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Ernests' news thread!

220K views 2K replies 128 participants last post by  BlueLighthouse 
#1 ·
You forgot to create this one, Z! ;)

I think we can let the old thread rest in peace. It's served its time. :p
 
#2,159 ·
Hey guys! In case you didn't see from my twitter my interview with Ernests is posted at http://www.tennis-prose.com/articles/the-tennis-prose-com-interview-ernests-gulbis/

I can't say enough how nice he was and how willing he was to talk. By the way I told him that he should google himself if he thought people had forgotten about him.. ;)

Also I didn't mention in the itw but during the middle of it the rest of the team walked in all carrying shopping bags from Whole Foods. Ernests said to me "oh excuse me for just a second" and then his dad walked over and said hello to me and handed E one of the bags. They are all so polite!

I actually wonder if they left Memphis the day after he lost, though, because I'm pretty sure I saw the two men who were the friends from Latvia walking around at the tournament yesterday. They were older.. like maybe friends of Ainars. I'll write more if I think of things. It's been a worldwind week. :D

Also I Will post some pictures next week.. :)
 
#2,160 ·
Thanks so much Amanda!!! I've already read the itw and it's great ( I told you this on twitter too:p)
Erensts is always so nice, polite and funny...we need more of him, more itw!!!!

I like the idea he could be on twitter if he would be more famous and higher ranking...sooo come on, come on Ernest, focus on tennis ahahahahah

Can't wait form more news from you and pics!!

thanks again
 
#2,161 ·
Thanks again Amanda!! Hm, maybe one of the older men were Janis. (I think that's his name) I've seen him in Delray Beach and Cincinnati. I assume he is a Uncle or family friend. I remember arguing with a guy in Cincinnati who was scanning their ID badges at the door. He told people that that was Ernests' dad because of what it said on his ID. However, I turned to the guy he was talking to and corrected the situation. The guy with the scanner snapped " I saw the ID's I know! I read what it said!"...I didn't back down and everyone around me knew to trust me! LOL! :haha:
 
#2,167 ·
Ernests Gulbis Talks Rankings, Reputation and New York

A lot of players have shown up at the Winston-Salem Open hoping to gain some last minute confidence and match time on hard courts before the start of the U.S. Open. One player who is having an unexpected run at the event is Ernests Gulbis who is having yet another roller coaster year, but mostly on the downside as he’s now ranked No. 153. But that will go up soon thanks in part to his win today against Kevin Anderson to reach the third round.

“I’m not playing my best tennis, but I’ve got a little bit of a confidence now, so who knows maybe I can win the tournament,” said Gulbis afterwards.

When asked about his shock win over Tomas Berdych in the first round of Wimbledon and if he gave him any confidence he said, “I just proved to myself once again that when I play good I can beat anybody and it’s clear for rest of the players also that when I play well they have trouble.”

On the subject of the city of New York and that some pros don’t care for all of its noise and hassle, Gulbis quipped, “Well some players are princesses. I like New York a lot. I don’t like a place like Cincinnati where you have one Applebees, two hotels and you go outside and get depressed, it’s a joke.”

On what Gulbis’s favorite thing to do in New York, the Latvian replied with a smirk, “I’m not going to tell you,” before laughing.

A telling response perhaps considering Gulbis’s past off-court behavior has gotten him into some rather sticky situations especially in Stockholm a few years ago. When the subject of his reputation gets mentioned and if he knows that people talk more about that than his tennis, Gulbis took a very long, thoughtful pause before answering

“I’m trying to balance it, with age you become more and more professional. So now I come down a bit, I do the right stuff. Still I have my moments and I’m sure you will here about them from time to time but I will try to keep it more quiet.”

After the U.S. Open, Gulbis plans to travel to Asia but one thing he doesn’t plan on doing is competing in challenger events to try and boost his ranking. Gulbis prefers playing qualies at main tour events because he believes he is good enough to reach the quarters or even semis of them when his game is on. Despite his recent fall out of the top 150, Gulbis makes it clear he believes he is meant to be a top 50 player or better, and not anything less.

