Mario Ančić

Mario Ančić

Nickname(s) Super Mario[1], Baby Goran[2]
Country Croatia
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Date of birth March 30, 1984 (1984-03-30) (age 24)
Place of birth Split, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 81 kg (180 lb; 12.8 st)
Turned pro 2001
Retired Active
Plays Right-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$3,795,151
Singles
Career record: 196-127
Career titles: 3
Highest ranking: No. 7 (July 10, 2006)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open 4R (2003, 2007)
French Open QF (2006)
Wimbledon SF (2004)
US Open 2R (2005)
Doubles
Career record: 65–39
Career titles: 5
Highest ranking: No. 47 (June 14, 2004)
Major doubles tournaments
Olympic Games Brozne Medal (2004)
Infobox last updated on: January 19, 2009.

Olympic medal record
Competitor for Croatia
Men's Tennis
Bronze 2004 Athens Doubles

Mario Ančić (born March 30, 1984) is a professional tennis player from Croatia. In his career, won three singles, and five doubles titles. His career high was during the 2006 ATP Tour, when he reached No.7 ranking in singles. Apart of his success at the ATP Tour, Mario helped Croatia to win the 2005 Davis Cup, and also for winning a bronze medal in doubles for Croatia in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, together with Ivan Ljubičić.

As a teenager making his Grand Slam debut at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, he defeated 7th-seeded Roger Federer. This win also made him the last player to defeat Federer at Wimbledon and on grass courts; and during the years, he was known as the last man to beat Federer, until Rafael Nadal's victory over Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon Championships finals.[3] His career high at Grand Slams also came at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, when he reached semi-finals. Due to his success at Wimbledon and grass courts, many saw in Mario a successor of Goran Ivanišević,[4] the 2001 Wimbledon Champion and a former No.2 in singles, earning a nickname New Goran[5] and Baby Goran.[2]

After his successful 2006 season, Mario struggled with mononucleosis and many smaller injuries during 2007 and 2008, which forced him to miss many major events, dropping from No.9, in January 2007 to No.135 in January 2008.[6][7] As of October 13, 2008, he is currently No.36 in singles rankings. He has been coached by Fredrik Rosengren since August 2005.[8]

Personal life

Mario was born in Split, in then Yugoslavia, what is now Croatia, to Stipe and Nilda Ančić. His father Stipe owns a supermarket chain, and his mother Nilda, is a financial adviser. His older brother and younger sister were also professional tennis players. Brother Ivica, who reached a career high ATP Ranking of No.378 in 1997, and sister Sanja, who was a top 10 junior in the world in 2005 and a career-high No.159 on WTA Tour Rankings in 2006.[8]

At the end of 2002, Mario began the law program at the University of Split; and on April 14, 2008, he became a graduate of the Law School of the University of Split, by giving his 45-minute thesis on "ATP Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", describing the legal foundation and organization of the ATP Tour.[9]

Tennis career

First steps

Ančić started playing tennis at the age of seven, at a local tennis club Firule. The club was located a couple of houses up the street where he lived in his hometown.[10] Mario practiced there with Goran Ivanišević from the age of 10, with whom he played doubles matches later in his career. In 1996, he served as a ballboy when Ivanišević played in the Croatia-Australia Davis Cup tie in Split.[3]

Early career (2000–2002)

During his junior years, he rose to No.1 in the junior world-rankings, on January 2, 2001. His career highs also include finals in boys' singles at the 2000 Australian Open, lost to Andy Roddick, and the 2000 Wimbledon Championships, lost to Nicolas Mahut. He debuted on Croatian Davis Cup Team, and also on 2000 Summer Olympic Games in doubles with Ivanišević, where they lost in the opening round. In the beginning, Mario mostly played Futures and Davis Cup tournaments, winning one title in Zagreb; and from August 2001 he started to play Challenger tournaments, wining four in singles and one in doubles. He compiled a record of 30-16 in Challenger play in 2002.

