1997 HIGHLIGHTS
Prize money: $305,459
Matches won-lost: Tour: 18-25 (singles), 0-4 (doubles) Challenger: 6-3 (singles), 1-2 (doubles)
Singles Finalist: Tokyo. Quarterfinalist: Basel.

1997 IN REVIEW

Finished year-end best No. 61 with benefit of second ATP Tour final...Opened season by defeating Stark 13-11 in the fifth set in 1st RD at Australian Open in 4:33, longest match of year...A month later, reached the final at the Cherbourg Challenger (l. to Fetterlein)...Posted his best career week in Tokyo in April, defeating No. 11 Becker in QF en route to final (l. to Krajicek), moving his ranking from 86 to No. 60...Added 3rd RD at the French Open and the U.S. Open but went 1-8 in between...In October, defeated No. 5 Moya for second career Top 10 victory to reach QF in Basel (l. to Korda)...Earned a career-high $305,459.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1991 - Played in two Satellites, at Israel #1 (w/14 points) and France #3 (w/21 points)...1992 - Won first Challenger title in Singapore...Defeated Borg in the 1st RD in Toulouse and surprised Jaite in the 1st RD at the French Open...1993 - Reached the SF at the Parioli Challenger and the QF at the Ljubljana Challenger...Lost in first round at French Open to Prpic in five sets...1994 - Rose more than 200 spots in the ATP Tour Rankings...As a qualifier in Osaka, defeated Lendl, Krickstein and Holm before falling to Sampras in the final...Qualified six times on Tour during year...1995 - SF in Marseille (l. to Vacek) and Bordeaux (l. to Doumbia)...Broke into the Top 50 for the first time Feb. 13 after Marseille...In doubles, best Tour result was SF in Nottingham (w/Enqvist)...1996 - Earned consecutive Challenger SF at Braunschweig (d. Wilander, l. to Berasategui) and Venice on clay, then came to the North American hardcourts and reached the 3rd RD in Washington and QF in Indianapolis, where he beat Stoltenberg and Edberg consecutively (l. to Ivanisevic in three), allowing him to crack Top 100 again for three weeks.

CAREER FINALIST (2): 1994 - Osaka; 1997 - Tokyo.

GRAND SLAM RECORD
CAREER979695949392
AUS. OPEN1-3 2ND1ST1ST-- -- --
FRENCH OPEN5-63RD2ND1ST2ND1ST2ND
WIMBLEDON0-21ST--1ST-- -- --
US OPEN 2-2 3RD--1ST-- -- --

PERSONAL

Started playing tennis at age 10 in Diemoz, near Lyon where public courts had been built...French National Junior champion in 1991...Big soccer fan and played often as a youngster...Lyon is his favorite team, and Eric Cantona is his favorite player...Enjoys films and likes the acting of Mickey Rourke, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts...Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Lloyd Cole are musical favorites...Oldest of three boys in family...Family moved to Jupiter, Fla., in 1993...Coached by Alain Reynaud.