Catching up with Joe Kneipp

CATCHING UP WITH JOE…

The last mini-portrait I did of the “Mr Charm” Joe Kneipp was at the Super Series ’04, when I discovered all about Joe’s anachronisms and contradictions, which makes him so darn touching… In the ToC, we again had a long chat, off the record, as he was more than upset after his defeat.

So I just wanted to catch up with him and find out how he felt at present, and what his projects were…

Have you recovered from you New-York disappointment?

I’m getting better. The thing is that I trained so hard for the ToC, I did everything right, I cut down drastically on my social life, and all that to have my match stolen away from me. So I told myself, if I trained in the most disciplined way, worked so hard, all that to lose that way, why bother? So I let my hair down… 

And that probably explains the Bermuda disaster? 

Yes it does! I probably beat the record of the quickest match that day against a very focused and concentrated Olli Tuominen. In the papers, somebody wrote that “Mr Kneipp probably spent more time at the immigration than he did on court”! That was very funny I thought, I loved it!

So how did you get out of that phase, if you have I mean?

You know, Framboise, like I told you a year ago, my problem was always a mental one, I always had problems getting my head in the right place!

Is your brother’s absence still very heavy?

Well, I’m glad to say that he is now back in Amsterdam and that has made a huge difference. It’s so much more inspiring when Danny is around, his presence in my corner gives me a real fire in my belly, he inspires me to win… When I’m on my own, if I lose, I only let myself down, and I’m used to that, but when I see him looking at me, I feel like I’m fighting for both of us, and that I can’t let HIM down. I would feel ashamed of doing that to him…

So, you seem to recognise what the problem is…

I always knew what the problem was, I’m a mental case, that’s what… I seem to always make a point of doing the opposite of what I know is good for me. So for a few months now, after New-York in fact, I had to talk to somebody to get my head in the right place again, to get to play well again..... So I've been seeing a sports psychologist in Holland, who has been great in all departments of my life, not just in squash…

Did you find out something in particular? 

Well, we all have a tendency to play well when there is no pressure on, like in training or in League matches, when the result is obviously important but not a question of life and death, and then sometimes choke when the important events are on. But I think I’m probably an exaggerated case of the “pressure syndrome”, and that’s something I’m trying to address at the moment, although I’m pretty aware that all players have the problem, that I’m not the only one in this case…

So, what’s next, Joe…?

I’m just going to try and sort myself out before my career ends really… And you know what may happen? When I’m just round the corner from throwing in, with no expectancy, I’ll probably have the great results I won’t be expecting anymore, and that I wish I could have right now…