Brian in Mesa

Kafelnikov changing games, leaving tennis for poker

November 15, 2004
LONDON (AP) -- Yevgeny Kafelnikov is giving up tennis to become a professional poker player.

``I have retired,'' the former No. 1 player said in Monday's Independent newspaper. ``But I have not officially announced it yet. Some people still think I am just taking a break, but I believe that my time in tennis has gone by. Even if I came back, I would have no chance to play at the level I was.''

The 30-year-old Russian hasn't played since losing in the second round of the St. Petersburg Open in October 2003.

``I began at 19, and now it is impossible to compete with guys 10 years younger,'' Kafelnikov said. ``They are more hungry. I played five or six matches indoors, at the end of 2003, and I thought, 'I can't do this any more.' I was losing to guys who, a couple of years before, I was able to beat with only my left hand. That's when I realized my time was gone.''

Kafelnikov won the 1996 French Open, the 1999 Australian Open, a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, the 2002 Davis Cup and 26 ATP titles. He held the top ranking during the 1999 season.

``The most important thing was not to disappoint my fans,'' he said. ``It is very hard to earn a good image in Russia. So when people on the street in Moscow ask why I stopped playing, I say 'because I don't want to see you people crying when I lose.' They understand that.''

Kafelnikov, known for his love of roulette while on the tennis circuit, is competing in a poker tournament in Maidstone, south of London.

``I find it very exciting,'' he said. ``Because you win not with the cards but with your skills. With body language you can win a game, but also you can lose a game. You need guts in poker, as in tennis. And if you don't believe in your ability, you don't win. In tennis I believed in myself, that's why I had so much success.''

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