David Nalbandian
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| Image:David nalbandian and kirchner meeting 28 12 05.jpg | ||
| Country | Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina | |
| Residence | Unquillo, Córdoba, Argentina | |
| Date of birth | January 1 1982 | |
| Place of birth | Unquillo, Córdoba, Argentina | |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) [1] | |
| Weight | 79 kg (170 lb/12.4 st) | |
| Turned Pro | 2000 | |
| Plays | Right; Two-handed backhand | |
| Career Prize Money | $8,401,559 | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 248 - 125 | |
| Career titles: | 7 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 3 (March 20, 2006) | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | SF (2006) | |
| French Open | SF (2004, 2006) | |
| Wimbledon | F (2002) | |
| U.S. Open | SF (2003) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 30 - 39 | |
| Career titles: | 0 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 116 (July 21, 2003) | |
|
Infobox last updated on: November 6, 2007. | ||
David Nalbandián (born January 11982), is a professional tennis player from Argentina of Armenian descent, who has career wins over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. As of November 19, 2007 he is the world's No. 9 male tennis player. Nalbandián has won seven ATP titles. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Tennis career
Nalbandian began playing tennis at age five when his grandfather built a cement court in his backyard. As a junior player, he won the 1998 Junior US Open singles against Roger Federer and the 1999 Junior Wimbledon doubles titles.
He turned professional in 2000. In 2001, he finished in the ATP top 50 for the first time. He finished 2002 as No. 1 Argentine and South American for the first time in his career, winning 2 ATP titles and reaching the Wimbledon final, where he set a record and stunned the tennis world by becoming the first man to reach the final on his senior debut, in 2002. Furthermore, his run to the 2002 Wimbledon final is even more remarkable, considering that it was his first ever pro tournament on grass.
Since then he has continued to climb his way up the ranks of professional tennis, and has finished each of the last two years ranked inside the year end top ten. In 2003 Nalbandian reached the semifinals of the US Open, where he lost to Andy Roddick, after holding a match point in the third set, after a few controversial calls. In 2004, Nalbandian reached the French Open semifinals losing to eventual champion Gastón Gaudio.
In 2005, Nalbandian won the Tennis Masters Cup, becoming only the second Argentine tennis player in history (after Guillermo Vilas in 1974) to win the end of year tournament. Having replaced American Andy Roddick, Nalbandian won two of his three group matches (l. to Roger Federer, d. Ivan Ljubičić and Guillermo Coria). In the semi-finals he defeated Russian Nikolay Davydenko and in the final, he beat World No. 1 Roger Federer in the fifth-set tiebreak. David also becomes the first player to win the cup without previously attaining a Grand Slam or Masters Series title.
In January of 2006, Nalbandian defeated Fabrice Santoro of France 7-5 6-0 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, becoming only the second active player (along with Roger Federer) to have reached the semi-finals of each Grand Slam tournament. He would lose the semifinals to Marcos Baghdatis in a hard fought five set match, despite holding a two-set-to-love advantage and then 4 games to 2 in the final set. In May, Nalbandian won the Estoril Open Tournament in Portugal for the second time, being one of three only men to achieve this accomplishment (Carlos Costa - 1992 and 1994, and Thomas Muster - 1995 and 1996). One month later, Nalbandian reached his second French Open semi-final. It was the first time in his career that he reached two Grand Slam semi-finals in one calendar year. He played Roger Federer and started very well, taking the first set 6-3 and going 3-0 up in the second set. At 5-2 down in the third set, Nalbandian decided to retire from the match, since he was suffering from abdominal injuries. At Wimbledon, Nalbandian was beaten in the third round - it was the first time he didn't reach the last 16. At the US Open, Nalbandian was beaten in the second round against former Grand Slam champion Marat Safin.
