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Tennis ace 'a great promoter' of home country Croatia
03 March 2008
One of Croatia's sporting heroes has been celebrated as "a great promoter" of the eastern European hotspot.
As well as being known for winning Wimbledon, Goran Ivanisevic will remain in people's memories for his "interesting outbursts", according to Javno.
The news provider explained that fellow tennis champ Boris Becker predicted that the Croat would win the championship 11 years before he eventually did in 2001.
"Whatever I do the rest of my life, I will always be a Wimbledon winner," said the Split-born 36-year-old after he beat Australian Pat Rafter in five sets.
In 1992, Ivanisevic risked a fine from his sponsors by putting the Croatian coat of arms on his head instead of their logo.
At one point in his career he quipped that the number of financial penalties he received totalled "more than some people earn in their careers".
"The problem when I play is that I have five opponents: the umpire, the fans, the ball collectors, the court and myself," he said of his temperament on another occasion.
Following the Croatian hero's 2001 triumph, the BBC deemed him the foreign sporting personality of the year, while his success over Rafter was also declared to be the 16th greatest moment of sporting history.
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