Finally A Final: Ernests Gulbis Surges Into First Final In Delray Beach
By Richard Pagliaro
Photo Credit: Henk Abbink
(February 27, 2010) Ernests Gulbis was in no mood to play the waiting game.
The talented 21-year-old played 66 ATP Tour tournaments without reaching a title match and now was four points from powering into his first career ATP Tour level final when showers stalled his ascent.
Serving for a spot in his first career final in Delray Beach today, Gulbis glanced toward the sky at the curtain of clouds that hung heavily in the air and watched as the rain ruptured through the clouds and flooded onto the court, temporarily washing away his hopes for a title shot.
Heavy showers suspended play at 3:24 p.m. with Gulbis holding a 6-4, 5-4 lead over Jarkko Nieminen in the International Tennis Championships first semifinal. Both men packed up their bags and headed for the cover of the player lounge where they endured a three hour, four minute rain delay.
When play resumed, Gulbis netted a forehand on the first point, then unloaded on a biting first serve and two crushing overhead winners to reach match point.
Extending his left arm up into the murky sky, Gulbis pounded down a 125 mph ace out wide to wrap up a 6-4, 6-4 victory that vaulted him into his first Tour-level final.
It is Gulbis' first final at any level since he won the Mons, Belgium Challenger in October of 2007 — an event so far removed from his current state of mind he could not even recall his last final. He won't forget reaching this final.
"It feels great," said Gulbis, who conducted his post-match press conference twisting a piece of white adhesive tape he peeled off his index finger while contemplating the magnitude of the moment. "I made a lot of (ranking) points. I have no points to defend for a long time — 'till the end of the year. Any points I make from here I can just grow in the rankings. Starting from now I can just go up. I cannot fall out of 100 anymore — I have nothing to defend."
A year ago, Gulbis found himself fighting to fend off the label of a spoiled, underachieving prodigy who would rather hang out with his friends than spend time on the practice court.
Touted as one of tennis' top talents when he reached the 2006 St. Petersburg semifinals in his ATP debut, Gulbis solidified his status as a player with great promise powering to the 2008 Roland Garros quarterfinals. Since that career-best major result, Gulbis has failed to surpass the second round in seven straight majors and spent much of last season railing at himself or bouncing his racket in disgust with good reason: Gulbis won back-to-back matches only twice last season.
Working with coach Hernan Gumy for the past four months (the pair spent some time in the offseason training in Miami) has helped Gulbis stabilize his emotions on court and smarten his shot selection.
While he readily admits "I hate to practice", he's no longer the baseline gun slinger prone to imploding when his groundstrokes go askew. Gumy, a former Argentine pro, has a history of helping impetuous players. He worked with Marat Safin in the later stages of the two-time Grand Slam champions career and has encouraged Gulbis to play sound, aggressive tennis.
"I played well (at Challengers); it was just the transition from Challengers to the ATP level that was not as well," Gulbis said. "No one knew me or knew what to expect (and) on that wave I went up. I played the quarters of Paris and some good matches against great players. Then players started to figure me out. They start to know me as a player and they played on my weak spots. Last year was like that, but now I am a more complete player. If I don't play my game right I lost to people I should beat and I lost to them easy. Honestly, I basically think I won or I lost matches by myself. The other guy just put the ball in and that's it — that's all he had to do."
It may sound like Gulbis had to jump through hoops to advance to the title match, but in reality he spent the break shooting hoops in the converted gym that serves as the player lounge. The son of a former basketball player, Gulbis is an avid basketball player and said he sank 18 consecutive free throws during the rain delay.
"Usually I do a couple of hundred in row," Gulbis deadpanned, effectively conning one journalist on that count before conceding, "I'm joking. I did 18 in a row so I was confident for my match."
There was a time when Gulbis, one of the most physically gifted young players on the pro circuit, watched his confidence ebb and flow like his drop shot. He was so mentally and emotionally fragile on court he may have suffered a mental meltdown enduring such a lengthy delay in years past. Times have changed and now the Latvian, whose bushy head of brown hair makes him resemble a college kid rolling out of bed after a late night on spring break, is adding another important element to his game: poise.
