Filippo Volandri

Filippo Volandri
Country  Italy
Residence Livorno, Italy
Born 5 September 1981 (1981-09-05) (age 30)
Livorno, Italy
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro 1997
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Career prize money $2,720,040
Singles
Career record 146–157
Career titles 2
Highest ranking No. 25 (23 July 2007)
Current ranking No. 70 (26 September 2011)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open 2R (2004)
French Open 4R (2007)
Wimbledon 2R (2004)
US Open 2R (2004)
Doubles
Career record 18–51
Career titles 0
Highest ranking 120 (14 May 2006)
Last updated on: 7 February 2011.

Filippo Volandri (born on 5 September 1981 in Livorno, Italy) is an Italian professional male tennis player. Volandri is a right-handed player who reached a career-high ranking of 25 on July 23, 2007. He turned pro in 1997, and as of January 2006, had earned over $1,300,000 in prize money. In September 2006, he lost the final of the Bucharest ATP tournament against Jürgen Melzer 6–1, 7–5. Volandri won the second title of his career in September 2006, beating Nicolás Lapentti in the final of the Sicily International in Palermo[1].

Contents

Rome Masters success

At the Rome Masters in 2007 Volandri, having entered as a wild card, recorded the biggest win of his career by dispatching world number one Roger Federer in straight sets 6–2, 6–4. Volandri celebrated by doing a lap of honour around centre court, high-fiving spectators in the furthest-forward rows.

Afterwards Volandri hailed the victory as not only for himself but for Italy, telling something of the regard in which Federer, who holds the record for the longest spell as the world's top-ranked male player, is held. The result was all the more felt due to Italy's relative under-achievement on the men's tennis scene in recent times. For his part Federer offered few excuses for the out-of-character display.

Hopes that this might be the start of Italy's re-emergence among the top nations of professional men's tennis were heightened when Volandri went on to beat highly-tipped world number 12 Tomáš Berdych 6–2, 6–3 in the quarter-final. The win meant Volandri would be the first Italian to contest the event's semi-finals since 1978. His run stopped in the semi-finals, however, as he lost to Fernando González 6–1, 6–2.

He is also a well known fixer amongst the ATP players. Bookies have refuse to open Market involving Volandri as they deem him to be a dirty fixer.

Controversy

Volandri had earlier come under suspicion for betting and match fixing and his name featured prominently in a list compiled by the ATP of matches under suspicion for corruption.[2]

In January 2009 Volandri received a 3-month ban from the ATP for a doping offence after testing positive for salbutamol during on March 13, 2008 at the Indian Wells tournament.[3] Volandri did have a medical exemption from the International Tennis Federation to use salbutamol, an asthma medication, but the ITF deemed that his use of the drug was beyond therapeutic needs. His suspension was to last through April 14, 2009 and required him to forfeit all prize money and ranking points earned from the date of the failed test until the beginning of his suspension.[4]

In March 2009 the Court of Arbitration for Sport overruled the ATP decision and ruled that Volandri should be reinstated and his forfeited ranking points and earnings returned to him. Volandri stated that he intends to sue the ATP over the incident.[5]

Career finals

ATP World Tour finals

Singles: 8 (2–6)

Legend ( Doubles)
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0)
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–0)
ATP World Tour 250 Series (2–6)
Titles by Surface
Hard (0–0)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–1)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1. 21 July 2003 Umag, Croatia Clay Carlos Moyá 4–6, 6–3, 5–7
Winner 1. 17 May 2004 St. Poelten, Austria Clay Xavier Malisse 6–1, 6–4
Runner-up 2. 19 July 2004 Umag, Croatia Clay Guillermo Cañas 5–7, 3–6
Runner-up 3. 27 September 2004 Palermo, Italy Clay Tomáš Berdych 3–6, 3–6
Runner-up 4. 26 September 2005 Palermo, Italy Clay Igor Andreev 6–0, 1–6, 3–6
Runner-up 5. 13 February 2006 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Carlos Moyá 6–7(6–7), 4–6
Runner-up 6. 11 September 2006 Bucharest, Romania Clay Jürgen Melzer 1–6, 5–7
Winner 2. 25 September 2006 Palermo, Italy Clay Nicolás Lapentti 5–7, 6–1, 6–3

Challengers

Legend
ATP Challenger Tour (9–9)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
Runner-up 1. 07 August 2000 Prague, Czech Republic Clay Albert Montañés 1–6, 1–6
Winner 1. 18 September 2000 Biella, Italy Clay Hernán Gumy 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 2. 29 April 2002 Rome, Italy Clay Martín Vassallo Argüello 4–6, 0–6
Runner-up 3. 12 August 2002 Graz, Austria Hard Olivier Mutis 3–6, 2–6
Winner 2. 17 March 2003 Cagliari, Italy Clay Rafael Nadal 2–6, 6–2, 6–1
Winner 3. 09 June 2003 Biella, Italy Clay José Acasuso 2–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Winner 4. 02 August 2004 Trani, Italy Clay Francesco Aldi 6–1, 6–3
Winner 5. 21 July 2008 San Marino Clay Potito Starace 5–7, 6–4, 6–1
Winner 6. 28 July 2008 Cordenons, Italy Clay Óscar Hernández 6–3, 7–5
Runner-up 4. 17 August 2009 Trani, Italy Clay Daniel Köllerer 3–6, 5–7
Winner 7. 12 April 2010 Rome, Italy Clay Lamine Ouahab 6–4, 7–5
Winner 8. 31 May 2010 Rome, Italy Clay Reda El Amrani 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 5. 02 August 2010 San Marino Clay Robin Haase 2–6, 6–7(8–10)
Runner-up 6. 09 August 2010 Trani, Italy Clay Jesse Huta Galung 6–7(3–7), 4–6
Runner-up 7. 28 March 2011 Barletta, Italy Clay Aljaž Bedene 5–7, 3–6
Runner-up 8. 18 April 2011 Napoli, Italy Clay Thomas Schoorel 2–6, 6–7(4–7)
Winner 9. 18 July 2011 Orbetello, Italy Clay Matteo Viola 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 9. 18 September 2011 Todi, Italy Clay Carlos Berlocq 3–6, 1–6

References

  1. ^ BBC article
  2. ^ Tennis Match Fixing is Still an Issue
  3. ^ Tennis Player Volandri Banned for 3 Months Reuters, January 15, 2009
  4. ^ Filippo Volandri Banned Three Months for Asthma Drug Use ESPN,January 16, 2009
  5. ^ Volandri's Drug Ban Lifted ESPN, March 31, 2009

External links

Association of Tennis Professionals Top ten Italian male singles tennis players as of November 7, 2011
1. Fabio Fognini (42 2) · 2. Andreas Seppi (46 4) · 3. Potito Starace (58 4) · 4. Filippo Volandri (70 ) · 5. Flavio Cipolla (80 )
6. Paolo Lorenzi (109 3) · 7. Simone Bolelli (126 ) · 8. Alessandro Giannessi (136 4) · 9. Simone Vagnozzi (161 3) · 10. Stefano Galvani (169 1)