Na klawiature to porównania same sie pchają no ale ... xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD  no tak czy siak ja zawsze wiedziałam, że z Młokosa swój ziom jest
A tak na serio to miło by było zachować odpowiednie proporcje między treningami i chwilami umilającymi życie, że tak to nazwe i będzie gicior.

Ale się Ernie'mu dowcip wyostrzył Nawet mistrz ironii COA dał się nabrać Szkoda tylko, że to wszystko tak wyrwane z kontekstu, że faktycznie może rzucać negatywne światło na jego osobę.

gratulacje za to 35 miejsce w rankingu Erno, jeszcze trochę i będzie rozstawienie w Wielkim Szlemie

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.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3887 … in-tennis#

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 20:51:00)

RG 2010 - wywiad z Ernestsem po porażce 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.

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/ … 02100.html

Gulbis zrezygnował

Łotysz Ernests Gulbis nie zagra w rozpoczynającym się w poniedziałek tenisowym turnieju wielkoszlemowym w Wimbledonie z powodu kontuzji ścięgna uda - informuje PAP.

Gulbis był na kursie kolizyjnym z Łukaszem Kubotem. Polak mógł trafić na Gulbisa w drugiej rundzie, jeżeli pokona Słoweńca Blaz Kavcicia.

http://www.eurosport.pl/tenis/wimbledon … news.shtml

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.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE- … ulbis.aspx

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.

http://www.tennis.com/articles/template … 8&zoneid=9

Półfinalista turnieju w Sydney, rozgrywanego przed kilkoma dniami, zajmuje obecnie swoją najwyższą lokatę w historii startów w ATP World Tour. Łotysz znajduje się na 23 miejscu rankingowym.

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."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tenn … 69657.html