Broken Racquet And Cash’s Headband Inspire Ivanisevic Victory

Goran Ivanisevic broke his first racquet since joining the ATP Champions Tour and stole one of his opponent Pat Cash’s famous headbands to help turn the final of the Optima Open in his favour in Knokke, Belgium on Sunday.

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

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Published on: Monday, August 23rd, 2010