Category Archives: Players

Born: November 7, 1976 in Melbourne (Victoria) Height: 1.94 m Plays: Right-handed Μάρκος Φιλιππούσης – the son of a Greek father and an Italian mother, enjoyed the best year of his career in 1999. He managed to achieve something only Michael … Continue reading →

Born: August 13, 1976 in Guayaquil (Guayas) Height: 1.87 m Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) There is one particular thing about Lapentti – his extraordinary ability to close out matches once he had created a match point. I am not aware … Continue reading →

Born: December 17, 1977 in Aix-en-Provence (Alpes-Côte d’Azur) Height: 1.72 m Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) He is a good example of how a bit of luck and a few good events, even without spectacular successes, can shift a player from … Continue reading →

Born: December 9, 1978 in Temperley (Buenos Aires) Height: 1.76 m Plays: Right-handed Gaudio’s unexpected triumph at Roland Garros 2004 gave me thrills – perhaps the most intense emotions I’ve ever felt watching tennis – especially in the fifth set … Continue reading →

Born: May 29, 1965 in Madrid Height: 1.80 m Plays: Right-handed It’s difficult to explain why the older brother Emilio achieved much more than the younger Javier Sánchez (b. 1968 in Pamplona, the best junior of 1986). Unlike the McEnroe … Continue reading →

Born: May 30, 1976 in Filipstad (Värmland) Height: 1.88 m Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Norman, born into a family of professional athletes, was seen as a potential successor to Sweden’s greatest players. Already as a 16-year-old – before even entering … Continue reading →

Born: June 20, 1969 in Glen Cove (New York) Height: 1.80 m Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Some sort of a late bloomer, Washington belonged to a generation in which players who achieved similar results typically entered the Top 100 already … Continue reading →

Born: April 25, 1976 in Korbach (Heßen) Height: 1.79 m Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Schüttler had four match points (7-6, 2-6, 6-8) in the third round of the 1994 Australian Open juniors against local favorite Mark Philippoussis, but during his … Continue reading →

Born: September 17, 1985 in Valašské Meziříčí (Zlínský kraj in Czechoslovakia) Height: 1.96 m Plays: Right-handed (double-handed backhand) Stan Wawrinka achieved more or less what I expected from Berdych. Quite revealing is their Australian Open 2014 semifinal: Wawrinka beat Berdych … Continue reading →

Born: April 17, 1985 in Le Mans (Pays de la Loire) Height: 1.88 m Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) The son of a Congolese father, Didier, and French mother, Évelyne (née Rosier). He is an example of someone who entered the … Continue reading →