Nalbandian then competed in the Davis Cup Semi Final against Australia. David easily defeated Mark Philippoussis 6-4 6-3 6-3 to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. Nalbandian felt as if the crowd didn't get totally fired up because he was cruising through the match. When the draw for the Davis Cup semifinal was being made with Argentina vs. Australia, Nalbandian shook hands with Australian Mark Philippoussis and asked him to join the party on Saturday night, implying that Argentina would beat Australia 3-0 on Saturday. Nalbandian was indeed correct, and Argentina went on to thrash Australia 5-0. Nalbandian said the only thing he was disappointed that he didn't have the opportunity to beat Lleyton Hewitt, whom he thrashed in the Davis Cup quarterfinal in 2005 6-2 6-4 6-4 in Australia (Nalbandian's record against Hewitt is 1-3). Prior to the Davis Cup semifinal, Nalbandian said, "We beat them in Australia, and we're going to beat them again." Argentina went on to humiliate Australia, thrashing them 5-0. Nalbandian also fired up the clash with Australia by saying that Hewitt has no friends on the ATP Tour.
2007 has seen Nalbandian drop out of the world's top twenty for the first time since 2003 after losing in the fourth round of the 2007 French Open to Nikolay Davydenko. Nalbandian suffered various abdominal injuries, a back injury and a leg injury during the year which is the reason for his form lapse.
Nalbandian's season changed when he won the 2007 Madrid Masters. He won the tournament by defeating Rafael Nadal, Novak Đoković, and Federer in consecutive rounds, becoming the third player after Boris Becker and Đoković to defeat the world's top three players in a single tournament. He defeated Nadal, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals. His good form carried him to his second top three win of the tournament, defeating Djoković in the semifinals. He then stunned Federer in the final, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
He also reached the doubles semifinals with Guillermo Canas in the tournament before losing to top-seeded Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the semifinals. After the tournament, his singles ranking moved up from No. 25 on the tour to No. 18, losing in the first round of his next tournament.
Nalbandian played at the 2007 Paris Masters and again defeated Federer in the third round 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). He then beat David Ferrer in the quarterfinals in a closely fought match, winning 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 6-2. After beating Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals, Nalbandian won his second straight ATP Masters Series title over Nadal, 6-4 6-0, thus, becoming the first player to win Madrid and Paris Masters back-to-back since former World No. 1 Safin in 2004. This win allowed Nalbandian to move back into the top ten at No. 9.
[edit] Playing Style
Nalbandian employs a very aggressive baseline game, although he is capable of playing an all-court style. His main strengths lie in his groundstrokes and return game, and are complemented by his deft accuracy and incredible foot speed. His groundstrokes are technically sound and solid from both wings, and because of their depth, pace, and consistency, opponents often have difficulty breaking down one particular side. Nalbandian's trademark shot is his two-handed backhand down the line, which he often uses to set up point, by either hitting a clean winner, or forcing a weak return from the opponent. Nalbandian is also a sound volleyer, and if a situation calls for more aggressive play, he is often willing to finish points at the net. Nalbandian's serve is not one of his strengths, however it is reliable, accurate and efficient.
[edit] Trivia
- David Nalbandian is sponsored by Yonex. His racquet of choice is the Yonex RDS 001, and also wears both Yonex clothing and shoes.
- Nalbandian keeps a good relationship with all Argentine players, especially Agustín Calleri.
- Nalbandian is a fan of the Club Atlético River Plate football team and has his own rally team called Tango Rally with Marcos Ligato as the main driver.
- Nalbandian became the third man to beat the world's top three players in the same tournament. The other two men are Boris Becker and Novak Đoković. Đoković and Nalbandian, however, are the only ones to do this in succession. (Becker did not beat all three of these players in three straight matches.)
- Nalbandian is the third man to beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal since they assumed the #1 and #2 positions; the other two men being Tomáš Berdych and Đoković.
