MIAMI – A man who said he fell in love with tennis star
Martina Hingis and followed her to tournaments around the world
despite her pleas to stay away was convicted of stalking Tuesday.
Dubravko Rajcevic, a 46-year-old Croatian-born naval architect
from Australia, was found guilty of stalking and three counts of
trespassing at the 2000 Ericsson Open near Miami. He faces up to
four years in prison.
|  | | Dubravko Rajcevic laughed through much of his trial, but looked concerned Tuesday upon his conviction. |
Rajcevic initially showed no reaction when the verdict was read,
then gave a half smile. After the jury left the courtroom, Rajcevic
blurted questions at Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Kevin Emas.
"Why no black people on my jury? All the black people were
eliminated from my jury," Rajcevic said. The judge told him to
discuss that with his lawyer, Frank Abrams.
Emas granted Abrams' request for a psychologist to visit
Rajcevic in jail before sentencing on April 12. But Rajcevic said
he would not cooperate. "I don't need that type of help,"
Rajcevic said. "I need legal help, not psychological help."
Earlier Tuesday, Rajcevic told jurors that he was convinced the
20-year-old Swiss player once loved him, but had probably found
someone else while he was detained for the trial.
"Yes, I believe she was in love with me, but I've been in jail
for one year," Rajcevic said. "She's young, beautiful, famous. In
one year she's probably found someone else."
Hingis, the top-ranked player in the world, was not in the
courtroom Tuesday. The safety of tennis stars has taken on a higher
profile since 1993, when a professed fan of Steffi Graf stabbed
Monica Seles during a tournament in Germany.
Psychologists who evaluated Rajcevic concluded he was delusional
but mentally competent to stand trial.
Rajcevic said he fell in love with Hingis after seeing her on
television while at home in Australia in 1999, at about the same
time he getting a divorce. He began sending her faxes and letters
expressing his admiration for her and traveled to her home to
deliver flowers.
Prosecutor Christopher Calkin said Rajcevic followed Hingis
around the world even though she and others repeatedly told him to
stop. Under the law, he said one warning was enough.
"It certainly does not require somebody to tell someone to stop
for over a year," he said.
Rajcevic said many people close to Hingis told him she didn't
want a relationship with him, but he said he never heard that from
her. Hingis testified just the opposite Monday, saying she told him
in person and by phone to stay away.
"I told him he should get out of my life, I didn't want to talk
with him anymore, I wouldn't want to spend any time with him,"
Hingis testified about their face-to-face meeting through a fence
after the 1999 French Open.
Defense attorney Frank Abrams said Rajcevic never threatened
Hingis and argued that his client was only trying to romance a
woman beyond his reach.
"The pursuit, no matter how implausible, cannot be punished,"
he said.
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ALSO SEE
Hingis: I told stalker to 'get out of my life'
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Martina Hingis testifies against alleged stalker Dubravko Rajcevic.
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