Predictably, Ivanisevic Unpredictable

Goran Ivanisevic is one of the most talented players never to have won Wimbledon and one of the players most likely to lose in an early round. He’s the most logical player, other than Pete Sampras, to be considered a favorite here, yet no one bets on him.

Like the unpredictable grass surface that his game is so well-suited for, Ivanisevic is fickle. It speaks volumes about the instability of the second-seeded Ivanisevic that he served 46 aces, a Wimbledon record, and still lost his second-round match Saturday to Magnus Norman, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 14-12.

Ivanisevic is good-hearted and glowering at the same time. He moves around the court with all the speed of an ocean liner and can delicately caress a ball to hit the line in the far corner. He serves bushels of aces, but he also prodigiously double-faults.

The Croatian lost in the first round at the French Open and is always dangerous and always vulnerable.

Standing like the eye in a storm was Norman, a placid and agreeable Swede who remained wisely unaffected as Ivanisevic grew more and more irritable and volatile. He also stood fast as Ivanisevic broke the record for aces set by John Feaver, who had 42 in a match against John Newcombe in 1976. Like Ivanisevic, Feaver lost.

Norman is ranked No. 38 but has shown this season he’s capable of beating anyone. The 21-year-old upset Sampras in the third round at the French Open.

The other seeded player to lose Saturday was Carlos Moya of Spain. Richey Reneberg defeated the 10th-seeded Moya, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Norman’s victory was all the more remarkable because he suffered through a frightening moment in the fifth set of the 3-hour 23-minute match. He felt his heart beating erratically and requested a three-minute timeout. Norman, who suffers from a heart condition, is under a doctor’s care.

“I was worried when I was going to the chair,” Norman said. “When I sat down and tried to breathe, it was all of a sudden gone. The doctor in Sweden said it was not dangerous, but I can tell you it’s not fun.

“I felt the pulse was going down again. But if it had continued during the three-minute break, I would have defaulted, yes.”

Ivanisevic refused to come to the postmatch interview and was fined.

As the match stretched from late afternoon into evening, each player handled the stress in his own manner. Norman ate bananas during the changeovers while Ivanisevic brooded.

He might have been dwelling on his missed chances. His barrage of aces had no effect on Norman. Ivanisevic is accustomed to using his serves as a tool for intimidation. Norman barely blinked.

“You just shake your head, because there’s nothing to do,” he said. “He’s serving unbelievable. Sometimes you feel like, ‘This is unfair, this is unfair.’ You have to think positive and try to focus on your service games. Sometimes he also makes double faults. That’s what you have to look for.”

The fifth set--played without a tiebreaker--coursed on with each player managing to hold serve. Norman took the timeout at 6-6, and came back on court for one point to win the game. He had two match points against Ivanisevic in the 22nd game. Ivanisevic’s consecutive double faults gave Norman the first and an ace saved the other.

Ivanisevic had four break points in the next game but failed to convert.

Norman did not fail when it was his turn. Ivanisevic was serving at 12-13 and double-faulted twice to seal his fate.