ATP Tour career (2002-2005)

His debut at an ATP event was at Miami Masters where he got a wild card, but he lost in the opening round.[11] His highlight on his Grand Slam debut at 2002 Wimbledon Championships, where as a qualifier caused a major upset by defeating Roger Federer, No.7 seed on Centre Court in the first round, 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 in just under two hours.[12] In doing so he became the first teenager to win on his Wimbledon debut on Center Court since Björn Borg triumphed in 1973.[8][13] After that match, he confessed to receive a few pointers from his hometown friend Goran Ivanišević, and after that match British media regarded Ančić as the New Goran.[5] After that win, he quickly lost in the second round to Jan Vacek. His second Grand Slam appearance was the US Open, where he got into the main singles drawn as a lucky loser, but Ančić retired in the fifth set of the opening round against Dominik Hrbatý, because of leg cramps.[14] He finished the 2002 season in top 100 in singles, with ten wins in two straight weeks at two Challengers in Prague and Milan.

Ančić kicked-off 2003, reaching into the fourth round at his debut in Australian Open, losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Fallowing week, he won his last Challenger tournament in Hamburg, wining Rafael Nadal in the final. After that, Mario started to play on ATP Masters Series events, but he struggled on passing the first or qualifying rounds. With nine straight losses, he reached quarter-final at St. Pölten, in late May, which was, beside a quarter final in Stockholm Open in September, season best results at ATP Tournaments, in singles. In doubles, 2003 was more successful. In July, with Andy Ram, he won his first ATP Tour title at Indianapolis Tennis Championships; and a few week later, with Ivan Ljubičić, he reached a quarter-final at the US Open, losing to Bob and Mike Bryan.

At the ATP Indesit Milano Indoor, in February 2004, Ančić made into his first singles ATP final, beating on the way No.6 seed Rafael Nadal and No.3 seed Tommy Robredo, before losing the third set in tiebreak, to Anthony Dupuis in the final. In June and July he posted his best ever results on grass with a third round showing at Queen's Club Championships, losing to Andy Roddick, and a semifinal at Ordina Open, losing to Guillermo Coria. At the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, Mario made his best ever Grand Slam result, reaching to semifinals. On the way, he defeated three seeded players, including British Tim Henman in quarterfinal, in straights sets; and finally, he again lost to Roddick, 4-6, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7. In reaching to Grand Slam semifinals, he jumped 36 places on the ATP singles ranking, to No.27.[15] In doubles, he teamed up with Ivan Ljubičić, and represented Croatia at the 2004 Summer Olympics. They won a bronze medal, losing to González and Massú team in semifinal, and wining against Bhupathi and Paes, with a score 16-14 in the third set. In straight three weeks from February 7, 2005, he made win-lose score of 10-3 by reaching two semifinals and one final. In Marseille and Rotterdam where he lost to Ljubičić and Federer in semis, and in Scottsdale where he lost in the final by Wayne Arthurs. Aldo he could not repeat last year's performance at Wimbledon, on grass courts, he won his first ATP singles title at Ordina Open, by beating the defending champion, Michaël Llodra; and on clay courts, together with Julian Knowle, he won his second doubles title at BMW Open. His 2005 highlights also include final at the Japan Open Tennis Championships, losing to Wesley Moodie.


Career-high (2006)

Ančić started on the 2006 ATP Tour with strong note in his second tournament of the year at Auckland, where he defeated top seed Fernando González on his way to the final. However, he could not repeat his form in the final, going down in straight sets to Jarkko Nieminen. In February, he also reached final at Marseille, losing to Arnaud Clément. He made in quarter-finals at two Masters and two Grand Slams tournaments. Mario was defeated two times by David Nalbandian, at Miami and Rome; and two times by Roger Federer, at Grand Slams, French Open and Wimbledon. He also reached his career high at Master Series event, reaching into semi-finals at Hamburg Masters. A week before Wimbledon, Mario successfully defended his 2005 title at ‘s-Hertogenbosch. After Wimbledon, Mario reached No.7, his career high in singles.[16]

At the 2006 French Open, he had a shoving incident with Paul Capdeville at the end of his second round match. Ančić was bothered by the Chilean's repeated complaints to the chair umpire, including just before the post match handshake, Ančić told Capdeville to drop it, after that Capdeville shoved Ančić. Both of them were fined $3,000.[17][18]

Ančić missed the US hard court season, due to a knee injury received in a jet skiing accident, and just before the 2006 US Open, a back injury.[19] In September, in the first event after a summer injuries, he reached final at China Open, losing to Marcos Baghdatis. Mario also teamed-up with Mahesh Bhupathi, and won two doubles titles in Beijing and Mumbai. In October, he won his third singles title, at St. Petersburg Open. At Paris Masters, Ančić lost to Nikolay Davydenko, in the quarterfinals. If Ančić had won, he would have secured the final spot in the field, narrowly missing a spot in the eight-man Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.[20]


