Yevgeny Kafelnikov

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Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Country	Russia
Residence	Sochi, Russia
Date of birth	February 18, 1974
Place of birth	Sochi, Russia
Height	6 ft 3 in (190 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Turned Pro	1992
Retired	2003
Plays	Right; Two-handed backhand
Career Prize Money	$23,883,797
Singles
Career record:	609-306
Career titles:	26
Highest ranking:	No. 1 (May 3, 1999)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open	W (1999)
French Open	W (1996)
Wimbledon	QF (1995)
U.S. Open	SF (1999, 2001)
Doubles
Career record:	358-213
Career titles:	27
Highest ranking:	No. 4 (March 30, 1998)

Olympic medal record
Men's tennis
Gold	2000 Sydney	Singles

Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov (born 18 February 1974) (Russian: Евгений Александрович Кафельников) (yeev-GYEH-nee KAH-fill-nee-cough) is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. During his career, he won two Grand Slam singles titles (one French Open and one Australian Open), four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles Gold Medal at the Olympic Games.

Contents 1 Career 2 Grand Slam singles finals 2.1 Wins (2) 2.2 Runner-up (1) 3 Grand Slam doubles finals 3.1 Wins (4) 3.2 Runner-up (1) 4 Grand Slam singles performance timeline 5 Grand Slam doubles performance timeline 6 Singles titles (26) 7 Doubles titles (27) 8 Trivia 9 External links

[edit] Career

Kafelnikov was born in Sochi then part of the RSFSR of Soviet Union.

He turned professional in 1992 and won his first top-level singles title in Adelaide in 1994.

In 1995, Kafelnikov defeated World No. 1 Andre Agassi in the quarter-finals of the French Open before losing to eventual champion Thomas Muster in the semi-finals.

A year later, in 1996, Kafelnikov captured both the men's singles and the men's doubles titles at the French Open. In the semis, Kafelnikov eliminated Pete Sampras, and then in the final beat former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich in straight sets 7-6, 7-5, 7-6.

In 1997, Kafelnikov won the men's doubles titles at both the French Open and the US Open.

In 1999, Kafelnikov won his second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open. He defeated Thomas Enqvist in four sets in the final. In May that year, he reached the World No. 1 men's singles ranking. However, he lost seven straight matches thereafter, and relinquished the No. 1 ranking after six weeks.

Kafelnikov was in the Australian Open final again in 2000, but was defeated in four sets by Andre Agassi. That summer, he won the men's singles Gold Medal for Russia at the Sydney Olympic Games. In the final, he defeated Tommy Haas of Germany in an exciting five-set match 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

In 2002, Kafelnikov was part of the Russian team that won the Davis Cup for the first time. In Russia's semi-final win over Argentina, Kafelnikov saved two match points in a singles rubber against Gastón Gaudio; he won the five-set, four-hour and ten-minute match 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 8-6. The following day, he partnered Marat Safin in the longest doubles match in Davis Cup history. The pair eventually lost the six-hour and 20-minute match 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 17-19. Russia eventually overcame Argentina 3-2, and went on to defeat France 3-2 in the final.

Kafelnikov won his third French Open men's doubles title in 2002. He reached the French Open men's doubles final for the fourth time in 2003, when he finished runner-up.

Kafelnikov retired from the professional tour in 2004, having won 26 singles and 27 doubles titles.

Since retiring, Kafelnikov has tried his hand at becoming a professional poker player, with a few impressive finishes at the 2005 World Series of Poker.

[edit] Grand Slam singles finals

[edit] Wins (2)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1996	French Open	Michael Stich	7-6, 7-5, 7-6
1999	Australian Open	Thomas Enqvist	4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6

[edit] Runner-up (1)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
2000	Australian Open	Andre Agassi	3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

[edit] Grand Slam doubles finals

[edit] Wins (4)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1996	French Open	Daniel Vacek	Guy Forget & Jakob Hlasek	6-2, 6-3
1997	French Open	Daniel Vacek	Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde	7-6, 4-6, 6-3
1997	US Open	Daniel Vacek	Jonas Björkman & Nicklas Kulti	7-6, 6-3
2002	French Open	Paul Haarhuis	Mark Knowles & Daniel Nestor	7-5, 6-4

[edit] Runner-up (1)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
2003	French Open	Paul Haarhuis	Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan	7-6, 6-3

[edit] Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Tournament	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993
Australian Open	2r	2r	QF	F	W	-	-	QF	QF	2r	-
French Open	2r	2r	QF	QF	2r	2r	QF	W	SF	3r	2r
Wimbledon	1r	3r	3r	2r	3r	1r	4r	1r	QF	3r	-
US Open	3r	2r	SF	3r	SF	4r	2r	-	3r	4r	-

[edit] Grand Slam doubles performance timeline

Tournament	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994
Australian Open	2r	2r	3r	3r	QF	-	-	3r	QF	1r
French Open	F	W	1r	QF	QF	2r	W	W	QF	2r
Wimbledon	3r	3r	-	-	2r	3r	1r	3r	SF	SF
US Open	1r	3r	2r	SF	1r	2r	W	-	2r	1r

[edit] Singles titles (26)

• 1994 - Adelaide, Copenhagen, Long Island
• 1995 - Milan, St. Petersburg, Gstaad, Long Island
• 1996 - Adelaide, Prague, French Open, Lyon
• 1997 - Halle, New Haven, Moscow
• 1998 - London, Halle, Moscow
• 1999 - Australian Open, Rotterdam, Moscow
• 2000 - Sydney Olympics, Moscow
• 2001 - Marseille, Moscow
• 2002 - Halle, Tashkent

[edit] Doubles titles (27)

• 1994 - Barcelona, Munich, Rome AMS, Lyon
• 1995 - Estoril, Hamburg AMS, Montreal AMS, Lyon
• 1996 - St. Petersburg, Prague, French Open, Basel, Vienna
• 1997 - French Open, Gstaad, US Open
• 1998 - Antwerp, Vienna
• 1999 - Barcelona
• 2000 - Monte Carlo AMS, Vienna
• 2001 - Indian Wells AMS, Rome AMS, St. Petersburg
• 2002 - French Open
• 2003 - Indian Wells AMS, Washington

[edit] Trivia

Kafelnikov starred in Virtua Tennis, an arcade tennis game. In that game, he has a strong backhand.

He also obtained a wildcard entry into the 2005 Cadillac Russian Open, in Moscow, shooting rounds of 88 and 96 to finish 40 over par and miss the cut by 24 strokes.

[edit] External links

• Kafelnikov.com.ar : pictures, profile, biography, titles and quotes
• Official ATP Profile
• Davis Cup record
• Kafelnikov the Poker Player

Preceded by Pete Sampras	World No. 1 May 3, 1999 - June 13, 1999	Succeeded by Pete Sampras
Preceded by Andre Agassi	Olympic Champion 2000	Succeeded by Nicolas Massu

Association of Tennis Professionals | World No. 1's in Men's tennis
Andre Agassi | Boris Becker | Björn Borg | Jimmy Connors | Jim Courier | Stefan Edberg | Roger Federer | Juan Carlos Ferrero | Lleyton Hewitt | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | Gustavo Kuerten | Ivan Lendl | John McEnroe | Carlos Moyá | Thomas Muster | Ilie Năstase | John Newcombe | Patrick Rafter | Marcelo Ríos | Andy Roddick | Marat Safin | Pete Sampras | Mats Wilander