Status: Winner of one ATP singles title – 2010 Delray Beach. Coached by Hernan Gumy since September 2009. Currently ranked ATP #28.
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 169
DOB: August 30, 1988 In: Riga, Latvia
First Tennis Memory: “I went with my grandmother. I was living a lot with my grandmother when I was a kid, because my father and mother were working. And my grandmother had tennis courts like a half an hour walking distance from her apartment. It was like a Soviet Union-type neighborhood – big buildings with eight, nine stories. And we went there. I practiced with my grandmother. She couldn’t play tennis but this was the first time when I took a racquet in my hand. So we went there. And immediately I could hit the ball over the net. Some coaches saw me and they said, Oh, this guy doesn’t need to clean the courts – he’s too good. So this is my first memory when I took a racquet (age 4).”
Tennis Inspirations/Heroes: “I don’t have. I wasn’t watching tennis a lot. I was real active young kid. I was playing against a wall. I was a fan of tennis but not watching it. I like to play. No matter how much I went to the courts, every time happy. But I didn’t have interest of watching other people.”
Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “I like to think [smiles]. No, I mean, just to think, read books, watch movies, to go out with my friends. Every normal thing for the young guy my age. Nothing special. Tennis is a profession, it’s like a job. The other things are like any other normal person would do. It’s just that I cannot hang out with my friends till 5 in the morning every day. But for the rest of the time it’s like normal things.”
Last Book Read: “Was a Russian writer. Macho Don’t Cry. It’s about the 90′s in Russia, basically it’s about a lot of drinking, a lot of going out and stuff like that. But in an interesting way, not like in a stupid kind of way. It’s really interesting.”
Favorite Movies: “I have a lot. Many. Actually, one of my favorites is David Lynch movie Mulholland Drive. I watched it maybe eight, ten times. I like David Lynch as a director. I saw some of his movies. Then I saw some Russian movies. I really liked – there’s a book in Russia, it’s like a Bible to Russians – it’s called Master & Margerita. And they made a TV series about that. It’s more than 10 series long. Like a TV thing, not a movie. That’s what I like. And many others. Those two came up first.”
Musical Tastes: “I like a lot listen to Russian music. But not Russian pop. I listen to Russian rock, Russian blues. I really like blues. I like the live instruments. I don’t like the technical stuff, when people push a button and the sound comes and everybody pumps up. I like good, interesting music where you listen to the words and there’s meaning to the song.”
Favorite Artists/Painters: “Favorite – no. I like some of the Latvian painters which are not really popular in the world. I mean, of course, if you go to the museum and watch the masterpieces of the top guys, you enjoy it a lot. I like to go to the museums and watch the operas but I don’t have a favorite.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “I think when I win in Delray Beach, my first tournament win. And when I made quarters in Paris, Roland Garros (2008). It’s my best result in a Slam.”
Most Painful Moment: “There’s a lot. Too much. I lost so many first and second round to guys who I shouldn’t lose when I didn’t feel good, when I play bad. Too many.”
Favorite Tournaments: “Of course, I like all the Grand Slams. All the Masters, because, you know, they’re a different feeling. I like tournaments which are in a nice city where there’s a lot to do, like Paris, New York, I like St. Petersburg, Moscow tournaments. Yeah, in nice cities. London.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “I don’t know, nowadays everybody is so professional. And they don’t – they’re not funny any more [smiles]. I don’t know. Yeah, that’s true. On court. No, on court, I don’t think somebody’s funny. I think everybody’s into winning. They don’t care about funny. But off court, I have really good relations with, really with everybody. But I’m talking more with Russian guys. Marat left tennis, he was a funny guy. I mean, really nice guy.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “I don’t know if you call it friends. Maybe you can call it your, I don’t know, partners. I don’t have a good name in English for it. Yeah, I have a close friendship with the Russian guys like Kunitsyn, Tursunov.”
Toughest Competitors Encountered: “All of them. Just some guys tanked against me when I was playing junior tournaments. Nobody’s tanking now, everybody’s tough.”
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Yes, sometimes I feel embarrassed with the way I play [smiles]. When I lose first round I feel really embarrassed. I don’t want to stay on court. So sometimes it’s like a fight between myself…I do want to be on court – I don’t want to be on court. I want to win – I want to lose. I want to go home – I want to do that. So it’s like all the time something in your brain. I’m trying to keep my brain stable.”
Funny Tennis Memory: “Never, no. It’s too serious a sport to laugh [smiles].”
Favorite Players To Watch: “I like to watch Federer. Because he’s playing just nice tennis.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Honest. You’d rather say something to a person’s face then behind their back.”
You can read more about tennis at Scoop’s site www.tennis-prose.com
Topics: Atp Singles, Delray Beach, Father And Mother, Favorit, Grandmother, Gumy, Half An Hour, Heroes, Inspirations, Leisure Activities, Macho, Profession, Russian Writer, Singles Title, Smiles, Soviet Union, Stupid Kind, Tennis Courts, Walking Distance, Wt
Biofile with Ernests Gulbis | 