2006 IN REVIEW

This Czech native posted a career high for ATP level wins while reaching a pair of QF...Opened season with 2nd RD finishes in Doha and Auckland...Pushed Hewitt to five sets in Australian Open debut...In February, reached QF at Dubai with wins over Tipsarevic and Berdych before falling to Federer...Made AMS debut in Indian Wells (l. to Hernych) and later earned first career AMS win in Miami (d. Bjorkman, l. to Ljubicic)... Returned to clay and reached Munich QF (l. to Nieminen)...Following week, won Prague Challenger (d. Hajek)...Made Wimbledon debut (l. to Mayer)...Advanced to 2nd RD at ATP stops in Umag, New Haven and Moscow...Reached doubles SF at ATP stops in Auckland (w/Zib) and Umag (w/Hernych)...Advanced to Wimbledon 3rd RD (w/Suk)...Claimed title at Sunrise Challenger (w/Pala)...Earned a career-high $315,000.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1997 – Earned first career points in Pilzn Challenger…1998 – Reached QF at Croatian Futures…Was 1-2 in Challengers, 2-3 in Futures…1999 – Best result was SF at Schwabisch Hall Futures…Posted 8-7 Futures record, 3-5 in Challengers…In doubles, reached one Challenger and one Futures final…2000 – Reached SF at Sofia Challenger…Reached QF at four other Challengers…Was 17-13 in Challenger events…2001 – Reached five Challenger QFs…Was 15-20 in Challengers…2002 – Dropped down to Futures for first half of the year, going 10-7, reaching one SF and two QFs…Reached one Challenger QF…Was 6-11 in Challengers…Reached Budaors Challenger final (w/Vanek)…2003 – Qualified into first career ATP event at Kitzbuhel where he lost in 1st RD to Mergea…Reached at least QF at first four Challenger events of the year…Reached SF at Montauban Challenger…Compiled records of 11-10 in Challengers and 2-5 in Futures…2004 – Played reduced schedule, missing two months in the summer…Ended year with 5-11 Challenger record and 2-1 Futures record…2005 – This Czech player made second-biggest jump of any player in Top 100 from previous season, improving 362 ranking positions...Played a career high nine ATP events, winning eight matches and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 63... Began the season by going 28-2 in first seven events playing a combination of Challengers and Futures... Opened year with win at Nussloch Futures (d. Darcis)... Reached SF at Stuttgart Futures then claimed title at Oberhaching Futures (d. A. Beck)... Won first career Challenger title at Wroclaw (d. Tabara)... In February, claimed title at Zagreb Futures (d. Kirillov) and in March at Kyoto Challenger (d. Snobel)... Returned to winning ways in April with title at Nottingham (d. Marray)... Made Grand Slam debut as qualifier at Roland Garros... Reached 2nd RD with win over Kim (l. to Moya)... Reached QF at Prostejov Challenger then took a month off before reaching QF at Cordoba Challenger... Reached 2nd RD at Newport (d. Dacevic, l. to Rusedski)... Two weeks later reached 2nd RD at Amersfoort (d. N. Lapentti, l. to Gonzalez)... Followed that with 3rd RD at Kitzbuehel (l. to Gaudio)... Began August with Graz Challenger title (d. Karanusic)... Made US Open debut (l. to O. Rochus)... Late in the year, reached first career SF with wins over Nieminen, Serra and defending champion Youhzny at St. Petersburg (l. to Kiefer)... Ended year with 33-11 Challenger record and an 18-1 mark in Futures... In doubles, claimed Futures title at Zagreb (w/Hasek)... Best Challenger result was SF at Kyoto (w/Bruthans)... Won first career ATP doubles match in Tokyo (w/Minar) defeating Wimbledon champions Huss-Moodie...2006 -- Posted a career high for ATP level wins while reaching a pair of QF...Opened season with 2nd RD finishes in Doha and Auckland...Pushed Hewitt to five sets in Australian Open debut...In February, reached QF at Dubai with wins over Tipsarevic and Berdych before falling to Federer...Made AMS debut in Indian Wells (l. to Hernych) and later earned first career AMS win in Miami (d. Bjorkman, l. to Ljubicic)... Returned to clay and reached Munich QF (l. to Nieminen)...Following week, won Prague Challenger (d. Hajek)...Made Wimbledon debut (l. to Mayer)...Advanced to 2nd RD at ATP stops in Umag, New Haven and Moscow...Reached doubles SF at ATP stops in Auckland (w/Zib) and Umag (w/Hernych)...Advanced to Wimbledon 3rd RD (w/Suk)...Claimed title at Sunrise Challenger (w/Pala)...Earned a career-high $315,000.

PERSONAL

Began playing at age six...Nickname is Kevin because friends say he looks like lead character in movie Home Alone...Father, Lubomir, owns his own printing company; mother, Natasha, also works with her husband along with older brother Bohdan...Parents were both former gymnasts...Played soccer as a youngster until age 15 when he decided to pursue a career in tennis...Favorite surface is hard courts and says his footwork is best part of his game...Says turning point of his career came in February 2005 when he won his first Challenger title in Wroclaw, Poland as a qualifier ranked No. 336...Coached by former ATP pro David Prinosil of Germany (since September 2004).