, but I had fun".
If it is true that recognising your shortcomings is the first step to overcoming them, watch out for the 22-year-old. Gulbis knows he prefers partying to practising, which is probably why he is No 31 in the world rankings and not in the top 10, where he would surely be if he could match his talent with the necessary application.
"I enjoy playing points in practice and competing, but day-by-day drills, day-by-day baskets, gym – no," Gulbis said. "I like running a bit. I can put my music on and just think my own thoughts. It's like some kind of meditation for me. But I can't really push myself to practise at the same level for a really long time."
He admitted: "I'm a guy who goes up and down. I can't really maintain things. If I start to win it's good and I'm confident. But when I play badly, starting to win again is the biggest issue."
The past 15 months illustrate his point. In February 2010 Gulbis won his first title at Delray Beach. During the subsequent clay-court season he reached the quarter-finals in Barcelona and followed up his semi-final run in Rome by beating three more higher-ranked opponents in Madrid before Federer gained revenge. The subsequent 11 months have not been bad, but quarter-final appearances in Bangkok and Doha and a semi-final in Sydney are not the return you might expect from a young man who appeared to have made his breakthrough.
Nevertheless, it would be mean-spirited to criticise a player who brings some welcome colour to the men's tour. Whether he is smashing winning forehands or smashing his rackets – he is adept at both – it is hard to keep your eyes off Gulbis, whose background is as intriguing as his all-out attacking game.
Gulbis's grandfather on his father's side played basketball for the Soviet Union, while his mother's father was a leading film director. His mother is an actress. Gulbis himself appeared with her in a film directed by his grandfather. His father is a wealthy investment banker who at one time was said to lend his private jet to his son to travel to tournaments.
Their first son was named after Ernest Hemingway. "My parents both read books like crazy," he said. "My father has a library in his home. He collects books. My mother also. They enjoyed Ernest Hemingway so they thought – why not?"
As a teenager Gulbis attended the Niki Pilic academy in Munich (which his mother discovered on Google), where he befriended Novak Djokovic. As a Russian speaker he mixes mostly with Russian players and soon found a kindred spirit in Marat Safin, the former world No 1. Safin recommended his former coach, Hernan Gumy, who now works with the Latvian. Gulbis has stayed in touch since Safin's retirement and visited him in Moscow.
Had Safin taught him how to smash rackets? "No, I think I'm good by myself," Gulbis smiled, though he is trying to show more self-control. At one stage he was getting through up to 70 rackets a year.
Was it true that he had changed his attitude after visiting a racket factory in Austria and realising how much work went into producing the tools of his trade? "For a moment – and then I realised that it's not wrong at all because it's work for them and the rackets aren't expensive to make. It's more publicity for the manufacturers as well.
"All the cameras are on the racket when you smash it."
Gulbis insists that he is "just like any other normal person" away from the court. He is a big reader, particularly of Russian authors recommended by his father, and considered studying art at university. "I went to a couple of lectures, but I didn't have the time. The only time when I can go to college is in the off season in November but it's only two weeks." He spent a year learning to play a folk guitar but says it is impractical to take the instrument on tour with him.
He insists he is "not a party guy" and says that any comparison between himself and Vitas Gerulaitis, who had a reputation as the ultimate tennis playboy and was the son of Lithuanian immigrants to New York, would be misleading.
"It's a different era," Gulbis said. "The game wasn't so physical in his day. Today if you don't sleep at night and you drink a couple of beers you'll be dead in practice the next day. I remember Niki Pilic telling me stories about how players went out and had fun. There wasn't so much money involved then and there was a friendlier atmosphere on the tour. Now everything is more business-like. People are earning big money. They're here to work. They're not here to make friends.
"When I'm at home I enjoy going out with my friends. I wouldn't say that I don't enjoy having a couple of drinks with them, going to a nightclub, doing things that have nothing to do with tennis at all.
"You can't do it all the time, but from time to time I think it's good because you can't be paranoid all the time and think only about tennis. When I'm at tournaments I live a completely different lifestyle. I practise, I spend the evenings in my room reading or watching good movies, looking on the internet."
When it comes to training, however, Gulbis knows that staying in Latvia is a non-starter. "I've tried, but ask my coaches," he said. "They'll tell you that I don't sleep at night. I go to sleep at four or five in the morning because every night I have friends over. I have such little time together with my friends that when I'm back home I like to see them. I can be at home for a maximum of three or four days and then I need to go somewhere else to practise."
He appreciates the frustration he can give to Gumy, his coach. "He's trying to change me," Gulbis said with a smile. "He says he's never had a player like me before, but we're trying to find a middle way."
Gulbis admits there are times when he has considered giving up tennis. "I've been thinking a lot about it in the last couple of months," he said. "On one side I don't like it. I don't like the travelling. I don't like the attention, all the pressure. But on the other side I'm thinking, 'What else would I do?' I'm 22. Would I go to college, would I stay at home and do nothing, would I think about how to make some money, or would I live on my parents' money? But no, I've decided I would prefer to play tennis. I still enjoy competing."
He added: "I understand now that I need to work. I don't want to be someone who lives off somebody else's wealth. I want to stand on my own feet and be responsible for my own life."
What does he think he can achieve? "I think if I play my best tennis I can beat anybody. It's not being too confident. I'm just realistic. Many players don't like to play against me, maybe because of my game. I have a good serve, I play aggressive tennis and I don't give players a lot of rhythm. If I'm at the top of my game and in top shape – it's tough for them to get into the game."
A laugh spread across his face as he added: "If I am not in my best shape, then basically I lose to everybody."
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Come on Andy !
Gulbis says he sometimes doubts his temper
Latvia's Ernests Gulbis weighs in on his recent poor form on the ATP circuit.
Ernests Gulbis has not passed a third round since his Sydney semi-final four months ago and with the one-year anniversary of one of his best career performances approaching in Rome next month, the Latvian has confessed that he sometimes doubts his choice of tennis.
"I've been thinking a lot about it in the last couple of months," he told London's Independent. "On one side I don't like it. I don't like the travelling. I don't like the attention, all the pressure.
"But on the other side I'm thinking, 'What else would I do?' I'm 22. Would I go to college, would I stay at home and do nothing, would I think about how to make some money, or would I live on my parents' money? But no, I've decided I would prefer to play tennis. I still enjoy competing."
Gulbis produced the win of his life at the Foro Italico with his second-round upset of Roger Federer, but then lost to the Swiss a week later in Madrid before exiting in the French Open first round. His form then took a further dip through to the end of 2010 with only a pair of quarter-finals to show.
Gulbis has had only two matches on clay this spring, beating Alexandr Dolgopolov in Monte Carlo before losing to Canadian Milos Raonic.
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