Tipsarevic hopes to break ‘top four’ dominance

TNP PICTURE: BENJAMIN SEETOR

EVEN with shades on and a pina colada in one hand, tennis star Janko Tipsarevic was too good for his opponents.

Okay, so the Serb’s rivals yesterday afternoon in an exhibition round at the Marina Bay Sands event plaza were Formula One drivers Timo Glock, Charles Pic and Nico Hulkenberg - hardly a test for a player ranked No. 9 in the world. But, as Tipsarevic told The New Paper, the fame and recognition that comes with his lofty status, were not always forthcoming.

Indeed, as recently as February last year, he was not making any waves as the 52nd-ranked player in the world. But after reaching the quarter-finals of two US Opens and winning his first three ATP titles in the last 12 months, Tipsarevic has firmly established himself as one of the sport’s top 10 players.

The turning point, he says, was winning the Davis Cup with Serbia in December 2010.