“No disrespect to the other guys but I see some of the names in the top fifty and I am a bit shocked. This is my motivation because it is not understandable for me.”

While Gulbis agrees that rankings are largely based on consistent results, he believes that quality is always better than quantity when it comes to getting wins.

“Some of the guys play a lot of challengers and they are already ranked top hundred. I may have played two challengers in last four or five years. I always go to big tournaments no matter what. I might go to a challenger because of lack of match play but never just for points. I know any given week I can reach quarters and semis at the big events and the big points are at events like here and bigger. I just need two good weeks or more and I know I will be back in top fifty.”

Gulbis will try and reach the quarters of Winston-Salem when he takes on Marcel Granollers next.
 
#2,171 ·
Full Transcript here

Again, it's even better reading full transcript.

Lindsay Gibbs’ Lasso of Truth: Interview with Ernests Gulbis from Winston-Salem

By Tennis East Coast on August 22, 2012

There’s something about acclaimed tennis auteur Lindsay Gibbs. People just open up to her. So it was with Latvian superstar Ernests Gulbis at the Winston-Salem Open yesterday. Tennis East Coast is proud to publish her inaugural post on this L’il Debbie of a blog. She’ll be in Winston-Salem the rest of the week, where she was born and raised. Here’s her grand slam in her first at bat on Tennis East Coast. How she’ll top this interview is anyone’s guess, but luckily for us, her Lasso of Truth never needs recharging.

–S. Fogleman



2012 Winston-Salem Interview: Ernests Gulbis

Lindsay Gibbs, Special to TennisEastCoast.com

On Tuesday in Winston Salem, I got to check an item off of the tennis bucket list: I got to interview Ernests Gulbis. Erik Gudris (from adjustingthenet.com) and I got to sit down informally with the infamous Latvian, and soak in the bravado in person. I didn’t know what to expect, and even now a day later I’m not sure exactly what I got. He’s ranked 153 in the world right now, and therefore had to go through qualifying here in Winston-Salem, and fought through some matches and into the 3rd Round. He sat down with us after his 6-4, 7-6(2) win over Kevin Anderson, the #35 player in the world.



Ernests is a ball of contradictions, an obscure mix of sincerity and sarcasm, of reality and fantasy. He just has a different philosophy on, well, pretty much everything. He gave long and rambling answers to every question, and I think it’s best to just let Ernests speak for himself. (Though I have italicized a few things, for effect. I couldn’t help myself.)

Gulbis on why he got broken early in the 2nd set against Anderson:

Well, I served pretty well today. I got broken at the first time in the 2nd set mostly because of old balls and because I broke him and then he broke me straight back with the oldest balls possible. And then they changed them the next game. It’s really tough to serve with really old balls, especially here. He’s a guy also, when it’s 15-0, 30-0 he’s going to make good points, it’s going to be nice, with an ace, he’s confident, but when it’s 0-15, 0-30, everybody chokes. Even the best guys. Even Roger or Rafa chokes, it’s just normal. I broke him twice. He made twice double-fault. It’s tough to get to that point when you have break points against a big server like this. You know, couple games, the match is long. Even If it’s a five set match it’s even longer. You shouldn’t worry, just relax, keep going.

Gulbis on his new coach:

I changed my coach a few months ago…before Paris. Gunter Bresnik. Austrian guy. He’s a good coach. It’s been good…I’m not playing my best tennis, I’ve just gotten some wins, and some confidence, and you know when I’m playing like this maybe I can win the tournament.

Gulbis on his upset over Berdych at Wimbledon:

I just prove to myself that when I’m good I can beat anybody. It’s clear for the rest of the players as well. They know when I play well I will give them trouble. Doesn’t matter who it is. When I play bad, I can lose to anyone.

Gulbis on the constant complaints by other players about the U.S. Open logistics, such as transportation:

A lot of players are princesses, you know. I like New York you know. I don’t like a place like Cincinnati, there’s nothing to do. There is one Applebees, two hotels, you go out you get depressed. It’s a joke.

Gulbis on his favorite thing to do in New York:

I’m not going to tell you.

