IN GREGA ZEMLJA'S IPOD

Jun 25, 2013, 12:00:00 AM

IN GREGA ZEMLJA'S IPOD
Twice eliminated in the second round... we'll see this week how the Slovenian Grega Zemlja gets on in third visit to Wimbledon. A tournament that the player, will prepare for between guitar practice and the hit singles of Armin van Buuren.

Twice eliminated in the second round... we'll see this week how the Slovenian Grega Zemlja gets on in third visit to Wimbledon. A tournament that the player, ranked 53rd in the world, will prepare for between guitar practice and the hit singles of Armin van Buuren. We talked to the tall, 26 year-old righty for the Music interview of We Are Tennis Magazine.

 

Grega, on the internet, it says that you play guitar a lot. Is that true?

(He laughs) No! Well, I mean, I got a guitar for my 21st birthday until I broke a string... and never replaced it! In fact, I started to learn a few songs from the internet but I stopped there. I have never taken private lessons or anything like that...

 

So you’ve learned to play guitar alone, like the blues-men?

Yeah, but they didn't have the internet, did they? (laughs). I've really tried to teach myself but I'm still learning. So forget it, no, I'm not a good guitarist. At all!

 

How many songs do you have in your iPod?

It's funny that you ask that, because I lost it recently. It sucks! Everything is in my phone now. Wait two seconds, let me have a look... (He consults his phone) I have lots of live concert recordings at the moment. Thirty, something like that...

 

What kind of music?

At the moment, I'm more into electro and trance music. I love Armin van Buuren, for instance...

 

 

Trance music - seriously?

(Laughs) Yeah, but this is a very recent development. I used to mainly listen to rock and hard rock. Why trance...? I don't know. I started to like it when I was in the United States one day. I was staying in a hotel and one night I couldn't sleep because there was a party, some kind of electronic music festival, in the building next door. I went to have a look. It was insanely busy. Then I stayed and enjoyed the music... until the after-party the next morning! That's how I began to appreciate this kind of music.

 

What was your last concert?

Armin van Buuren again, at a festival held at the Arena Stožice in Ljubljana; the largest football stadium in Slovenia, two years ago. Frankly, it was awesome! There were 15 000 people there. It was a Christmas party... it was called the Red Xmas Party, or something like that. It's one of the biggest events of the year in Slovenia. For me, Armin is one of the top three DJs in the world! So yeah, that's my best concert memory.

 

 

What kind of music do you like to wake up to in the morning...?

I have a fantastic tune: the "alarm" ringtone of my phone (laughs).

 

...and before entering the court?

I don't really listen to music before a game. This is not part of my ritual. I prefer to listen to it when I'm alone, when I'm not stressed or in a rush. When I have time for myself, actually.

 

In your shower, for instance?

Yes, all the time. In my car, it's even worse!

 

And are you a good singer?

I'll have to say no (laughs). But I'm working on it...

 

Interview by Victor Le Grand