2003 IN REVIEW

The Swiss No. 3 player finished year out of Top 100 for first time in four years…Compiled a 13-22 record on ATP circuit and 4-3 in Challenger play…Reached 2nd RD at Australian Open for third consecutive year, defeating Sanguinetti in 1st RD (l. to Ferreira in 2nd RD)…Reached only QF of season in Copenhagen by defeating Carlsen and Lisnard before falling to Kucera…Won decisive fifth rubber against Verkerk of The Netherlands to lead Switzerland into Davis Cup SF…Defeated Clement in 1st RD at Delray Beach before losing to Hyung-Taik Lee in 2nd RD…Clement returned favor following week with three set win at Indian Wells…Snapped six-match losing streak at Queen's Club by winning 1st RD match against Carraz before losing to Grosjean in next round…Reached 3rd RD in Tokyo before losing to Gambill in straight sets…Lost first rubber against Hewitt in Switzerland's loss to Australia in Davis Cup SF before winning dead rubber against Woodbridge…Reached final of second Challenger event of year in Istanbul (l. to Soderling)…Was 8-4 in tiebreaks.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1997-Finished in sixth place at Denmark Satellite (10 points)...1998-Climbed over 300 ranking positions by winning Switzerland #1 Satellite (39 points) and reaching final at Austria #7 Futures event...1999-Won consecutive Challenger titles at Vienna (d. Charpentier), Sylt (d. E. Alvarez) and Geneva (d. Stanoychev)...Also reached finals at India#3 and Italy#4 Futures events...In doubles, reached Challenger final in Vienna (w/Kralert)...2000-Posted a 22-16 record in Challenger play, closing year with back-to-back titles in Osaka (d. Lee) and Brest (d. Settergren)...Also a finalist in Houston (l. to J. Blake)...At TMS Miami, qualified and reached 3rd RD...In his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros, qualified and reached 3rd RD, falling to countryman Federer 8-6 in fifth set...Won singles Davis Cup debut in dead rubber against Bulgaria...2001-Finished in Top 50 for first time, improving his ranking for seventh consecutive year...Reached first two ATP finals of career, losing to Schuettler in final in Shanghai and to Hewitt in final in Tokyo...Closed with QF showings in Vienna and Basel...2002-The Swiss No. 2 (behind No. 6 Federer) finished in Top 100 for third consecutive year...Won 20 matches for second year, with two ATP SF showings ...In Grand Slam play, advanced to a career-best 4th RD at Wimbledon and appeared in all nine Tennis Masters Series events for first time...Also helped keep Switzerland in Davis Cup World Group...Started year with SF showing in Auckland...Defeated defending champion Agassi in 1st RD at TMS Indian Wells before losing to former champ Rios in 2nd RD...Enjoyed best results of year on grass with 7-3 record, reaching 2nd RD in Halle, SF in Nottingham and 4th RD at Wmbledon (l. to Henman in five sets in 4 hours, 13 min.).

PERSONAL

Full name is Michel Frank Kratochvil...Began playing tennis with his parents, Frantisek and Eva, who are both from the former Czechoslovakia, leaving country during Soviet invasion in 1968...They now own a tennis center in their hometown of Ostermundigen, Switzerland...One of top junior players in 1996, finishing No. 15 in singles and doubles world rankings that year...The European champion in '96...In addition to playing tennis as a youngster, also played hockey and was on Swiss 18-and-under national team...His favorite hockey team is Bern... Favorite athlete is Washington Capitals star Jaromir Jagr...Says his most memorable tennis moment was 1989 RD 16 five-set match at Roland Garros between Michael Chang and Ivan Lendl...Considers return of serve as best part of his game and hard courts as favorite surface...Has a 3-7 career Davis Cup record in singles in six ties since 2000...Coached by former ATP pro Bernd Karbacher (since March 2003).