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Ivanisevic ready for last curtain call
At Wimbledon 2004, there are two defending champions. Federer, the winner in 2003, and Ivanisevic who swept to an emotional win in 2001 and hasn't been back since.
At Wimbledon 2004, there are two defending men's champions.
There is Roger Federer, the winner in 2003, and then there is Goran Ivanisevic who swept to an emotional triumph in 2001 and hasn't been back since.
Years of struggling with a shoulder injury have kept the hugely popular Croatian away from the All England Club but now, three years after his tearful win, the 32-year-old has made it back for what will be his last tournament.
His swansong may last just one round when he faces Russian 31st seed Mikhail Youzhny, or he might, just might put in another repeat performance of three years ago when he was also handed a wildcard and went all the way to the greatest moment of his career.
"I think I owe it to myself and my fans in Britain to play one more Wimbledon," said Ivanisevic. "This is going to be my last professional match and there is no better tournament to end my career.
"It's going to be very tough walking to the net for the last time. That will be it after 15 years. No more professional tennis. I don't know what kind of emotions are going to go through my head. It will be interesting."
Although there will be a groundswell of support for him, the indicatins are that his final appearance will be brief.
He has won just two matches all year, his ranking has slipped to 415 and his first round exit on grass at Queen's two weeks ago against Romania's Victor Hanescu indicated that even though the spirit was willing, the body was not.
"Wimbledon is everything to me," he said. "My shoulder is fine and my goal is to pass the first week and after that, who cares?
"The last two years were very tough for me. It's like when you don't drive a car for two years, you have to change the parts. But I can't change all of my body.
"Every time I play now, I get small injuries; not just my shoulder, but my back, my knee and my neck. I just pray I don't get hurt again before it starts. I have to be careful because I can get injured getting out of bed nowadays," added Ivanisevic whose hopes of appearing last year were shattered when he injured his foot stepping on a shell on a Miami beach.
Ivanisevic first played here in 1988 and went out in the first round, in 1990 he lost to Boris Becker in the semi-finals and was runner-up to Andre Agassi in 1992.
His tale of what-might-have-been continued in 1994 when he was beaten in the final by Pete Sampras followed by a semi-final loss to Sampras in 1995.
It was also Sampras who got the better of him in the 1998 final before that incredible victory over Pat Rafter in 2001 finally delivered the trophy to him.
His first round match this year will be staged on one of the show courts.
"It would be nice to play Centre Court again," he said. "That was the first major court I ever played on. But I just want to be at Wimbledon one more time, I don't care what court I play on."
But whatever happens this week, he will be back - his win here in 2001 automatically made him an honorary member of the All England Club. "Next year I will wear my tie and drink tea."