"Maybe not," Gulbis said when asked if he would have won such a match prior to this season. "Because I think I am mentally stronger than I was before. I feel different on court I am playing a bit smarter, I think, I hope. I warmed up well before the match (resumed) I was already sweating so I was ready for the first point. I just kept aggressive and it worked out. I was thinking mentally I was going to win."
He is now one win from his first Tour-level title and has a strong shot to capture the championship if he reproduce the level of tennis he's played this week.
"I think he can (break through as a top 25 player)," Nieminen said. "I thought already (before the semifinal) Gulbis is one of the most talented players. It seems he has found something to beat top 20 players."
Gulbis will play ATP ace leader Ivo Karlovic in Sunday's 3 p.m. final. The 6-foot-10 Karlovic defeated defending champion Mardy Fish, 6-2, 6-3, in the second semifinal. A grinning Gulbis made no secret of his preferred opponent for the final.
"Better Fish because he is a normal tennis player," said Gulbis with a smile. "Karlovic is a great guy and a good tennis player, but he is so tough to play against. I never played against him but I practice against him and practice was so-so. I will just take it as another match. The game plan is simple: keep my serve and I will wait for my chances because both guys are serving well and if I keep my serve I will wait for my chances."
The 72nd-ranked Gulbis blasted a backhand off the sideline to convert his fourth break point and collect a 2-1 lead in the opening set.
A Gulbis double fault gave Nieminen a break point in the next game, but Gulbis dug in and erased it with a forehand winner. He followed with a backhand winner and a 131 mph service winner out wide to hold for 3-1.
The 109th-ranked Nieminen was bidding to reach his first Tour-level final since he defeated World No. 3 Novak Djokovic to reach the Sydney final in January. Nieminen's game is predicated on his movement, court craft and ability to change speed on his shots. He used those elements to fight off set points in the opening set and twice battle back from a break down in dispatching third-seeded Benjamin Becker, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5) in Friday's quarterfinals, but could not get enough balls back in play to engage Gulbis in longer exchanges today.
"I thought I didn't do too much wrong the whole match," Nieminen said. "His serve is so big and solid, it's tough to get into rallies when he makes his first serve."
Gulbis surrendered just two points in his next two service games to open a 5-3 lead.
Clouds began to thicken, the sky darkened and the stadium lights were turned on after the ninth game.
Serving for the first set in the 10th game, Gulbis saw Nieminen save two set points, stabbing back stretch returns. Cracking a 121 mph service winner, Gulbis gained a third set point and closed the opening set with an ambitious slice second serve wide that provoked an errant return from Nieminen.
A foot fault call on a first serve forced Nieminen to hit a second serve. He sent a forehand beyond the baseline to face break point. Gulbis, who uses his hip and shoulder turn to great effect on his two-handed backhand, sent an angled backhand return to break for 2-1. Successive forehand winners enabled Gulbis to stretch the lead to 3-1.
Nieminen broke back for 3-all when Gulbis, upset over what he thought was an ace that was ruled out, lost his concentration. Nieminen held to take the lead for the first time since opening game.
The loose-limbed left-hander had the lead, but Gulbis responded with a prodigious display of power that illustrated why he's regarded as a top talent.
Unleashing a torrent of titanic serves, Gulbis hit a 126 mph ace for a 30-0 lead then crushed a 132 mph ace — his eighth of the match — to hold at 15 for 4-all.
Nieminen floated a forehand deep to hand Gulbis a break point in the ninth game. A heavy inside-out forehand from Gulbis drew another forehand error and Gulbis had the break and a 5-4 lead. That's when the rain came.
Gulbis weathered the storm and will try to carry the calm state of mind he showed in finishing off today's match into the final. The man who proudly proclaims he is "not sick with tennis" appears to have found the remedy for the ailments that stalled his progress.
"I know guys who are living on court for seven or eight hours a day and I am not like that," Gulbis said. "I like playing tennis, but I am not sick with tennis. I enjoy winning. I enjoy playing. I enjoy competing. I do not like practice. I really hate practice. The only thing I am competing for is playing and for the taste of winning."
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