Written by Jan Stanski
Till the great performance of Jerzy Janowicz in Paris Bercy Lukasz Kubot was the long time polish number one tennis player in the world. He is well known for his afterall dance called „cancan” or serve&volley strategy. Thats why he is the one and only because his game even not so effective is very liked by older fans of tennis especially Wimbledon fans – the ones remembering Stefan Edberg or Patrick Rafter „trips” to the net. Beautiful style. Good old game. But not always effective as attractive.
The man from Boleslawiec (Lukas was born there) although he was growing up in Lubin is very appreciated doubles player. He was the one to get text message from experienced Swede – Robert Lindstedt to play together in this year?s Aussie Open at Melbourne Park. The debut of never playing before polish-swedish duo was tremendous. They won six matches and triumphed in Grand Slam for the first time in careers of both players. Even Lindstedt had before three finals the fortune comes to him with Lukas Kubot. „Luki” – because its Lukas nickname – admitted that he prolonged his time on the court after unexpected quarterfinal at Wimbledon last year when he lost in polish match against Jerzy Janowicz. The dream came true for him that day even he lost. He was dreaming to join to the elite club of quarterfinalist in All England Club in London and he did it. After the tournament both Poles in July 2013 were awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski..
Because father of Lukas was working as football coach over the years the Pole had like few of tennis players great dilemma what sport to choose for better. ?When I was 16-17 years old I had to decide what I want to do with my life. I chose tennis and as you can see and it was a good choice. But to this day, I still like to kick the ball?
The polish former number one is coaching by Czech team – Jan Stoces and Ivan Machitka (fitness). The mentioned earlier exceptional dance „cancan” is an effect of the bet with one of them to prove by Lukas that he is able to do it after great performance on the court. ?Where did you get this way of showing joy?? ? asked journalist. ?From the beginning of my career I had much of importance to put on my physical preparation. I am a tall player, so I have to stretch a bit more than the average player. Swinging of legs was one of the exercises that my coach Ivan Machitka advised to me?- Lukas replied. ?Today it is like my card?. ?The first cancan was in 2011, just in Australia. I had beaten the eighteenth ranked tennis player Sam Querrey then. It was fiveset thriller, so I expressed a tremendous joy that day? ? he added.
His adventure with tennis was not as well as the way of professional should be so he needed to start practicing abroad for having chance to boom his career – in Austria and then in Prague where he met his coaches and started rebuild his idea about tennis. ?I dream of tennis academy where young people could combine sport with the school. Even if the kids wouldn?t achieve success in sport, it is a great capital. Pulling them from the problems of drugs, alcohol. The Czechs, who have several times smaller country, laugh at us, that we have no real infrastructure for tennis. There are living about 10 million people, and regularly have their tennis players best ranked and best in the world. And it highly.
On the press conferences and during interviews is very nice person always trying to answer well for the questions. A few know that as a young kid Lukas had to get up early in the morning to wait for the bus which took him to the tennis courts. It was not easy the circumstances because in the area where Lukas were practicing was not the good tennis center to improve his skills. After many years later the situation has changed.
Nowadays Kubot is original player. As he admitted he can play in doubles couple of years more and he does not resign from singles in spite of much worse results. Taking into consideration the careers of fantastic players like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal Kubot’s way could be estimated as grotesque but especially for the compatriot observers – which appreciete hard work, the passion for the game and his style – Lukas gained also the historic thing – not only the Grand Slam title in doubles and quarterfinal of Wimbledon but – he is the first polish player to win the title in Australia since Wojciech Fibak did it in 1978 with Australian Kim Warwick. ?For such moments I live and train hard? ? admitted Kubot
The 31-year old right-handed ?Polish Bull? said that his favourite surface is clay or slow hard court although seems that good results he had also on the grass courts (his best junior Grand Slam result was QF at Wimbledon in singles and doubles in 2000)
Growing up Lukas admired such great competitors like Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Stefan Edberg and Jonas Bjorkman. Apart title in Melbourne Park he won eight titles in doubles competition and achieved seven finals. Also two finals in singles.
The Pole during the off?season time is competing in Czech and German tennis league. He plays for TK Neride and Rot-Weiss Erfurt. ?Perhaps now begins the most difficult period in my career? ? said happy Lukas. ?I know I should learn from the mistakes, and I made ??a lot of them. The main thing now is to make conclusions and strive for success. I?m going to do that?.
