1999 IN REVIEW
The veteran from Uruguay improved his year-end ranking from previous season highlighted by QF run at Roland Garros…Played Challengers until April, reaching SF in Napoli…In first Tour event, reached 2nd RD in Atlanta…Followed with a surprising run at Roland Garros where he qualified and posted wins over Tieleman, Damm, Spadea and No. 13 Rusedski before falling to eventual champion Agassi in QF…Afterward, improved his ranking from No. 140 to No. 87 on June 7…Fell in five sets to Chang at U.S. Open…Slumped afterward, posting a 1-9 mark to finish the year…In doubles, won Challenger title in Punte Del Este (w/Arnold).
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1988-Made successful Tour final debut, winning at Bastad...Won his first Tour doubles title in Palermo (w/DiLaura)...1989-Won in Prague for his second career singles title...1990-Finalist in Itaparica and SF in Bastad, San Remo and San Marino...1991-Finalist in Madrid and winner at the Bucharest Challenger...Doubles SF at Tour event in Guaruja (w/Perez)...1992-SF in Genova, Florence and Kitzbnhel...Reached RD 16 at the French Open...Won second career doubles title in Florence (w/Mattar)...1993-Reached SF in Santiago and QF in Rome (d. Lendl) to finish in the Top 100...1994-Won his third career ATP Tour title in Florence (d. Fromberg)...Played all 45 of his Tour matches on clay, compiling a 27-18 record...Won third career Tour doubles title in Montevideo (w/Mattar)...1995-Reached seventh career ATP Tour final (l. to Rios) in Bologna...1996-Reached his eighth career ATP Tour final in Bermuda (l. to Mal Washington)...Won Barcelona Challenger (d. Hrbaty)...Went 5-1 in Davis Cup singles...Played longest known game in ATP Tour history at Casablanca, going to deuce 28 times with Berasategui in one game of a 6-2, 6-3 1st RD loss...1997-Finished in Top 50 for first time since 1990...Compiled 30-23 record and won ATP Tour titles in Atlanta (d. Stoltenberg) and St. P�lten (d. Rafter)...Also SF in Amsterdam and Santiago and QF in three other events (went 28-15 on clay)...Earned a career-high $273,482…1998-Reached the SF in St. Poelten (l. to Spadea)…Added a QF in Buenos Aires…Advanced to final at the Sao Paulo Challenger (l. to Melgeni).
PERSONAL
Began playing tennis at age 5...A baseliner who considers his best shot the forehand...Comes from a tennis family; father is a tennis instructor...Likes golf, soccer, sailing, horse riding, surfing the internet and movies. Member of Uruguay Davis Cup team since 1985 and has a 40-35 overall record in 30 ties (31-22 in singles)...Elected vice-president of ATP Tour Player Council for 1998-99 and 1999-2000...Coached by Alejandro Gattiker (since March 1997).
