 | Born: 19/3/79 Nationality: Croatian Seeded: 25 World ranking: 26 French Open best:
3rd round (2003) Recent record:
2003: 3rd round
2002: 1st round
2001: 1st round |
Ljubicic is seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2002 after finding some much-needed consistency this season. The gifted Croatian has always been capable of causing an upset but has rarely been able to maintain his form from one week to the next.
He began the year by making the final in Doha - beating Tim Henman in the last four - and he has transferred his hard-court form onto the clay.
The 25-year-old stormed to the semi-finals of the Hamburg Masters and took the first set from Guillermo Coria before finally falling short.
A hard-hitting baseliner, Ljubicic can produce some breathtaking groundstrokes but if things go against him, he can lose his focus - not unlike his compatriot and close friend Goran Ivanisevic.
Ljubicic carries a picture of Ivanisevic with the Wimbledon trophy in his pocket - explaining that "it shows that if you want something so much, it will come".
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
