Ivo Karlovic It is still not clear if what he expects after Us Open 2021 It is the end of the tunnel. Everything is in the air. “I’m in the top 30”he says when asked about his age. The circuit knows well that the odometer does not matter if Ivo’s mind is focused on tennis. As if that were not enough, last week he was in charge of proving it again: three resounding victories, sealed with a huge amount of direct aces, which allowed him to overcome the preliminary phase of the New York tournament and earn a place in the final table. There is more data that contextualizes and offers epic to this fact: it has done it to the 42 years And, as if that weren’t enough, it became the first time the Croatian had won three games in a row … in almost two years.
In between, the pandemic of COVID-19, the loss of form and continuity, recurrent injuries and the inexorable advance of time. This led Ivo to declare that he would hang up his racket after the tournament at Flushing Meadows, a decision that could nevertheless have a flip of the page. “I still don’t know what I’m going to do, I will decide after the Us Open. I need to put a limit, see what my ranking is and what I want to do. This week I was great and I really enjoyed being on the track, but I need to think and see if I really want to get back on the Challenger circuit. Right now the decision is in a 50-50“, the Croatian declared emphatically in a conversation with the ATP, aware of the sacrifice that his current situation requires him to make in the face of a possible rise in the classification.
Whoever was number 14 in the world has done in New York a feat that can only be equaled by Evil Anderson, the only tennis player older than Ivo to qualify since the pre-Grand Slam. Bad got it in the year 1977, putting Karlovic’s 17th appearance in the Us Open draw in perspective. Getting here, however, has not been easy: in between there is a practically blank season due to significant annoyances. “This gives me a boost of confidence because the last time I won three games in a row was two years ago. Last year, I didn’t really compete. Being able to win three games in a row, with no rest days and after two years without doing it is great for me, because I know I have the physical and tennis level to do it “, defined Karlovic, showing that he still has gasoline in the tank despite more than two decades as a professional.
Will you want to use it or reserve it for other purposes outside of a tennis court? Only he has the answer. If you decide to use it, yes, admit that it will be difficult to advance in a circuit in which any player can give you a good scare. “It’s very difficult, all the guys are really good. Today the competition is huge and everyone knows how to play at a great level. There are not more than 100 men in the top-100, and there is not a big difference in level. with respect to top-200 O top-300. It’s complicated, really “The Doctor honestly admits.
Rublev, difficult but not impossible
Luck has gotten off to a thorny start against one of the fittest players on the circuit. Andrey Rublev, finalist in the past Masters 1000 of Cincinnati, rises like a tower difficult to overcome … but not impossible. “I know he’s been playing very well, but I still know that I have a chance if I do everything well. I know he doesn’t like to face my style of play, so I feel like I will have opportunities. I have nothing to lose. I’m going to try to enjoy every moment out there and see what happens. “.
How confident is Ivo in his tennis? Even saying that he feels that each game is on his racket. “It has always been like that, I have always felt that I am in control. If my head is in the right place, if I feel motivated and calm on a mental level, I have always believed that I can win anyone. It’s not always easy to enjoy the track as you get older, but I’ve been away from the competition for a while and I feel really good on the track right now. “. In a few hours, the opportunity to prove it. Will it be the last dance of Ivo Karlovic?
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