Nicolás Lapentti
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| Nickname(s) | Nicky or Nico | |
| Country |  Ecuador |
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| Residence | Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
| Date of birth | August 13, 1976 | |
| Place of birth | Guayaquil, Ecuador | |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg/14 st) | |
| Turned pro | 1995 | |
| Plays | Right | |
| Career prize money | $5,452,663 USD | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 285 - 247 | |
| Career titles: | 5 | |
| Highest ranking: | No. 6 (November 22, 1999) | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | SF (1999) | |
| French Open | 4th Round (2000) | |
| Wimbledon | QF (2002) | |
| US Open | 3rd round (2001) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 139 - 141 | |
| Career titles: | 3 | |
| Highest ranking: | 32 (May 10, 1999) | |
Nicolás Alexander Lapentti Gómez (born August 13, 1976 in Guayaquil) is a professional tennis player from Ecuador who is currently ranked 64th. He is Andrés Gómez's nephew.
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[edit] Beginnings
Lapentti began playing tennis at the age of six.
He first came to the tennis world's attention an outstanding junior player who won the Orange Bowl in Florida in 1994, when he also captured the junior doubles titles at the French Open (partnering with Gustavo Kuerten) and the US Open.
[edit] Professional
Lapentti turned professional in 1995 and won his first top-level singles title later that year at Bogotá.
In 1999, Lapentti was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open. He also won two tour singles titles that year and reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 6 that November.
In 2002, Lapentti won his fifth tour singles title at St Pölten, beating Fernando Vicente in straight sets in the final. In the second round of that tournament, his rival, Irakli Labadze, faced four match points but wasn't able to convert any of them. Lapentti finally won that tough match 5/7, 7/6(1), 7-6(6).
His brother, Giovanni, is also a professional tennis player, but now has a very low rank (419th, as of April 27, 2008).
In his last participation in a Grand Slam, he lost to Israeli Dudi Sela in the first round in 2007 at the US Open in Flushing Meadows.
[edit] Davis Cup
He is also member of Ecuador Davis Cup team since 1993. Has represented his country in Davis Cup since he was 17, and won the deciding rubber against Great Britain (July 2000) to put Ecuador into the World Group.
Lapentti is the player with most games played with his Davis Cup team.
[edit] Titles
[edit] Singles
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (5) |
| Challengers (5) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | September 11, 1995 |  Bogotá |
Clay | Miguel Tobón |
2–6 6–1 6–4 |
| 2. | November 20, 1995 |  Santiago |
Clay |  Nicolás Pereira |
7–6 6–3 |
| 3. | August 16, 1999 |  Indianapolis |
Hard | Vincent Spadea |
4–6 6–4 6–4 |
| 4. | October 18, 1999 |  Lyon |
Carpet (I) |  Lleyton Hewitt |
6–3 6–2 |
| 5. | July 23, 2001 |  Kitzbühel |
Clay |  Albert Costa |
1–6 6–4 7–5 7–5 |
| 6. | May 20, 2002 | St. Pölten |
Clay | Fernando Vicente |
7–5 6–4 |
| 7. | November 29, 2004 |  Aracaju |
Clay | Julio Silva |
6–2 6–2 |
| 8. | September 18, 2006 |  Szczecin |
Clay |  Bohdan Ulihrach |
3–6 6–3 6–3 |
| 9. | September 24, 2007 | Grenoble |
Hard (I) |  Kristian Pless |
6–3 7–5 |
| 10. | November 5, 2007 | Guayaquil |
Clay | Daniel Gimeno Traver |
6–3 6–7 7–5 |
[edit] Personal
Brother Giovanni, a very promising tennis player himself and earned his first ATP ranking in 1998.
Set up the Nicolas Lapentti Foundation in late 2000 to help bring tennis to the underprivileged, and develop future champions. Other interests include soccer and reading Robert Ludlum books.
[edit] Sources
- US Open 2006 Official Website-Most infobox info
