1999 IN REVIEW
The workhorse of the ATP Tour played 40 of a possible 45 weeks during the year, including every week from May 17 through the end of the season... Reached three doubles finals before breaking through for second career ATP Tour title in Basel (w/Haygarth), beating Norval-Ullyett and Novak-Rikl in final two rounds…Prior to that indoor title on carpet, reached final in San Jose (w/Zimonjic) on indoor hardcourts in February, Gstaad (w/Taino) and Stuttgart (w/Waite) on clay in July…In addition to 31 Tour events, played in nine Challengers, highlighted by Szczecin title (w/Waite)…For year, played with a Tour-high 26 different partners in his 40 tournaments…
Made lone singles appearance in his hometown at the Skopje Challenger, losing in 1st RD…Finished season with career-bests in ranking (38) and prize money ($154,690).
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1991 -- Runner-up at Yugoslavia Satellite (21 points) and advanced to doubles SF at Cairo Challenger…1992 -- Played in five Challengers in doubles and picked up 12 points at Italy #1 Satellite…In sinles, advanced to 2nd RD at Liege Challenger…1993 -- Doubles finalist at Bulgaria Satellite (w/Muskatirovic, 43 points) and Turkey #2 Satellite (w/Castrichella, 26 points.)…1994 -- Doubles winner at Netherlands Satellite (w/Bouteyre, 54 points), second at France #1 Satellite (w/Bruno, 45 points) and finalist at Bochum (w/Florent) and Budapest (w/Belloli) Challengers…Won his first Tour doubles match at Prague (w/Kodes, Jr.)…1995 -- Qualified in singles for first time in Halle (l. to Groen)…1996 -- Reached nine Challenger doubles finals, winning titles at Budva, Skopje and Portoroz (w/Djordvevic) while compiling 36-17 record…Also finalist at Lippstadt (w/Belloli), Malta (w/Zumpft), Prague (w/LeBlanc), Furth (w/Koves), Ulm (w/Dzelde) and Andorra (w/Djordjevic)…Improved from No. 155 to 88 in doubles…1997 -- Won first career title in Bournemouth (w/Kinnear) and finished in Top 50 for the first time at No. 47…Also reached Newport final (w/Kinnear), along with SF in Montreal (w/Salzenstein), Long Island (w/Kinnear) and Basel (w/Talbot)…1998 -- Best doubles result was SF at Aachen Challenger (w/Kinnear).
CAREER DOUBLES TITLES (2). FINALIST (4).
PERSONAL
Began playing tennis at age five in Australia on clay since his father, Ivan, was on diplomatic duty in the country...Came up as one of the top juniors in the former Yugoslavia in 1986...Plays Davis Cup for his native Macedonia and has a 6-2 career record (4-0 in doubles) in four ties...Considers hardcourts as favorite surface and plays serve-and-volley style...Coached by his father, who travels with his son most of the year.