January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Who are the favourites for this year's XL Bermuda Open?
Who are the favourites for this year's XL Bermuda Open?
John Isner
Age: 22
Nationality: American
Height: 6'9"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 87 (March 24, 2008)
Highest doubles ranking: 194 (February 25, 2008)
Each year at the XL Open there's an American youngster who arrives with the tag of the 'next Andy Roddick'.
This year it's towering 6ft 9ins big server John Isner who received the tag from no less an authority than Roddick himself, who ended his amazing run to the final at the ATP Washington event in 2007.
2007 was the breakthrough year for Isner who finished in the Top 125 on the ATP tour in six months of action.
He compiled an 8-5 record in ATP level play and 12-5 in Challengers. He turned pro in June after an outstanding four-year career at University of Georgia. In his first pro outing in Chico, Calif. at the U.S. Futures #14, he captured the title.
The next month, he earned his first Challenger title in Lexington.
The following week, he took a wild card into Washington and posted a record five straight wins in a third set tie-break before losing to Roddick in the final..
His run included wins over Tim Henman and Tommy Haas and a record 144 aces.
Isner made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open and impressively picked up the first set against Roger Federer before going down in four to the World number one in their third round clash.
Gaston Gaudio
Age: 29
Nationality: Argentine
Height: 5'9"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 5 (April 25, 2005)
Highest doubles ranking: 78 (June 14, 2004)
In 2004, Gaudio came into the French Open ranked 44th and was unseeded for the tournament.
After defeating compatriot Guillermo Cañas over two days in five sets, he then won another five set match against Jiri Novak, then Thomas Enqvist, Igor Andreev and Lleyton Hewitt were dismissed on route to the semi-final.
In the all-Argentine final Gaudio defeated Guillermo Coria to become the first Argentine to win a Grand Slam since Guillermo Vilas, in 1977. Gaudio became the fifth lowest ranked player to win a Grand Slam. He then went onto make 3 more consecutive finals in his next tournaments in Bastad, Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel and made his first appearance at the Tennis Masters Cup. The next year, Gaudio consolidated his Top 10 ranking by winning 5 tournaments and his 42-8 record on clay was second only to Nadal. An ankle injury sidelined Gaudio over the last year but he is hoping to make Bermuda a stop on his way back up to the top.
Dudi Sela
Age: 28
Nationality: Israeli
Height: 5'9"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 61 (March 24, 2008)
Highest doubles ranking: 246 (January 7, 2008)
The 2008 XL Bermuda Open top seed, Sela, the top Israeli, became the first player from his country to finish in the Top 100 last year, since Harel Levy in 2001.
He compiled a 33-14 match record in Challenger play with two titles and went 10-5 (all on hard courts) in ATP level competition, highlighted by his first ATP quarter-final showing.
He also led his country back into Davis Cup World Group by winning both of his singles matches in a playoff tie.
He opened the 2007 season by qualifying at the Australian Open (d. Srichaphan) before losing in five sets to former champion Marat Safin.
He played exclusively Challengers for the next six months, winning the Togliatti title (d. Ledovskikh) and reaching the final in Cordoba (l. to Menendez) in July.
This year, he reached the second round of the Australian Open and the ATP Masters Series event in Indian Wells, with a win over world no. 49 Kiefer. In doubles, he and partner Simone Bolelli reached the quarters at the ATP event in Adelaide.
Vincent Spadea
Age: 33
Nationality: American
Height: 6'0"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 18 (February 28, 2005)
Highest doubles ranking: 90 (June 12, 2006)
In 2007, the American finished in the Top 100 for the 12th time in the last 14 years, highlighted by a season-best semi-finals showing in Delray Beach (d. No. 9 Haas, l. to Malisse). He also reached the quarters in six other tournaments: Adelaide (l. to J. Johansson), San Jose (l. to Roddick), Houston (l. to Montanes), Estoril (l. to Gasquet), Newport (l. to Moodie) and Los Angeles (l. to Blake).
He compiled records of 16-19 on hard, 6-5 on clay and 2-3 on grass. In 2004, Spadea compiled his best pro season by finishing a year-end best No. 19, capturing his first career ATP title in Scottsdale (d. Kiefer) and winning a personal-high 40 matches. He had wins over fellow Americans James Blake and Andy Roddick and turned in a career-best fourth round at Wimbledon. Spadea has started 2008 strongly by reaching the third round at the International Series event in Adelaide and the third round at the Australian Open.
