Ricardo Mello
Ricardo Mello ( born December 21, 1980 in Campinas ) is a former Brazilian tennis player.
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- 2.2.1 Siege
Life and career
To 2000: Youth Career and first successes on Futures tournaments
Ricardo Mello began at the age of six years to play in the equestrian club of Campinas tennis. In the years 1997 and 1998 he played on the Junior Tour tournaments in South America and Europe. He reached several finals and won a title, and defeated Among other things, the year- younger David Nalbandian. His best finish in the junior world ranking was 15th place
As early as 1996, he was the age of sixteen, a wild card for a Challenger tournament in Campinas, where, however, he lost in the first round against the then just emerging Gustavo Kuerten.
Since 1998, Mello collected on Futures tournaments in South America first world ranking points. The following year he won two tournaments in Uruguay and Paraguay, and climbed into the top 500 of the world tennis rankings. 2000 followed by two more Futures title for Ricardo Mello, he also won the first match at Challenger tournaments.
2001-2003: Challenger titles and ATP debut
In July 2001, he celebrated his first Challenger title in Campos do Jordão. He also reached another Challenger finals and two semi-finals this year. At the U.S. Open 2001, he first attempted to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament, but he eliminated in the third qualifying round. Better he did it in September 2001 at the ATP tournament in Costa do Sauipe, where Mello qualified for the main draw. There he defeated in the first round André Sá and in the second round with Nicolás Massú first time a top 100 player before he retired in the quarterfinals against Alexandre Simoni. In the world rankings, he rose up to the end of the year to No. 133
In 2002, Ricardo Mello reached three Challenger Finals, of which he won two. Here he managed a series of 13 match wins in a row when he consecutively won the tournaments of Campos do Jordão and Belo Horizonte, and then reached the semifinals in Gramado. On ATP level, he was not sure so successful: his only match in Costa do Sauipe, he lost, and could not in three attempts to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament.
In 2003, he succeeded not so; his best result at Grand Slam tournaments was reaching the third qualifying round of the U.S. Open. But he was able to qualify to April 2003 for three ATP tournaments, and reached the quarterfinals here in Houston, where he had no chance against the world number two Andre Agassi. As he climbed in the world rankings now up to # 111, Ricardo Mello was directly qualified for several ATP tournaments in the following months; However, he never got beyond the first round. It was only in September 2003 in Costa do Sauipe he could regain an ATP match, defeating Juan Ignacio Chela with even a Top 50 player before it as already seven years earlier had no chance in the quarter- final against Gustavo Kuerten. At the end of Mello yet reached two Challenger finals, of which he won one in Puebla. He also won at the side of Alexandre Simoni a doubles title in Quito.
2004-2005: Grand Slam debut, first ATP title and entry into the Top 100
At the Australian Open 2004 Mello qualified for the first time a Grand Slam tournament, but he left in the first round smooth out against David Nalbandian. Also at the French Open he cashed after successful qualification against Raemon Sluiter a first round defeat. In August 2004, Mello reached at Challenger tournaments of Belo Horizonte and Gramado each the final, and both times was the opponent Janko Tipsarevic. While in Belo Horizonte still Tipsarevic kept the upper hand, so Mello was able to defeat him in the second trial and thus celebrate his fifth Challenger title. This was the prelude to the most successful weeks of his career: At the U.S. Open in 2004, he qualified for the third time for a Grand Slam tournament, and was able to defeat Juan Ignacio Chela set at position 17 in the first round. The second round, he survived, but had to retire against Tommy Haas. This earned him the first time a position in the top 100 in the world rankings. But that's not enough, two weeks later followed in Delray Beach, the first ATP title. Here Mello defeated by Mardy Fish, Mario Ančić and in the final Vincent Spadea three players in the top 30 in the following months he could also in Shanghai the quarter-finals and reach the second round in Tokyo, and ended the year ranked 71 in the world rankings.
