Ivanisevic suited to life out of the spotlight

Goran Ivanisevic's photograph in the official ATP handbook paints a ragged, manic-eyed, picture. With his head half-cocked to the camera, and bearing a toothy, almost spooky, grin, the big Croatian's mugshot would not look out of place in a Who's Who of serial-killing cannibals. He does, after all, have a tendency to eat himself up when things go wrong.

"It's the worst moment of my life and I feel like shooting myself," he said in 1998, after losing a Wimbledon final for the third time, on that occasion to Pete Sampras. "Please God, I only hope the BBC don't show last year's final during rain breaks," he said the following year, as he entered what would become two years in the tennis wilderness, largely the result of a chronic shoulder problem. "If they do, I'll regard it as some kind of punishment from God."

Such statements have become a feature of a 13-year career that has seen 21 tour titles and plenty of big occasions, but never a Grand Slam success. There have also been histrionics, like those seen at last year's Samsung Open in Brighton, where Ivanisevic became so annoyed that he smashed all his rackets and had to withdraw due to lack of equipment.

Yesterday the tortured Goran was gone. In his place was a smiling, relaxed competitor, appearing at the All England Club courtesy of a wild card for the first time since his inaugural appearance in 1988. He looked fresh and happy, his hair cut short, his goatee neatly coiffured, his skin positively glowing. And his tennis wasn't bad either. He eased past Fredrik Jonsson, of Sweden, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, then proclaimed that maybe this year's lack of profile – and pressure – suits him.

"Before, I had to do this, do that. Now I don't have to do anything. I just have to give 100 per cent and have some fun on court," said the 29-year-old, whose ranking, at 129, is at its lowest for more than a decade. "I've been struggling for the last two years, and maybe this is the breakthrough."

Asked if he had anything left to prove in tennis, he replied: "I don't know. I don't think so. I reached No 2 in the world twice, I was a [Grand Slam] finalist twice, a semi-finalist twice."And the future? "I'll see how things progress here. Then I'll sit down and have a little talk with myself. You know, it's going to be a long, interesting talk."