IVANISEVIC WINS FIRST 'CROATIA INDOORS' TOURNAMENT

ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - Best Croatian tennis player Goran Ivanisevic defeated Cedric Pioline of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to win the first Croatian Indoors tournament. Ivanisevic won the U.S. dlrs 400,000 tournament, his first ATP victory after more than a year, after 114 minutes of play against Pioline, ranking 62 in the world. He made 23 ace-points, out of total 97 in five matches at the tournament, had 57 percent of the first services and six double faults. Ivanisevic has started well, controlling the game particularly with his service blows, put Pioline has made his point out of the only opportunity he had, and won the first set in 31 minutes. In the second set Ivanisevic has immediately taken away the first Pioline's service ball and made up to 5-2. In the ninth game Pioline had two break-balls but Ivanisevic has managed to return them. In the third set Ivanisevic has again taken the first service, but making it only of the sixth break-ball. He was particularly brilliant in the lengthy seventh game. Making the score up to 5-2 he wrapped it up with a series of aces. The tournament, staged in Zagreb, is also partly owned by Ivanisevic, along with its director and a former player Zeljko Franulovic, which had made him, he said, only an additional burden. Winning it he got U.S. dlrs 54,000 and 187 ATP points. At the ATP list Ivanisevic skipped South Africa's Ferreira and is now ranking 9 in the world. "It's nice to win an ATP tournament after a year, particularly one of your own. I can now understand what Boris Becker means when he says it's nothing like playing before your own public," Ivanisevic told a news conference after the match. Pioline, who had lost his eighth finals, said he was not too much disappointed. "I have offered my best and I really could not expect to win my first tournament over Ivanisevic who had fantastic spectators' support," he said. Ivanisevic also offered his congratulations to Iva Majoli who had won a tournament in Tokyo earlier on Sunday. "This week will be marked in history of Croatian tennis," he said. (Hina) bk 041904 MET feb 96