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] Grand Slam finals (1)
[edit] Singles
[edit] Runner-ups (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2002 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Lleyton Hewitt | 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 |
[edit] Tennis Masters Cup finals (1)
[edit] Singles
[edit] Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2005 | Shanghai | Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Roger Federer | 6-7(4), 6-7(11), 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(3) |
[edit] ATP Masters Series finals (5)
[edit] Singles (5)
[edit] Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2007 | Madrid | Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Roger Federer | 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2007 | Paris | Image:Flag of Spain.svg Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 6-0 |
[edit] Runner-ups (3)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2003 | Montreal | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Andy Roddick | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2004 | Rome | Image:Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Moyà | 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 |
| 2004 | Madrid | Image:Flag of Russia.svg Marat Safin | 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
[edit] Career finals (15)
[edit] Singles (14)
[edit] Wins (7)
|
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | 8 April 2002 | Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal | Clay | Image:Flag of Finland.svg Jarkko Nieminen | 6-4, 7-6(5) |
| 2. | 21 October 2002 | Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Image:Flag of Chile.svg Fernando González | 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 3. | 1 May 2005 | BMW Open, Munich, Germany | Clay | Image:Flag of Romania.svg Andrei Pavel | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 4. | 20 November 2005 | Tennis Masters Cup, Shanghai | Carpet (i) | Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Roger Federer | 6-7(4), 6-7(11), 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(3) |
| 5. | 7 May 2006 | Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal | Clay | Image:Flag of Russia.svg Nikolay Davydenko | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 6. | 21 October 2007 | Madrid Masters, Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Roger Federer | 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 7. | 4 November 2007 | Paris Masters, Paris, France | Hard (i) | Image:Flag of Spain.svg Rafael Nadal | 6-4, 6-0 |
[edit] Runner-ups (7)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | 1 October, 2001 | Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia, Palermo, Italy | Clay | Image:Flag of Spain.svg Félix Mantilla | 7-6(2), 6-4 |
| 2. | 8 July, 2002 | Wimbledon, London, England | Grass | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Lleyton Hewitt | 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 3. | 11 August, 2003 | Canada Masters, Montreal, Canada | Hard | Image:Flag of the United States.svg Andy Roddick | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 4. | 27 October, 2003 | Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Guillermo Coria | W/O |
| 5. | 10 May, 2004 | Rome Masters, Rome, Italy | Clay | Image:Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Moyà | 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 |
| 6. | 25 October, 2004 | Madrid Masters, Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | Image:Flag of Russia.svg Marat Safin | 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 7. | 1 November, 2004 | Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Image:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jiří Novák | 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 |
[edit] Doubles (1)
[edit] Runner-ups
- 2003
- Buenos Aires with Lucas Arnold (lost to Mariano Hood & Sebastián Prieto)
[edit] Singles performance timeline
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only after a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. Davis Cup matches are included in the statistics. This table is current through the Paris Masters in France, which ended on November 4, 2007.
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Career win-loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | 2R | QF | QF | QF | SF | 4R | 21-6 | |
| French Open | A | LQ | 3R | 2R | SF | 4R | SF | 4R | 19-6 | |
| Wimbledon | A | A | F | 4R | A | QF | 3R | 3R | 17-5 | |
| U.S. Open | A | 3R | 1R | SF | 2R | QF | 2R | 3R | 15-7 | |
| Grand Slam Win-Loss1 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 9-4 | 13-4 | 10-3 | 15-4 | 13-4 | 10-4 | 72-24 | |
| Indian Wells Masters | A | A | 2R | 1R | A | 4R | 4R | 4R | 7-5 | |
| Miami Masters | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | A | 3R | SF | 3R | 7-7 | |
| Monte Carlo Masters | A | A | 3R | 2R | QF | A | 3R | 2R | 9-5 | |
| Rome Masters | A | A | 2R | 1R | F | 1R | SF | A | 10-5 | |
| Hamburg Masters | A | A | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R | A | A | 4-4 | |
| Canada Masters | A | A | QF | F | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 11-6 | |
| Cincinnati Masters | A | A | 1R | QF | A | 2R | 2R | 1R | 5-5 | |
| Madrid Masters | A | A | 3R | A | F | SF | SF | W | 18-4 | |
| Paris Masters | A | A | 2R | A | A | 2R | A | W | 7-2 | |
| Tennis Masters Cup | A | A | A | RR | A | W | SF | A | 6-6 | |
| Total Titles | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| Year End Ranking | 245 | 47 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 9 | N/A |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
LQ = lost in qualifying draw.
1. The win total does not include walkovers.
[edit] References
- ^ Credit to ATP Profile
[edit] External links
- Unofficial Fan Site
- ATP Tour profile for David Nalbandian
- Nalbandian Recent Match Results
- Nalbandian World Ranking History
- Match history at Yahoo
- David Nalbandian statistics
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