The year 2005 began with a Challenger title in São Paulo. At the Australian Open Ricardo Mello was directly qualified. After a first round victory over Alberto Martín, he retired in the second round in four tight sets against the set at position 6 from Guillermo Coria. Because of its world ranking Mello played this year almost only ATP tournaments. However, his best results were reaching the semi-finals in Costa do Sauipe, where he lost in three sets against the then nineteen- year-old Rafael Nadal quarter finals in Los Angeles as well as the respective second round at the Masters Series Miami and Montreal as well as in the U.S. Open. He was also appointed to the Brazilian Davis Cup team this year for the first time, and helped his team with four individual wins to climb into the America -Grupp I. Here he succeeded in the match against David Josepa of the Netherlands Antilles the rare feat of a "triple bagels ": He won the match 6:0, 6:0, 6:0. Nevertheless, the results of this year were not enough to defend the points from last year, and so fell Mello after he had reached in July with rank 50 his best ever world ranking placement, at the end back out of the top 100 in the world rankings.
2006-2009: dry spell with no greater success
Therefore Ricardo Mello played 2006 first again on the Challenger Tour. He won two tournaments in Florianópolis and Campos do Jordão, he also reached the semi-finals in three other tournaments. On ATP level Mello could only reach the second round twice in seven tournaments. It is worth mentioning the match against the then nineteen- year-old Andy Murray in Newport, which Murray was able to win only in the third set tiebreak. In the Davis Cup Ricardo Mello contributed two individual victories to the fact that Brazil came into the play- off round for a place in the World Group, but where they lost to Sweden. In the world rankings, he slipped between time from up to rank 183, at the end he was ranked 134th
The year 2007 was the worst year yet for Ricardo Mello: He won a single title, and came at a tournament beyond the quarter-finals. After he was behind the other resigned in October and November 2007 in five Challenger tournaments each in the first round, he fell in the rankings to No. 257 In the year 2008, Mello not win a title, but he reached at least two Challenger finals and two more semifinals.
In 2009 it went up again: Right at the beginning Ricardo Mello celebrated his ninth meanwhile Challenger title in São Paulo, the first for over two and a half years. In August 2009, followed in Brasilia, the next title. In three ATP tournaments he managed to qualify for the main draw, but lost each in the first round. At the U.S. Open in 2009, he failed in the third qualifying round. After winning in São Paulo in November still with Franco Ferreiro a double Challenger titles, Mello finished the year at World No. 151
2010-2011: re-entry into the Top 100
The year 2010 began as already the previous year with a Challenger title in São Paulo. In February 2010, Ricardo Mello went to a wild card at the ATP tournament in Costa do Sauipe, where - apart from victory in the tournament in Delray Beach - so far had its greatest success on the ATP Tour. And this year he was able to advance to the semifinals, and defeated Among other things, the current Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci number 1. After each successfully qualified for the Masters tournaments of Indian Wells and Miami, and had reached the finals of the Challenger tournament in Curitiba, was Ricardo Mello end of April 2010 for the first time in over four years in the top 100 in the world rankings. Thus he was now again qualified for the Grand Slam tournaments, and was able to after Erstrundenniederlagen at the French Open and Wimbledon in the second round at the U.S. Open by beating Bjorn Phau. In addition, he still reached two additional Challenger Finals, of which he won in Salvador one during the season. In September 2010, Ricardo Mello joined in the playoff round against India for the first time in three years for the Brazilian Davis Cup team. He won his first match in five sets against Somdev Devvarman, but then lost the decisive fifth match against Rohan Bopanna, so that Brazil lost 2:3 and the catchment missed in the World Group.
Also in January 2011, Ricardo Mello was able to defend his Challenger title in São Paulo. At the Australian Open he met in the first round on his set at position 30 Thomaz Bellucci compatriot, he retired against in a tight five- set match. In February 2011, Ricardo Mello reached at the ATP tournament in Costa do Sauipe for the third time after 2005 and 2010, the semi-finals. He defeated among others the set at position 2 Albert Montanes, and made the quarter-finals Pablo Andújar in less than an hour of play with 6:1, 6:0 from. In the semifinals he was then, however, clearly inferior to Alexander Dolgopolov, and thus missed the third try the finals. As the year progresses Ricardo Mello came in any ATP tournament more beyond the second round. These are only two set victory over top-30 player John Isner in April 2011 in Belgrade, as well as the first time reaching the second round at Wimbledon with a victory over qualifier Frank Dancevic. In October 2011 Mello won two Challenger tournaments in Recife and São José do Rio Preto. He is one of four players to have won in their careers 15 or more Challenger single item.
On February 11, 2013 Ricardo Mello ended after his first round defeat against Martín Alund at the Brasil Open in 2013 his career.