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Troubles put aside Croatia overcome with joy after Ivanisevic win
Updated: Monday July 09, 2001 3:53 PM
SPLIT, Croatia (Reuters) -- Croatia erupted with joy on Monday as people poured into the streets to celebrate Goran Ivanisevic's dramatic win over Australian Pat Rafter in the Wimbledon final. Shots rang out, mixing with shouts of delight in the player's home town of Split on the Adriatic coast, as Ivanisevic clinched victory on his fourth match point to end a nerve-jangling, five-set encounter. "You're a genius, a natural wonder," an old Croatian pop song blared from loudspeakers in numerous cafes, referring to Ivanisevic's statement that he must be a genius to get so far in the tournament as a player who could only serve, as some critics had claimed. Streets in Split and the capital Zagreb were almost empty during the match, and Prime Minister Ivica Racan glanced at his watch during a news conference to say: "Good, we have enough time to go and watch tennis." The victory sent thousands of people into the streets of Split, many stripped to the waist on a hot summer day. A long column of cars and motorcycles drove through the city, honking horns and waving national flags and those of soccer club Hajduk Split, of which Ivanisevic is a big fan. Ivanisevic dedicated the victory to his late friend Drazen Petrovic, the basketball player who died in a car crash in 1993 after taking Croatia to a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Petrovic's mother Biserka told state television she had to take tranquilizers to remain calm during the final. "But it felt so good, as if Drazen was alive, beside me," she said. "They were very similar in temper." Racan immediately congratulated the 29-year-old in a telegram, saying Ivanisevic, who had lost three Wimbledon finals in the 1990s, set an example of "determination, energy and willpower" for the whole nation. State radio opened its main news program with a statement that Ivanisevic's victory easily overshadowed the current political crisis, which was brought about by the government's resolve to arrest and hand over Croatian suspects to a U.N. war crimes tribunal. Local Internet provider Globalnet promptly opened a special page on its site to which readers could sent congratulatory messages to Ivanisevic, who became the first player to win a Grand Slam tournament as a wildcard. "You are the only one who can shatter tonnes of my nerves and then make me weep with joy," one message said. Some were sent from other former Yugoslav republics, with which Croatia was united until the federation collapsed in 1991. "You have made history, king! We all love you in Cetinje," wrote Luka Popovic from Montenegro, which together with Serbia makes up the new federal Yugoslavia. Split mayor Ivica Skaric vowed to throw an "unforgettable welcome party" on Tuesday, when Ivanisevic is scheduled to return home, with more than 150,000 people expected to attend. Hundreds of Croats in Australia had gathered in Croatian culture clubs across the country to watch the match, state news agency Hina reported. "Patrick [Rafter] is a great player, but my heart beat for
Goran tonight," Chery Sorak, an Australian Croat from Sydney,
told the agency.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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