2006 IN REVIEW

For just third time in 10 years, this Italian veteran finished outside the Top 100...Reached Australian Open 2nd RD for first time since 1999 with win over Adaktusson (l. to Mirnyi)...Won two of three matches at ARAG ATP World Team Championship...Reached 2nd RD at Roland Garros and Wimbledon...In July, claimed title at Recanati Challenger (d. Bolelli)...Equaled career-best AMS result with 3rd RD in Toronto...Qualified then defeated Nalbandian and Hernych before falling to Nieminen 12-10 in third set tie-break...The win over No. 4 Nalbandian was his fourth career Top 10 win and first since March 2003...Suffered 1st RD loss at each of last five ATP events of year...Reached second career doubles final at Zagreb (w/Seppi)...Won doubles title at Recanati Challenger (w/Bolelli).

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1997 – Reached first ATP SF in Bogota… Won Challengers in Furth (d. Nydahl) and Oberstaufen (d. Gaudenzi)… In doubles, won first ATP title in Umag (w/Pescariu)… 1998 – Reached first career ATP final in Coral Springs (l. to Ilie)… Became first Italian to reach Wimbledon QF (l. to Krajicek) since Adriano Panatta in 1979… Helped Italy to its first Davis Cup final since 1980… 1999 – Won Challenger title in Prague (d. Kralert)… Won doubles Challenger titles in Pozan and Sofia (both w/Ardinghi)… 2000 – Won Challenger title at Salinas (d. Horna)…Reached Tashkent final (d. Kafelnikov l. to Safin)…Won Challenger title in Bratislava (d. Schuettler)…2001 – Reached final in Memphis (l. to Philippoussis) despite suffering from a back injury in SF… 2002 – Captured his first career ATP titles at age 29 in Milan (d. Federer) and Delray Beach (d. Roddick)…Was first Italian to win in Milan since Omar Camporese in 1992…Ended streak of 116 tournaments without a title since turning pro… Also won Wroclaw Challenger (d. Dupuis)…2003 – Finalist at San Jose (l. to Agassi)… Advanced to SF in Stockholm…Won Helsinki Challenger (d. Soderling)…2004 – Finished just out of Top 100 in rankings for first time since 1999…Compiled a 13-7 mark in Challengers… In July, reached back-to-back Challenger finals at Granby (l. to Russell) and Monchengladbach (l. to Summerer)… Posted his best ATP results in October by reaching QF in Shanghai followed by SF in Vienna, losing to eventual champion. Lopez… In doubles, reached final at Granby Challenger (w/ Levy)…2005 – The No. 2 Italian (behind Volandri) finished in Top 50 for third time in his career... Second-oldest player in Top 50 (behind Agassi)... Reached SF in Stockholm (l. to Srichaphan) and four QF... Had US Open-best 4th RD (l. to Nalbandian) showing... In 3rd RD, had four hour and 32 minute marathon, prevailing in a fifth set tie-break over Srichaphan... In Challenger play, reached final at Sunrise (l. to Beck) and won title at Recanati (d. Bracciali)... Compiled records of 10-8 on clay, 10-11 on hard and 4-3 on grass...2006 -- For just third time in 10 years, finished out of Top 100...Won two of three matches at ARAG ATP World Team Championship...Reached 2nd RD at Roland Garros and Wimbledon...In July, claimed title at Recanati Challenger (d. Bolelli)...Equaled career-best AMS result with 3rd RD in Toronto...Qualified then defeated Nalbandian and Hernych before falling to Nieminen 12-10 in third set tie-break...The win over No. 4 Nalbandian was his fourth career Top 10 win and first since March 2003...Reached second career doubles final at Zagreb (w/Seppi)...Won doubles title at Recanati Challenger (w/Bolelli).

PERSONAL

Captured Italian 18s championship (d. Musa) in 1990...Trained at Harry Hopman Academy in Florida in 1990-91 before attending UCLA for two years in 1992-93...Studied economics...In 1993 NCAA Championships, reached SF and earned All-American honors...Tennis idols growing up were countryman Paolo Cane and Miloslav Mecir, his favorite player...Used to tape Mecir’s matches and says, “I still go back to watch them”...Considers his serve as strength and likes to be known as an all-surface player...Has an 11-11 career Davis Cup record in 12 ties since 1998...Elected to ATP Player Council in June 2006...Wife, Tatiana; daughter Alice...Coached by countryman and former ATP pro Claudio Pistolesi...Fitness trainer is Pino Carnovale.