Gulbis on his reputation (hookers, private jets, etc.) that precedes him:

I’m trying to balance it. With age you become more and more professional. So now I think I’ve calmed down, I’m doing the right stuff, but still I have my moments, I think you’re going to hear about them, from time to time. Nothing has changed. But I’m trying to keep it more quiet.

Gulbis on his opponents:

I never care who I play against, I only care about my game, it’s simple, if I feel the ball well I really don’t care who I play, I can beat anybody, of course I can lose also…. I really get pissed off if I am playing like shit, like I did at the beginning of the year, I didn’t get any wins. It’s a joke.

Gulbis on the players ranked ahead of him:

No disrespect to the other guys, but when I see what kind of players are already in top 50, I’m a bit shocked. I don’t know some of the names. Even I come here to this tournament, I see some of the guys, I ask my friend, ‘Who is this?’ He is ranked top 50!

Gulbis on consistency and Challengers:

Just consistency to get to the top 50. Yes, of course, these guys play only challengers, they win 5 or 6 challengers and they are ranked in the top 100. I play maybe 2 challengers in the last 4 or 5 years. I went to the big tournaments no matter what, I didn’t care about my ranking points, I just wanted went to the big tournaments, so this is what I’m going to continue to be doing, doesn’t matter what’s my ranking. I’m not going to go to a challenger because of points. I can go to a challenger because of lack of matches or something like that but never because of points.

And I know that any given week I can play well– reach quarter, I can reach semis– and the points in these tournaments are bigger. I just need two good weeks. I’m going to be top 50 in no time, if I play and continue working.

Gulbis on Qualifying:

Here (Winston-Salem) I came, so you have to win 9 matches to win the tournament, it’s more than a Grand Slam! And also, how they treat the players in qualifying it’s also a joke. First of all you come to the center court they don’t have the net divide they don’t have the hawk-eye system. They have the hawk-eye system they just don’t want to use it for qualifying. Qualifying is not really a tournament sometimes, it’s okay, let the guys play there, whatever. I have this feeling, maybe I’m wrong, it’s very subjective always. I’m still going to try I’m going to go to Asia I’m going to play the quallies there, then I believe they’re not easy, here was tough quallies there was a lot of tough players.

Gulbis on the impact of his new coach on his mindset and game:

There is nothing to change about that, it’s my own decision what I’m doing in my life and outside the court, but on the court, my forehand.
 
#2,173 ·
From USOPEN.ORG

American Johnson halts Gulbis' birthday celebrations

by Benjamin Snyder
Friday, August 31, 2012

A day after his birthday, Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis would have little more to celebrate besides turning 24. The Latvian was defeated by American wild card Steve Johnson in the third round in front of a packed Court 13 on Friday.

For former University of Southern California Trojan and two-time singles NCAA champion Johnson, the 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win marks his best showing at a major, having only played the 2011 US Open previously.

After the match, Johnson said that to win "Feels pretty good. All the hard work I put in since last year losing in five sets [to Alex Bogomolov Jr.] really has paid off. I'm very happy to see that it has paid off."

The No. 245-ranked Johnson, 22, looked to grab the early lead in the first set over Gulbis after the players held serve until 4-5. The Latvian faced two break points, but Johnson’s aggressive game ultimately fell short on those chances. Both would later hold to enter a tiebreak.

With an ace, Gulbis grabbed the set in the sudden death format.

In the second, the players continued to battle and to hold their own on serve in a display of quality tennis to get to a second tiebreak. Johnson and Gulbis would get to 4-all before a costly Gulbis error at net gave Johnson the 5-4 lead heading into his serve. Another Gulbis error gifted Johnson a look at a first set point and the American collected the second set on a particularly poorly timed double fault off the Latvian's racquet, his second of the match.

In the third, it would be the American with a chance to grab the lead as he tested Gulbis’ serve at 3-4 and earned a break point chance. That would be successfully converted on a Gulbis error. To close out the set, the former No. 21 in the world struck a groundstroke that sailed long, prompting the American to let out a roar of a “Yeah!” and pump his fist as he raced closer to another win at a major in his young professional career.

