Good Goran and Bad Goran finally became friends again. The combined Goran beat Australian Patrick Rafter in five sets 6-3 3-6 6-3 2-6 9-7. A three-hour-thriller that allowed me only one-hour of sleep that morning. I got up after a short morning nap and sat in front of the television seemed to know something special and important is gonna happen in a few hours. Since the match was postponed from Sunday to Monday, national tv network NBC couldn't broadcast the match, it was moved to MSNBC. I knew NBC won't be able to broadcast, I checked it the tv schedule online late that night. Luckily it's on MSNBC, and luckily I have cable tv.

I got up on time as my alarm clock woke me up and my roommate who had no intention to watch the game. Goran and Patrick came out of the locker room on time. I watched Ivanisevic's final game at Wimbledon three years ago when he faced Pete Sampras. Ivanisevic won the first set. Sampras and Ivanisevic started rallying in the second set, so they went on to a tiebreak. Ivanisevic lost it and his game went down altogether. He lost 3-1. That was his third loss in the Wimbledon final. I knew he could not afford to lose that one. He might not have any chance again. His ranking in ATP tour went down as his loss in the final. Year after year he played a number of rounds in each tournament. His ranking was out of sight in the top 20 the first time in more than 10 years. I was a big supporter of his since around 1996 when he played a non-ATP tour tournament in Hong Kong. I had heard of his name long before it as "the Serve Engine." I was finding a way to make my tennis special. Ivanisevic became my favorite tennis player and from then on I emphasized on my serve, and it was not bad. I followed his name from tournament to tournament. His position on the ranking was maintained within the top 20 for years.

After the loss to Sampras that year, he slided from the top to the bottom. I didn't follow tennis as I did before. I read an article about his performance in the past few years. In a tournament last year, he threw and broke all his rackets that he had none to compete. But starting from the beginning of the year 2001, Goran changed. He hanged on every game instead of letting it go as he used to after losing a devastating set.

In the beginning of the Wimbledon this year, as Goran had said, no one talked about him. This is the first time ever I could watch live Wimbledon games from day 1. I love watching people play on grass court. I didn't think of Ivanisevic like every mind when he faced Andy Roddick, the new American hope, in the third round. I think television had broadcasted the game because Andy Roddick is an American, however, I missed it. From that time on, I look at the results everyday with intention to find Ivanisevic's name. His games were not seen on tv until the quarter final. He passed each and every opponent he faced. At that time, media started to focus on him, a wild card holder. Sports television showed his match highlights. Jim Courier (TNT play-by-play analyst) had an interview with him. This is the first time ever I heard his voice in so many years. He spoke a very special kind of English. He had a very strong accent but he spoke very nice English. When asked about his coming game against a similar player Marat Safin in the quarter final, he said the racket had to be broken after being thrown on the ground, be a man to it. He told Jim that he has 5 opponents in each game, the opposing player, linemen, the umpire, the ball boys and the court. He also describe about his game. There are two Gorans existing, a good Goran and a bad Goran. In many occasions the bad Goran dominate his game, but when the Good and Bad are friends, good things happen.

The two Gorans' friendship were good all the way. I watch his match with Tim Henman. He won the first set and lost the second in tiebreak and go on to lose the third by 6-0. I was sure he will lose the match after losing the second set tiebreak as usual. The inevitable rain came at the forth when Goran led the forth by 2-1. Thank for the rain. Goran maintained his serve strength and his serve return, won the forth. Rain came again. The match was suspended at the fifth set. Goran came out on Sunday and broke on of Henman's serving game. He won the match, but in my opinion, with a little luck. If it was not the rain at the forth sat, he must have lost. Henman would be the one step away from bring the first British to clinch the Wimbledon since 1936. But Goran did put a lot of effort to over come the utter one-way support for Henman from the British fans.

To know how important the Wimbledon is for Goran, he is a way. In the press conference after beating Henman, he said if an angel comes to his drean that night and tells him he would win the Wimbledon the following day but he would not be allowed to play tennis again, he would take it. His passion for it showed thoroughly in the final match. I have never seen so many extreme fans in a Wimbledon final. The audiences brought with them Australia and Crotia flags. They cheered loudly and selectively through the match. Rafter supporters only cheered for Rafter and Goran's only cheered for Goran. The similar audiences are only seen in a soccer game. The matched went on smoothly without rain interception. Goran took the first set by breaking once, 6-3. Rafter broke once and took the second 6-3. Goran took the third back by breaking once when the momentum was on Rafter's way, 6-3 again. In the middle of the forth, Bad Goran took place. On a Rafter's break point, Goran served on the center line. He thought it was an ace, but the lineman called "fault", Goran responded with a long sigh, "NO!" His second serve was very close to the center line again. He held his fist thinking he saved and back to deuce but "fault" was called again. Goran threw his racket on the grass and kicked the net angrily, complained to the chair umpire. Usually his game would slide after a anger releasing actions like these, but this is an exception. Although he lost the forth set by 6-2, he and Rafter held all serves in thr fifth set until the 15th game, Goran broke Rafter's serve after 15-40. I was so happy that I jumped up and knowing Goran only needed to hold his serve, which he was able to do the entire set. His tears came down when he serve for chamionship. He double faulted twice in 3 championship points. He finally did it after deuce #4. He fell down with face down, got up and hugged his visitors including his father who did nothing in the whole match but stood up and smiling at the moment Rafter returned the serve on the net.

It is one of the most beautiful day this year for me. This is I think the first time my favorite player or sport team to win a major championship. Goran is special and important because tennis is my favorite sport. It great to see Goran find his tennis back and win a grand slam with a wild card entry. He is making history and he will be talked about in many years to come in Wimbledon. The real deserving Wimbledon champion finally get one trophy after collecting three plates for runner-up.

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