Hingis' Stalker Gets Two Years

A man who claimed that he and Martina Hingis were in love was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday for stalking the tennis star.

Dubravko Rajcevic, a 46-year-old naval architect from Australia, was found guilty last week of stalking as well as trespassing at a tournament in Miami.

Circuit Judge Kevin Emas told Rajcevic that he would get credit for the year he has been locked up since his arrest.

"I'm one more year in jail?" asked a disappointed Rajcevic.

"Yes," came the reply.

"I'm not happy," he said.

Jurors rejected arguments by the defense that Rajcevic never threatened the tennis star and only was trying to romance her.

He was found guilty on all of the four misdemeanor charges against him: one count of stalking and three counts of trespassing during the 2000 Ericsson Open near Miami.

Rajcevic said he fell in love with Hingis after seeing her on television while at home in Australia about the same time he was getting a divorce in 1999.

Thinking a relationship could develop with Hingis, Rajcevic began sending her faxes and letters expressing his admiration for her and traveled to her Swiss home to deliver flowers.

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 that she told him in person and by phone to stay away.

He told jurors he was convinced Hingis once loved him, but had probably found someone else while he was in jail.

"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."

Psychologists who evaluated Rajcevic concluded he was delusional but mentally competent to stand trial. He talked about how he is close friends with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh.

Rajcevic said he was glad Mr. Clinton didn't pardon him when he left office because it was important that at least one person "very close to Mr. Clinton" did not receive a pardon.

Security for tennis stars has been heightened since 1993, when a fan of Steffi Graf stabbed Monica Seles during a tournament in Germany.

Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence of four years for Rajcevic but told the judge that Hingis' family would accept two years if the sentencing included an order that he stay away from her. It did.

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