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Hot Shot Lapentti Bids For Duty Free Dubai Open Title
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - February 2, 2000 (Press Release Network) Nicolas Lapentti, one of last year's most unexpected stars and one of the hottest talents in world tennis is preparing to launch his bid for the Duty Free Dubai Tennis which runs from the 7th to 13th of February. The tournament takes place under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence, UAE. Ecuador's exciting Nicolas Lapentti began 1999 barely ranked inside the top 100, but 12 months later he had become one of only three South Americans in ATP Tour history to finish the year ranked in the top 10. Not only that, but he was the first Ecuadorian since his cousin, the great Andres Gomez in 1980, to end the year as a top 10 player. It all began for Lapentti when he was six, as he began playing tennis on the beach with his politician father, also named Nicolas. He went on to enjoy an outstanding junior career, no doubt encouraged by his cousin Gomez, reaching the French and US Open semi-finals and winning the prestigious Orange Bowl title by beating Gustavo Kuerten. He also joined with Kuerten to win the French Open junior doubles title, and with Australia's Ben Ellwood to win the US Open junior doubles too. Now 23, Lapentti has been around for a while waiting for his breakthrough. The rise to fame and success began for Lapentti almost exactly a year ago when he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, demonstrating his strength and fighting qualities as he battled through no less than four five-set matches. In fact, he won more five-set matches than any other player during the year. After that, he reached the semi-finals in Hamburg and the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, and reached the final in Gstaad where he was beaten by Dubai regular Alberto Costa. A couple of quarter-finals, in Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel, and a semi-final in Amsterdam were followed by a successful American hardcourt season. He dropped just one set all week in claiming the Champions Trophy in Indianapolis. Later, back in Europe, he showed his staying power once again when he won the longest set of the year, 16-14, in the first round of the Grand Slam Cup in Munich. In October, and still in Europe, he captured the first indoor title of his career, in Lyon, and a couple of weeks after that it took Andre Agassi to stop him in the semi-finals of the Paris indoor event. In all, he finished the year with 58 victories, a massive 39 more than the previous year. That success pushed Lapentti into the record books for the number of places jumped from outside the top 50 into the top 10 in one year, with his rise of 84 places coming second only to the 116 of Agassi. Despite his undoubted talent, the going will be tough for Lapentti. The Dubai tournament owned and organised Dubai Duty Free which takes place at the Dubai Tennis Stadium offers stiff competition with Germany's Nicolas Kiefer heading the seeds and the in-form Magnus Norman fresh from his Australian open run also competing. Lapentti however, has already shown he has what it takes to battle his way through the toughest of matches. For more details visit, http://www.dubaitennisopen.com. [ BACK ] Information from Press Release Network may be freely distributed to any publication. Wherever applicable, please cite Press Release Network as the news source. | |||
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