Sunday, August 06, 2000
Sweden's Norman No. 1 in points race
By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Even Magnus Norman's own country wasn't paying much attention. The Swedish tennis player turned pro in 1995 but had hardly erased the memories of his nation's stars of yesteryear. Borg. Wilander. Edberg. Then in May, Norman won the Italian Open and everything changed.
Norman became No. 1 in the new ATP Champions Race, which will crown the top player of the year.
He is 24 years old. He is hot, having won more tournaments (eight) than any player on the ATP Tour since the start of the 1999 season. All of Sweden — and the tennis world — has taken notice.
The media demands have picked up. Sponsors request more of his time. A greater number of fans watch him practice and want his autograph.
“Now a lot of people are interested in who is Magnus Norman,” he said. “Things have changed for me very much and not only on the court. People are starting to recognize me off the court, as well, and that is something that I have to learn to deal with because it is pressure also.”
Norman will be playing in Cincinnati this year for the first time. He has always prefered to remain in Europe for the beginning of the summer hardcourt season.
But with Tennis Masters Series events now mandatory, and with his lead in the Champions Race on the line, Norman came to North America to compete in Canada this past week and at the ATP Tennis Center, starting Monday.
“This year, everything is a little bit different ... so obviously I am focusing more on the big tournaments,” he said.
The 6-foot-2 Norman won five tournaments in 1999 (Orlando, Stuttgart, Umag, Long Island, Shanghai) — his best season as a pro — and finished the year ranked 15th. He had only two titles prior to '99.
He and Lleyton Hewitt are the only players on the ATP Tour who have been in the top 10 of the Champions Race this whole season. Norman defeated Gustavo Kuerten in Rome for his first career Tennis Masters Series title, then Norman lost to Kuerten at the French Open in his first appearance in a Grand Slam final.
Norman also has won this year in Auckland, New Zealand, and Bastad, Sweden, and was a semifinalist at the Australian Open last January.
In the Entry Ranking System used by tournaments for seeding players based on their best 18 results from the past 52 weeks, Norman is No. 3 — behind only Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.
“It is difficult to compare me with Agassi and Sampras because they won so many Slams and they have been around for 10 years and everything,” Norman said.
“... I don't want to say that I am the best player in the world. That would be unfair, maybe, but ... I am getting close to it.”
A few factors have helped Norman raise the level of his play.
For starters, he is in superb physical condition. When home in Monte Carlo, his days consist of a 30-minute run, two hours of tennis, 45 minutes of weightlifting, lunch, two more hours of tennis, then an hour of another physical activity. He keeps diaries of his matches and opponents to try to gain a mental edge.
Norman also is learning to better control his emotions on the court. Swedish players are known for their reserve during matches; that has not always been the case for Norman.
“Before I was showing too much emotion,” he said. “That was hurting my game a little bit. This year, I am trying to stay more focused even if I am in a bad period of the match, try to stay focused and always think positive. That is why I have been winning more matches.”
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