Early in the fourth, it’d be Gulbis with the chance to climb back into the match. He earned a double break point, although the first would be erased by a laser-like Johnson forehand. The second, meanwhile, went away with a series of strong serves for the game. In the middle of the set minutes later, Johnson successfully pushed aside any shifts in momentum by earning two break chances of his own. With a backhand passing shot down the line, he claimed the 4-3 lead a minute under the three hour mark.

Serving for the match at 5-4, Johnson’s continued his fine form on serve as he dropped just one point in the match’s final game to advance on a Gulbis error.

Gulbis, who’s ranked No. 145 but has been as high as No. 21, achieved his best result at the US Open by advancing to the fourth round in 2007. He was bidding to advance to the third round, which would have been his best showing at a major in four years. In 2008, he reached the French Open quarterfinals.

Since then, however, the Latvian, who earned his two career Tour-titles on hard court at Delray Beach and Los Angeles in 2010 and 2011, respectively, has failed to get past the second round of a major.

Next up for Johnson is the No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet.

Follow usopen.org staff writer Benjamin Snyder on Twitter @WriterSnyder.
 
#2,176 ·

There is a small article about Ernests in the magazine “Kas jauns”. It is yellow press, but seems that Milena indeed spoke with them. Nothing very important, but…

She said that it was very hard year for Ernests and for the moment he was seriously considering retirement - he was tired of tennis player’s lifestyle . Then he spoke with his friends (both from tennis community and outside), calmed down and decided to continue. His family was great support.

She also said that her career as an actress is over. She considers starting small business, maybe something connected with tennis and she even asked Ernests if he would like to help her after his retirement. In answer he said: “Nu gaidi, mammu” (you can wait, mom)
Source: Egulbis.tumblr.com
 
#2,180 ·
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/11/Features/Upsets-Of-2012-6-To-10.aspx

Upsets Of The Year - Nos. 6-10

8. Ernests Gulbis d. Tomas Berdych, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 7-6(4), Wimbledon First Round
Ernests Gulbis had lost in the first round in eight of his past nine Grand Slam championships ahead of his Centre Court match against 2010 runner-up and sixth seed Tomas Berdych. "I saw the draw and I was really happy. I wanted to play [a] first round against a tough opponent,” said Gulbis. But when the free-swinging Latvian is on-form, he is an irrestible force. Coached by Gunter Bresnik, who had worked some technical changes to Gulbis’ groundstroke, the mercurial talent caught Berdych cold in a stunning victory over two hours and 34 minutes. World No. 87 Gulbis barely blinked, hitting 62 winners including 30 aces, winning 84 per cent of his first serve and committing 33 unforced errors in a straight-sets win. Asked how he had closed out the match, Gulbis said, straight-faced, “I’m well known for my mental strength, ask around. In practice I beat everybody." It was Berdych's first opening round loss at Wimbledon since his debut in 2004 (l. to Benneteau).
 
#2,182 ·
Top 5 Comebacks Of The Year

ATPWorldTour.com reviews the Top 5 comebacks of the year.

5. Ernests Gulbis d. Andreas Haider-Maurer, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 – Saved 1 M.P., bet-at-home Cup Kitzbühel First Round
Throughtout his career, Ernests Gulbis has often struggled to win matches after losing the first set (24-91 lifetime). On 11 occasions in 35 matches this season, he had done so. But on five occasions, including once in the unique environment of Kitzbühel – perched 762 metres above sea level – the talented Latvian held his nerve for comeback wins. Against Innsbruck resident Andreas Haider-Maurer, a ninth first-round exit of the season was on the cards when seventh seed Gulbis trailed the crowd favourite by one set and 2-5.

But Gulbis battled hard for a remarkable reversal of fortunes. After breaking back to 4-5 in the second set, the World No. 67 faced one match point. With calculated precision, Gulbis struck an ace. Rewarded for his persistence, he edged the second set and saved three break points in the decider, when he won 14 of his 20 service points. Gulbis won 10 of the last 11 games to prevail in two hours and three minutes. It was one of the year’s most dramatic comebacks. Two days later, Gulbis lost to Rogerio Dutra Silva in the second round.
 
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