Chris Guccione
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Country | Australia | |
Residence | Melbourne, Australia | |
Date of birth | July 30, 1985 | |
Place of birth | Melbourne, Australia | |
Height | 6'7 (200 cm) | |
Weight | 202 lbs (91 kg) | |
Turned Pro | 2003 | |
Plays | Left-handed | |
Career Prize Money | US$$323,620 | |
Singles | ||
Career record: | 18-19 | |
Career titles: | 0 | |
Highest ranking: | 98 (2/4/2007) | |
Grand Slam results | ||
Australian Open | 2nd Round2004 | |
French Open | 2nd Round2005 | |
Wimbledon | - | |
U.S. Open | - | |
Doubles | ||
Career record: | 2-8 | |
Career titles: | 0 | |
Highest ranking: | 200 (23/10/2006) |
Chris Guccione (born July 30, 1985), is an Australian tennis player from Greenvale, Victoria.
The lanky, red-headed Guccione was born to Italian father Santo and Australian mother Diane. Guccione burst onto the scene in the 2004 Medibank International tournament, where he defeated then-recent World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Guccione is noted for his good service; he hit 50 aces in a qualifying match at Wimbledon in 2005. The good service has led fellow Australian player Mark Philippoussis to call him a "Wayne Arthurs clone".
January 2006 Guccione managed to once again defeat Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Medibank International. In February 2006, Guccione won the deciding fifth and final rubber against Switzerland's George Bastl in the Davis Cup. He continued this Davis Cup success in April at Kooyong in Victoria when he defeated his more fancied opponent, Max Mirnyi, in the opening Quarter-final tie against Belarus. Winning all his matches in Davis Cup in 2006 except for one Guccione was then dropped from the Australian Davis Cup Team to make way for the returning Mark Phillipoussis.
During his career, he has won 4 ATP Challenger Series:
2005-- Burnie (Hard), Canberra (Hard)
2006-- Quito (Clay), Medellín (Clay).
[edit] 2007 season
Guccione began his 2007 season in Adelaide at the Next Generation Adelaide International. Guccione was given a wildcard into the Adelaide event and made the most of it beating the world number 93, Amer Delic 4-6 6-3 6-4. Along with four other Australians reaching the round robin stage of the tournament Guccione finished first in his group and defeated the world number 58 Benjamin Becker 7-5 6-3 and world number 42 Arnaud Clement 7-6(4) 7-6(5). Setting two new standards for himself beating three top 100 players in succession and reaching his first ATP quarterfinal the only Australian to do so in Adelaide. Guccione continued his run and upset number 2 seed and world number 18 Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals 1-6 6-3 7-6(4) to reach his first ATP semifinal, stretching his wins over top 100 players to four in a row. Following this win, Guccione came up with yet again another incredible victory, defeating another first time semifinalist Juan Martin Del Potro world number 92 to reach his first ever career ATP tour final. The final scoreline from the Del Potro match was 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Guccione had stretched his wins over top 100 players to five in a row to the final of the Next Generation Adelaide International where he lost to Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the final 6-3 6-7(6) 6-4.
After success at the Adelaide International Guccione reached a career high ranking of 107 in the world. Guccione began his second tournament of 2007 in the Medibank International beating Rafael Nadal in the first round. Leading 6-5 wth Nadal to serve, the No.1 seed withdrew due to an injury he was carrying through the later part of the match.
Guccione was unable to continue his success into the Australian Open, losing in the first round to Belgian Olivier Rochus 3-6 7-6 7-6 6-7 9-7. Guccione's 2007 season then turned disastrous not recording one win for over a month, Guccione then qualified for Las Vegas through a lucky loser handout. Guccione then qualified for the American double Tennis Masters Series, Indian Wells and Miami but was unable to get past the first round in both tournaments.