Trailing by a set, 1-3 and 15-40, the Croatian smashed his racquet to the ground and ‘borrowed’ Cash’s chequered headband, before going on to win 3-6, 6-3, 10-4.

“I had been behaving well up until now,” he said. “This is the first racquet I’ve broken since I started playing on the ATP Champions Tour. I was just so frustrated I couldn’t get a serve in the court. As soon as I put on Cashy’s headband I started playing good though, it really worked. I think he needs to give me a few more of those!”

Cash was disappointed to lose the final – his first on the ATP Champions Tour for five years, but pleased with the way he had played.

“I served well and I volleyed well,” said Cash. “It’s just Goran started playing great tennis at the end of the second set and he did deserve to win in the end. I’m delighted to finish runner-up though and I’ve had a great week here in Belgium so I hope to be back next year.”

Ivanisevic is intent on overhauling Thomas Enqvist, having closed the gap on the Swede in the South African Airways Rankings to just 120 points. Cash moves up to 5th in the ATP rankings

Check it out here

Pat said “ It is always great to play here and to win is a real bonus and the crowd were great”

Also check out these clips ahead of airing:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2010/05/12/oc.mansour.bahrami.tricks.cnn

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2010/05/12/oc.nadal.comeback.cnn

Cash spent last week on the clay courts of Barcelona, joining former top-10 player and AIS coach Felix Mantilla and TA’s head of men’s tennis Todd Woodbridge to hit with the next generation of Australian players.
“I am delighted to be working with some really talented kids and helping improve their game. It’s been a good week and I’ve enjoyed the stay in Barcelona,” Cash said. “Australia has high expectations in sport and I hope my involvement with TA will help to drive the next generation to major tennis success.”

Members of the AIS Pro Tour program Sean Berman and Jason Kubler, along with talented under-14s players Thanasi Kokkinakis, Li Tu, Jay Andrijic and Blake Mott from the National Academies all enjoyed the opportunity to work with the former Wimbledon champion and world No. 4.

“It was great to have Pat join the team for our claycourt camp here in Barcelona,” Woodbridge said. “Each day we had the boys out on court with Pat and Felix (Mantilla) and worked them hard.”

“Pat’s influence on how to be the best professional was great. His experience on how to prepare on court, what’s needed physically and mentally as well as nutritionally, adds enormously to the boys’ development.”

TA’s director of tennis Craig Tiley hailed Cash’s recruitment as a major coup. “Last year Pat coached a group of our top boys in Morocco and it’s great we have been able to expand his contribution for this year,” he said.
Next month Cash will head to Ipswich in Queensland to work with a mix of AIS and National Academy athletes during the festival of claycourt tennis at the new George Alder Tennis Centre.

Mid-year Cash will take to the court with players in the UK as part of their preparation for the grasscourt season, and later in the year will do further work with AIS and National Academy athletes

With its season-ending status on the ATP Champions Tour, the AEGON Masters Tennis is one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments on British soil. The qualification criteria for this event ensures a competitive and high quality Singles field, whilst you can expect to see all your favourites playing in the Doubles tournament, such as Iranian genius Mansour Bahrami.

“I’ve been lucky this week,” said Cash. “I got a few lucky breaks today and you need that to beat these guys, who are all champions. The great thing about this tour, the Outback Champions Series, is that it is serious tennis. We get out there and you can see how hard we’re trying, but it’s also fun,”

Cash is regarded as one of the best serve-and-volley and grass-court players in tennis over the last 30 years. In addition to his 1987 Wimbledon title, Cash was a singles finalist on grass at the 1987 Australian Open. The 44-year-old Australian was the lone Wimbledon singles champion in the eight-player Newport field and was most comfortable on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame all week.

“I wouldn’t say I grew up on the grass-court but I have played a lot of grass-court tennis,” said Cash. “It’s natural for me to play this style of game. It’s easy. I don’t have to think about it. I just serve and volley. I’m not smart enough to work out a game tactic against Jim so I just kind of keep serving and running to the net.”

Courier, playing in his 13th career Outback Champions Series final, was seeking the first career professional title on grass courts. However, the 1993 Wimbledon finalist and four-time major tournament champion earned $30,000 with the runner-up showing as well as 800 ranking points that further solidified his No. 1 ranking on the Outback Champions Series.

“If you watched this match at all you could see how difficult it is to return Pat’s serve,” said Courier. “He really spotted his serve beautifully once he got in to the rhythm today and from there I’m struggling because he’s such a beautiful volleyer. If he gets his hands on anything at the net then it seems the point’s over. I felt under pressure because I wasn’t getting to break point on his serve then that’s a lot of pressure on mine. He’s a great champion. He’s obviously a great grass-court champion. You don’t win Wimbledon if you’re not. It’s disappointing because I was hoping to win my first grass-court title.”