Broken Racquet And Cash's Headband Inspire Ivanisevic

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 played so badly in the first set I should have broken all my racquets!” said Ivanisevic, who once did exactly that in Brighton, England in 2000, causing him to retire from a match because he had 'insufficient equipment'.

“I had been behaving well up until now - this is the first racquet I’ve broken since I started playing on the ATP Champions Tour. I was just so frustrated that I couldn’t get a serve in the court. As soon as I put on Cash’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 his first final on the ATP Champions Tour for five years, but pleased with the way he had played.

“I served well and I volleyed well 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.

“It would be really nice to finish the year No.1,” said Ivanisevic. “I did it once before two years ago and then Thomas did it last year so I think it’s time I got back on top. It’s going to be tight though, that’s for sure. It’s important I win all my matches for the rest of the year.”

The ATP Champions Tour will now move on to Paris, France for the seventh annual Jean-Luc Lagardere Trophy at the Stade Coubertin (October 1-3), and following that will arrive at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre for the second Chengdu Open (October 21-24).