European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 27, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                On the Tennis circuit Brad Gilberts a winning careers amps scout by Ron Mckinney staff writer after vaulting to no. 4 in the world earlier this year Brad Gilbert no longer has to listen to the critics who Call his game  winning changes labels like that. I m changing that now. In a winning pretty a Gilbert said. It was the same with the 49ers Reserve quarterback Jim Plunkett in 1978 when the Oakland raiders picked up the 30-year-old  Plunkett guided the raiders to super bowl wins in 1981 when he was named map and 1984. A i think people Don t see a big shot in my game and they done to understand How i win a said Gilbert who was in Germany in May to participate in the world team cup in Dusseldorf. A fall they see is that i frustrate my opponents. A the one thing people Overlook is that i done to have any weaknesses in my game and i do everything pretty Well and All of a sudden that translates into winning  winning is a Good word to use when describing Gilberts Tennis career. Gilbert 28, is among the top 15 All time players in career prize Money. His two tournament wins this year raised his nine year career total to 19. Last year was a great one for the 6-foot-1, 175-Pound Bay area native. He reached tournament finals eight times a Only Ivan Lendl could top that with 12. Gilbert who would like to be remembered As a fighter won five of those title bouts including three in a Row. The match that fuelled Gilberts hot Streak last summer was one in which he came Back from a set Down to defeat West Germany Scarl Uwe Steeb on Clay at Munich to give the United states the first Point in the Davis cup semifinal in july to turned out to be the americans Only Point in a 4-1 loss. A i did t feel like id played a Good match whatsoever a Gilbert said. Quot but i competed Well Down two sets to one and i won that big first Point for the team. That gave me Confidence to play throughout the whole  suddenly the american was burning up the hard courts. He reached the finals at Washington d.c., the following week before losing to Tim Mayotte. He then won three consecutive titles in As Many weeks sparking a 17-match win Streak that was second Only to Lendlr a 18 last year. In the finals at the Volvo International he knocked off Jim Pugh. Then it was off to Livingston n.j., where he took out Jason Stoltenberg in the finals. The next week at Cincinnati Gilbert stunned three top 10s to claim his third straight title. He edged Michael Chang Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg in succession each in three sets. For a month he had been practically unbeatable. A was an athlete once you Start winning a few matches you done to feel like you re going to lose a said Gilbert who reached the Mcaa finals in 1982 while playing for Pepperdine. One title Brad would like to add to his trophy collection is the Davis cup. This year the United states is the favorite As the semifinals head into Unuer . Tennis Champ Brad Gilbert on the courts during a recent match in Germany. Vienna on sep. 21-23 for a showdown with Austria. In the other semifinals that weekend Argentina plays on grass at Sydney Australia. The Davis cup has not been won by the United states since 1982. A i Haven t been on a winning Side a said Gilbert of his Davis cup experience in 1985-86 and 1989. Quot i think it would mean a lot to me to have the cup coming Back to where it deserves to  because the Davis cup tie at Austria will be played on Clay which Isnit his Best surface its unlikely hell be picked for the semis. He said coach Tom Gorman is Apt to choose Andre Agassi Aaron Krickstein Michael Chang or Jim courier. Jim Pugh and Rick Leach will probably play doubles. If the . Beats Austria Gilbert expects to play in the finals at Home in late november. Rather than fight the red Clay at the French open Gilbert chose to spend the fortnight preparing for Wimbledon. He returned to his Home at san Rafael calif., to spend time with his family and focus on strengthening his grass court serve and Volley game. And to catch an Oakland a s game. The grand slam events have frustrated Gilbert As much As he has frustrated his opponents. Despite his phenomenal Success on the circuit in 1989, Gilbert has played Only three grand slam tournaments in the past two years a and has managed to survive the first round Only once. In his Best grand slam at the . Open in 1987, he beat Boris Becker in the fourth round coming Back from two sets Down he then lost in the quarters to Jimmy Connors in four sets. A Ive been a Little unlucky a he said. A i Felt like i had some Good opportunities to do Well in some slams especially Wimbledon and the open but i was unable to capitalize on some Good situations. A a in a going to train really hard and in a going to do everything to the Best of my ability to play Well at Wimbledon and the . Open this year. It s like a basketball player who has an unbelievable career but never performed Well in the playoffs or never got a Chance to play in the championship. Quot in a hoping this will be my year Quot a she a never negative about anything and i think that a what really helps me a says Gilbert of his wife Kim. Right Kim Gilbert and their son Zachary. The family usually travels together on the Tennis circuit. Page 14 the stars and stripes family offers team support by Ron Mckinney staff writer leaving the Tennis courts following a practice session in Germany at the world team cup Brad Gilbert stopped to pose for a picture with his wife Kim and son Zachary. Quot team photo a Brad claimed. Sixteen months into their marriage Brad Gilbert can say that with sincerity. Before they married at Boca Raton fla., on Jan. 19, 1989, he had just concluded a bittersweet year on the Tennis circuit when he won an olympic Bronze medal and his 12th grand prix singles title but fell in the rankings to no. 21, his lowest position since 1984. The marriage proved to be a Harbinger of sorts As Gilbert charged up the rankings in 1989, winning five titles while Kim cheered from the sidelines and 18-month-old Zach provided the rematch Pep babble. He finished the year ranked fifth in the world. A she s never negative about anything and i think that a what really helps me a Gilbert said. �?