Courier Finds Way Into Final as Ivanisevic Loses His Focus

It was a stomach virus that struck Goran Ivanisevic in the first two rounds of the Infiniti Open and caused him to default from doubles. With medication, he recovered. In Saturday night’s semifinal, the tournament’s top-seeded player was stricken again. This time the problem was self-administered and brought about a serious brain-body disconnection.

With Ivanisevic, it’s a preexisting condition.

Jim Courier was available to administer help: that is, get Ivanisevic off the court as soon as possible. The sixth-seeded Courier was pleased to oblige, taking 72 minutes to dispatch the volatile Croatian, 6-3, 6-4, at the L.A. Tennis Center at UCLA.

In a match that will pit two powerful baseliners against each other, Courier will play second-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in today’s final. Courier has a 4-1 record against Enqvist.

Courier now has a 7-3 record against Ivanisevic, which may speak to Courier’s unflappability. He refuses to be lured into the erratic rhythms of talented but streaky players like Ivanisevic and Richard Krajicek, whom Courier beat in the quarterfinals.

It was patience that was Courier’s greatest asset Saturday night. Once Ivanisevic double-faulted to lose his first service game, Courier was able to discern the telltale signs that Ivanisevic would not be fully present for the match. When Ivanisevic is in such a state, it is sometimes only necessary to remain calm, keep the ball in play, and await the inevitable self-destruction.

It came early in the match in the form of shots sprayed around the court. It was possible to hear many of Ivanisevic’s 34 unforced errors as they clanked and thwacked off the frame and throat of his racket and pinged off various objects surrounding the court.

“Nothing happened,” Ivanisevic said, giving his assessment of his performance. “He didn’t play anything special. He didn’t have to. Too many mistakes. From the back, I couldn’t put two balls into the court. I didn’t have enough practice and preparation. Enough for other guys, but not for Courier.”

Ivanisevic has a deserved reputation for being one of the best servers on the tour, but it was Courier who served most effectively Saturday night. Courier lost only seven points in 10 service games during the match. Ivanisevic got in only 46% of his first serves.

“He never sniffed my serve all night,” said Courier, who never faced a break point. “I was basically cruising on my serve, which gave me the freedom to go after his.”

Said Ivanisevic: “Not the greatest day at the office.”

He has learned not to take losses too hard. From a mental health perspective, it’s a medically sound attitude.