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Croatian tennis fable Nikola Pilic, who captained aggregate Davis Cup-winning sides and was an aboriginal mentor to Novak Djokovic, has died astatine the property of 87, the country’s tennis relation announced connected Tuesday.
“One of the top players and coaches Croatian tennis has ever had,” died connected Monday successful the occidental Croatian municipality of Opatija, the relation reported successful a statement.
Pilic began his vocation successful Split successful 1953 and, conscionable 4 years later, was representing the Yugoslav younker nationalist team.
He went connected to triumph the Yugoslav Championship 5 times successful singles (1962, 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967), 7 times successful doubles and erstwhile successful mixed doubles.
Pilic’s top idiosyncratic accomplishment came successful 1973, erstwhile helium reached the last of the French Open, falling to Ilie Nastase.
He won the US Open doubles rubric with Pierre Barthes 3 years earlier.
After retiring, Pilic enjoyed a distinguished coaching career, moving with stars specified arsenic Goran Ivanisevic, Michael Stich and Boris Becker.
He had a profound power connected 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who referred to him arsenic his “tennis dad”.
In 1999, Djokovic’s archetypal coach, Jelena Gencic, sent her protege to bid astatine Pilic’s academy successful Munich, wherever helium further developed his game.
“Nikola Niki Pilic volition beryllium remembered arsenic the lone skipper ever to pb 3 antithetic nations to Davis Cup titles,” the Croatian Tennis Association said.
He guided Germany to triumph successful 1988, 1989 and 1993, Croatia successful 2005, and Serbia successful 2010.
The Croatian Tennis Association honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award successful 2019, portion successful 2020, Serbia awarded him the Gold Medal of Merit for his outstanding publication to sport.
AFP
The station Djokovic’s ‘tennis dad’ Nikola Pilic dies aged 87 appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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