Mononucleosis, and return to the Tour (2007-2008)

After a successful 2006 season, Ančić began the year by representing Croatia with his younger sister, Sanja Ančić, at the 2007 Hopman Cup, but they did not advance from the group stage. He then entered the 2007 Australian Open as the ninth seed, and advance to a fourth round, where he played against Andy Roddick, seeded sixth. He lost the match, after Roddick broke Ančić in the fifth game of the fifth set, then held that advantage, serving out the match and winning with the final result 3–6, 6–3, 1–6, 7–5, 4–6.[21]

At Marseille, Ančić retired in the first round, and was diagnosed with mononucleosis, also known as glandular fever.[22] Later, he confessed that he was playing sick a week before in a match against Germany in the Davis Cup, and the virus had almost certainly started to affect him at the Australian Open.[1] Due to his illness, Ančić spent most of the next ten weeks in bed,[23] and missing six mounts from the Tour.

Ančić started training in June with his Swedish coach, Fredrik Rosengren, in the Slovenian Alps;[23] and after he withdrew from two tournaments in July, Mario returned in August at Canada Masters and at Cincinnati Masters, where he lost in the second rounds. He was offered a wild card for main draw in the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, but he turned it down with the explanation that he needed matches.[24] Mario fractured a small bone at the gym a week before the US Open, which was his third Grand Slam to miss in 2007.[1] In October, he made his first big result after the illness, into the quarter-finals at Madrid Masters beating on the way No.8 seed James Blake and Paul-Henri Mathieu, before losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. In 2007, he dropped 74 places, from number 9 to number 83 at the end of the 2007 ATP Tour.[7]


Ančić hitting a backhand at the 2008 Indian Wells MastersAnčić started the 2008 season again with illness, and was forced to withdraw from the tournaments in Australia, and missed his fourth Grand Slam in a row.[25] His first 2008 event was at Marseille in February, where he beat the 2008 Australian-Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and also Marcos Baghdatis. He eventually lost in the final to Andy Murray. At the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters, Mario entered the main draw by receiving a wild cards, where he beat three seeded players. Like in 2006, he was beaten by Roger Federer two times, at the French Open in the third round, and at Wimbledon, where he reached a quarter-final. On the way to the quarter-final, he beat No.32 seed Michaël Llodra, No.5 seed David Ferrer, and with a comeback win against No. 22 seeded Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round, coming from two sets down to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 13-11.[26] By reaching the quarter-final, he jump 19 places, to No.24 on the ATP singles rankings.[27] In doubles, he won his fifth title at s'Hertogenbosch with Jürgen Melzer.

Having lost in an opening-round at the Canada Masters and having skipped Cincinnati Masters, as the fatigue intensified and the weight loss mounted, Mario withdrew from the 2008 Summer Olympics[28], and later the US Open, due to a recurrence of mononucleosis.[29] Ančić returned in September, playing for the Davis Cup.

Davis Cup career
Mario Ančić started his Davis Cup career in 1999 at a young age of 15, when he lost to Portuguese player João Cunha Silva.[30] He played an important role in the Croatia Davis Cup team that reached Euro/African Group I in 2002, and the world group from 2003-2006, and also from in 2009. He was part of the Croatian team that won the 2005 Davis Cup title. In singles his major wins came against Michal Mertinak in 2005, when Croatia played a decisive fifth match against Slovakia for the title[31], and against Simone Bolelli in 2008 when Croatia defeated Italy for the World Group play-offs. In doubles, his major wins include beating the United States Team of Bob and Mike Bryan in United States in 2005, and the Austrian Team of Julian Knowle and Jürgen Melzer in Austria in 2006, all with Ivan Ljubičić. Together with Ljučićić, they hold six wins and one loses in the Davis Cup.[32]

Style
Mario Ančić plays an all-court game and is able to adapt his game to all surfaces, making him a difficult player to play regardless of the surface. Ančić also has a good serve and is capable of producing many aces in a match. On grass and faster surfaces he serves and volleys but on slower courts he is more than able to rally from the back of the court. He prefers to serve and volley rather than play baseline rallies as there are better players with a more aggressive baseline attitude that can push through Ančić.

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