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cover story: may 2005
goran ivanisevic
An Endearing Schizophrenia |
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Whether you call him the George Washington of Croatian sports or the Rodney Dangerfield of Centre Court, you’ve got to chuckle along with this gentle giant. Tennis’ poet-laureate of profanity touched both the young and old. He advised the aspiring Mario Ancic, 12, to “keep on breaking rackets” and delivered sassy wisecracks about the creaky elders of Palm Springs.
Of course, tennis, wackiest comic since Nastase, is best remembered for his most enchanting schizophrenia. You know, there was Goran I, the swell and gracious Goran; Goran II — the crazed, self-loathing semi-lunatic and Goran III, the emergency, “911” Goran who calmly stepped in to sort out the whole crazy mess.
A silly, superstitious and endearing man-child, he bragged about stripping in front of 200,000 folks during a ceremony in his deliciously named hometown of Split. Ultimately Ivanisevic was a singular character and he knew it. After a freak accident in Miami, he joked that “the beach was 10 kilometers long, there was one shell on the beach and only one person can find it and step on it - me. I can injure myself getting out of bed.”
© 2005
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