Fernando Vincente
Age: 31
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 5'11"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 29 (June 12, 2000)
Highest doubles ranking: 61 (November 27, 2006)
The 2006 XL Bermuda Open Champion is making a return to the tournament. During 2000, Vincente finished with his year-end best ranking and captured his second career ATP title in Casablanca (d. Grosjean). He also reached his first hard court quarter-final in the Master Series event in Cincinnati (d. B. Bryan, Agassi, Philippoussis, l. to Enqvist), and his first indoor quarter-finals in Vienna.
In that same year, he reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, beating Max Mirnyi, Ronald Agenor and Tim Henman before falling to No. 4 player Yevgeny Kafelnikov in a long five-setter.
Last year, Vincente reached the quarter-finals in five Challenger events, the semis at the event in San Luis Potosi, and was a finalist at the Pozman Challenger.
Mariano Zabaleta
Age: 31
Nationality: Argentine
Height: 6'0"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 23 (April 3, 2000)
Highest doubles ranking: 174 (July 7, 2003)
Last year's champion is back to defend his crown. In 2001, he advanced to his first career Grand Slam quarter-final at the U.S. Open and in 2002, he finished in the Top 50 for the first time in three years, turning in a career-best fourth round showing at Roland Garros..
In 2005, at the event in Miami, FL, he lost to eventual champion Federer and in Monte Carlo; he was forced to retire against Ferrer after winning the first set with a foot injury.
Injuries continued to affect his play and he underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery in October.
In 2007, Zabaleta opened the season with the title at the La Serena Challenger (d. Brzezicki) and the following month he advanced to the final at the Florianopolis Challenger (l. to Hernandez).
In April, he qualified and reached first ATP final on U.S. soil in Houston, defeating James Blake in the semis.
The following week, he captured the title here in Bermuda, defeating Frank Dancevic, and climbed from No. 156 to No. 88. This year, Zabaleta has played in the Australian Open and the International Series event in Chile.
Donald Young
Age: 19
Nationality: American
Height: 6'0"
Plays: Left-handed
Highest singles ranking: 77 (March 24, 2008)
Highest doubles ranking: 203 (November 12, 2007)
In 2007, Young became the youngest player of that year to finish in the Top 100 (at 18 years, 5 months).
He put together solid Challenger results (34-14 mark) with one title and four other finals.
He made a breakthrough on the ATP circuit by winning his first match and advanced to a Grand Slam-best third round at the U.S. Open.
In April, he advanced to the quarters at the Valencia (Calif.) Challenger and followed with the title at U.S. Futures #8 in Arkansas. He returned to the Challenger level in the next three months with quarter-finals in Tunica (Miss.), semi-finals in Carson (Calif.) and his first career title in Aptos.
He reached the third round at the U.S. Open before putting together a 21-7 mark highlighted by finals in Tulsa, Calabasas, Louisville and Champaign.
This year, Young reached the quarter-finals at the International Series event in Memphis and the third round at the ATP Master Series event in Indian Wells, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.
Robby Ginepri
Age: 25
Nationality: American
Height: 6'0"
Plays: Right-handed
Highest singles ranking: 15 (December 26, 2005)
Highest doubles ranking: 134 (January 12, 2004)
In 2007, Ginepri opened the season by reaching the third round at the Australian Open where he was beaten by James Blake and followed up by reaching the Third Round at Queens in London. During the summer hard court circuit, this American reached the second round at ATP Masters Series Cincinnati,, New Haven and the third round at the U.S. Open for the fourth time in the last five years.
In 2005, Ginepri enjoyed his best year, to date. He reached the quarter-finals or better in nine ATP events, including Auckland, Memphis, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Cincinatti, U.S. Open, Bangkok, Tokyo and Madrid, with wins over top-seeded players like Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Carlos Moya, Marat Safin, Tommy Haas and Nikolay Davydenko.
He took the title in Indianapolis and reached the semi-finals in Cincinatti and Madrid.
He's perhaps best known for his titanic battle with Andre Agassi in the U.S. Open semi-finals that year.
He fought his way through three five-set matches in a row to face Agassi in the last four. Statistically, Ginepri and Agassi went toe-to-toe and it could have gone either way but at the end of, yet another five-setter, Agassi was able to convert more break points and took the win.[[In-content Ad]]
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