�1 was Down 6-1, 5-0 in a recent match and she said a get this game get the next game and you re Back in it while i was thinking this things Over in a in a Heap of trouble she always has a Good  Kim 26, is a former Art director who did motion picture advertisements for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. She placed her career on hold to travel with Gilbert last year. She accepts her position As the somewhat invisible yet ebullient member of Gilberts travelling team. Unlike her friends Tatum o Neal Mcenroe and Carling Bassett Seguso who Are constantly in the Public Eye Kim can pass through a Tennis crowd without causing More of a stir than a few raised eyebrows. She said their Public attention is at a comfortable level not at All like the commotion Andre Agassi must endure. Quot girls come and Knock on his door at night a Kim said of Agassi. Quot he brings along maybe 16 people to Buffer All those raging girls trying to get to him. That a too  Gilbert does t have a problem of being run into the Kim Gilbert who placed her career As an Art director on hold to travel with her husband enjoys watching him play Tennis. Clay surface by More fans than overheads even in he s one of the top five players. In fact Kim said he s still not usually recognized away from the Tennis Lorum the Gilberts weren to always so fortunate that Way shortly after they met at the hard Rock cafe in san i Francisco in 1984, they went to a movie on their first i Date. Brad then ranked 25th while in his third year on i the tour invited Kim to join him at a Davis cup tie at Tokyo. It became her dubious introduction to life on the Tennis tour. Quot i did no to know anything about Tennis a Kim recalled �?�1 think i had heard of Bjorn Borg. Quot we got in this car together at Tokyo and it was like he was a Rock Star. You would think he was Prince or Madonna. Kids were flying All Over the limousine they were on the ceiling. It was Kinda scary they have some crazy fans in  things have settled Down since then Kim has found her place on Gilberts travelling team sitting in the a rally seat to keep the match rolling in Brad s Tavor Quot when in a Down a set 1 ask her to change seals Quot Gilbert said. Quot and when i win i Tell her to sit m the same seat the next  the superstition is borrowed from Brad s beloved Oakland a a and baseball a practice of rally Caps to help turn a game around. After spending 10 months of 1989 on the Road. K m said that every place starts to look the same. And the morning ritual does t vary. She said Gilbert a big sports fan devours the sports pages every morning whether he s at Paris or at san Rafael calif., where they recently bought a House. Quot every morning is the same thing with Brad Kim said. Quot he loves his sports you can t talk to him until he a done with at least two sports pages of memorization so i usually sleep in. A the has a routine same thing every Day sports Page. Practice. Rub. Ice. Food. There s no guess no with him a it s not like he s going to jump out and Surprise you one morning and say let s go to the Beach Quot even Zach is Given credit for inspiring Gilbert during his hot Streak last year when he won Throe tournaments in a Row. The two would spend hours together before Brad left for his matches. A it was mandatory that Zachary had to be in a room and that they d be playing together a Kim said. Kim said she enjoys watching her husband play even if he a not As Nice on the court As he is off Quot he s Gruff and he grumbles and he kicks his Leet and he s always complaining a but he does that at Home too she said. However she won t be with him at Wimbledon which began monday. She will Back at their new Home which is undergoing numerous renovations. Many of the tournaments plan luncheons and Tours for the wives and Kim said West Germany is especially noteworthy for that. Her husband encourages her to sightseer As often As she can. A a they la plan outings so you re not always bored hanging out at the courts and bugging your husbands going a when Are we going for lunch what do you want for dinner a 1 done to think i m a whiner but i hear some of them a Kim said Quot i try to see the town As do the local people who lived there. I Don t like the tourist scene. In be walked up and Down the Rhine River i Don t know How Many times i just think its  Kim also spends time collecting advertisements and photographs for a scrapbook. She s currently putting together an idea for Tennis posters and other Art projects As she considers returning to her Lormer career part time. Travelling Quot is tremendous for an artist Quot Kim said a you  ask for a better thing. It just depends on your attitude. You can depress yourself by just thinking about it and feeling sorry Tor yourself or you can take advantage of the opportunities Given to you at the Point in time and worry about your career when you get  especially when your Home is on the Road. Quot lies wednes Dif june 27,1990 in the stars and stripes a a a Page 15