Some would say that Gulbis winning his first ATP title was a tall order.  Mostly because his opponent was 6’10”, Ivo Karlovic.  Hoho!

Ernests Gulbis has long been touted as a talented player, someone that might come through like Djokovic or Cilic or Murray.  Indeed, Gulbis trained at the same center that Djokovic did.  With a big serve and a big game, Gulbis had bothered some top players, taking a set here or there, but never quite breaking through.

People thought he’d make his breakthrough in 2008, then in 2009, and time and again, Gulbis disappointed, almost as if he didn’t know what to do with his talent.  There were several real reasons.  First, he had been injured and injuries can hamper one’s career.  Second, Gulbis didn’t have a coach, and many thought he really needed one.  Gulbis hired Marat Safin’s coach, Hernan Gumy, in September 2009, and this appears to have helped Gulbis.  Safin credited his coach for helping him play well the year of his retirement.

Gulbis’s record in 2010 has been quite solid.  A three set loss to Roger Federer in Doha.  A semifinal appearance in Memphis with a loss to Sam Querrey.  And finally, a surprisingly easy win over Ivo Karlovic, 6-2, 6-3.  The weather was windy, which seemed to bother Karlovic’s serve.  Gulbis was doing something that few players are able to do, which was get a read on Karlovic’s serve.

Gulbis’s rank jumped to 45, an improvement of 27 spots, with this win.  Even so, most tournaments close acceptance into their main draw weeks before the event.  This means Gulbis has to qualify for Miami.  In his post-match interview, he appealed to Miami organizers to give him a wildcard so he wouldn’t have to qualify.

One can only hope that Gumy continues to improve Gulbis’s game because he certainly needs coaching.

One wonders if there will be a sponsor that asks Gulbis to cut his hair.  There have been players with curly haircuts like Gulbis, most notably, Andy Murray and Gilles Simon, who had their hair cut once they reached the top 10.  Indeed, even Roger Federer cut his hair shorter so he wasn’t wearing his hair tied back (admittedly, he did this 5 years ago, when he was already number 1).

Davis Cup play occurs end of this week.  The next tournament is Indian Wells where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are expected to play for the first time since the Australian Open.