2008 IN REVIEW

Qualified in opening week of the season in Adelaide and lost to No. 3 seed Jarkko Nieminent in straight sets.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1999 -- In his first main draw Futures appearance at Germany #12 advanced to QF...2000 -- Reached four Futures QF in Jordan, Czech Republic (twice) and Philippines...2001 -- Best showing was SF at Turkey Futures #1 in Istanbul...2002 -- Advanced to QF at Israel Futures #1 in Ramat Hasharon and U.S. Futures #6 in San Antonio...2003 -- Turned in consistent results (22-2) in five-week Futures trip during April-May in Qatar and Kuwait... Reached final at Qatar #1, SF at Qatar #2 and won three straight titles in Kuwait...2004 -- Captured first Futures title at Netherlands #3 and runner-up at back-to-back stops at Kuwait #1 and #2...Reached QF at Kyoto Challenger...Qualified for his first ATP tournament in Shanghai (l. to Gambill)...2005 -- Won Morocco Futures #2 in Rabat and Spain #32 in Gran Canaria...Also runner-up at Spain #33...2006 -- Reached his first Challenger final in Campos do Jordao-1 (l. to Mello)...Qualified and won his first ATP match in Dubai (d. Bracciali, l. to Schuettler)...Also QF in three other Challengers... 2007 -- Best results were SF at Rabat and Prostejov Challengers and QF in two others...Made his Davis Cup debut and won a dead rubber vs. Macedonia.

PERSONAL

Began playing tennis at age four…Father, Alexander, works as full time tennis coach and is also his coach…Represented former Czechoslovakia in soccer...Mother, Yvette, is a kindergarten teacher…Brother Alexander Jr. (30) is also a tennis coach and sister Kristina (23) is an office worker… Preferred surface is (outdoor) hard courts and favorite shots are forehand and serve… Hobbies include motorbikes, music and soccer and played both tennis and soccer until age 16…Idols growing up were Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi… If he wasn’t a tennis player he would be a soccer player after being offered a trial at 16 with Bayern Munich...Speaks Slovak, English and German.