Santiago Ventura Bertomeu

Santiago Ventura Bertomeu ( born January 5, 1980 in Castellon de la Plana ) is a former Spanish tennis player.

  • 3.2.1 Siege
  • 3.2.2 finals

Life and career

Santiago Ventura began at the age of six years, to play tennis with his father. Between 1996 and 1998 he was able to celebrate on some junior tournaments in Europe, both in single as well as double success.

Since 1996 he also played in the adult area on satellite tournaments in Spain and Portugal, and was first performed in October 1997 in the tennis world rankings. In April 1999, he won his first title, and then climbed into the top 500 in the world rankings. In September 1999, he qualified for the first time in Seville for a Challenger tournament; Moreover, he now also played on Futures tournaments.

In 2001, then Santiago Ventura opted for a career as a professional tennis player, and was able to celebrate his first title at Future tournaments in September 2001. In the years 2002 and 2003 was followed by some more futures and Satellite titles. When Challenger tournaments Ventura did not come so far, however, beyond the quarter-finals.

In May 2004, then Santiago Ventura succeeded in out of nowhere, the sensation: In Casablanca, he tried for the third time in his career, qualify for an ATP tournament, and made ​​the jump into the main draw. He marched through to the finals, and defeated there in three sets to set at position 1 top 50 player Dominik Hrbatý. In the world rankings, he then made a jump from number 316 to number 138 A month later, he tried at Wimbledon for the first time, to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament, but retired in the second round. A month later, Ventura qualified in Båstad for the second time for an ATP tournament. After a first round victory over Jonas Björkman he lost in the second round against Rafael Nadal. In the following ATP tournament in Kitzbühel he was even qualified directly, and able to defeat a top 100 players in the second round with Albert Montanes again before he retired against Feliciano López. In August 2004, Santiago Ventura won his first Challenger title in Freudenstadt. He defeated among others, the then seventeen -year-old Novak Djokovic. After he had reached in October 2004 in Barcelona another Challenger Finals, he was first performed for a few weeks in the top 100 in the world rankings, but fell by the end back to Rank 104.

Nevertheless, he was qualified for the first time at the Australian Open 2005 for a Grand Slam tournament, and was able to win in the first round in five sets against his compatriot Álex Calatrava. In the second round but was then when set at position 9 David Nalbandian terminus. Thus he rose again in the Top 100, and was now able to regularly participate in ATP tournaments. Yet his greatest achievement was reaching the fourth round in Costa do Sauipe. Even better, it ran in a double: Along with David Ferrer, he won in February 2005, the ATP tournaments of Viña del Mar and Acapulco, and now increased as a result in the double world rankings into the top 100. In the individual, however, he could his last year's success in Casablanca not repeat, and fell so in May 2005, again in the ranking back. The Erstrundenaus at Wimbledon in June 2005 was his last ATP tournament participation in 2005. Also on Challenger tournaments, he was unsuccessful as the year progresses, only the double he could win a title in Geneva.

The year 2006 was very unsuccessful for Santiago Ventura: When only two ATP tournaments he could even reach the second round. Also on Challenger tournaments he entered this year, never beyond the second round. Since September 2006, he played due to injury no more tournaments, and therefore fell back into the world rankings to No. 423. In doubles, he could win a title in Barletta this year, but fell at the end also made ​​the top 200 out.

In 2007, the success came back: After a Futures title in February 2007, Santiago Ventura got in April 2007 for the ATP tournament in Valencia a wildcard. And this he used: After a first round victory over the top -50 player Florian Mayer Ventura could be stopped in three short sentences by Nicolás Almagro in the semifinals only. This, and a second-round participation in Estoril two weeks later were the only ATP performances by Ventura this season; However, for this he could reach on the Challenger Tour Finals a total of five, of which he won in Milan and Montevideo two. Thus he rose to the end of the year in the Top 100. In doubles, he could even win this year a total of nine Challenger tournament, most of them on the side of Marcel Granollers.

2008 Santiago Ventura played again increased ATP Tournaments. In Viña del Mar he came here to the semifinals, and then reached in March 2008, with rank 65 its best ever placing in the individual rankings. In double Ventura could this year along with Albert Montanes win a title in Casablanca, and reached in Costa do Sauipe in the final. In addition, he was able to advance at Wimbledon along with Marcel Granollers to the quarter- finals, where they lost the set at position 1 Bryan brothers. This reached Santiago Ventura in July 2008 with its 37th record in the double world rankings. On Challenger level he was not as successful as 2007 this year; the only high point was the tournament in Bucharest in September 2008, where Ventura both the individual as well as the doubles competition won ( with Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo ).

In March 2009, Santiago Ventura could reach two Challenger finals in Rabat and Barletta, however, he lost in each case. In doubles, but he won four more Challenger Tournaments Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo along with both tournaments, as well as the year progresses. Another highlight of the season was the ATP tournament in Bucharest, where Ventura as a qualifier after beating Igor Andreev and Alberto Martín reached its now fourth ATP semi-final, where he lost in three sets to the eventual tournament winner Albert Montanes. In the world rankings to Ventura held this year very consistent in the individual between rank 108 and rank 132 in a double between rank 47 and rank 83

At the beginning of the year 2010 Santiago Ventura could together with Marcel Granollers celebrate his fourth ATP doubles title in Chennai. In February 2010 he moved to Buenos Aires as a qualifier after beating Victor Hanescu the quarter-finals, and then increased for a few weeks first time in almost two years in the top 100 of the singles world ranking. In doubles, followed in May 2010 in Munich, together with Oliver Marach the second ATP title of the season. They fought back in the final from five match points and won the match eventually 16:14 in the match tie- break. Other highlights of the year were reaching the fourth round at the French Open (on the side of Nicolás Almagro ) and the final of the ATP tournament from Bucharest ( with Granollers ). In addition, he has won five Challenger tournaments in double this year as a whole; in individual he reached in Zagreb after all, a final, but fell to the end of the season due to numerous Erstrundenniederlagen out of the top 200 out.

In 2011, Ventura only in part to three ATP tournaments. So he started with Marc López in Marseille and Michael Kohlmann in Casablanca, but failed each in the first round. His last tournament was the Masters in Madrid, for which he and his partner Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo received a wildcard. They could reach the knockout stages. Ventura proclaimed after his retirement from professional tennis.

Special

Santiago Ventura, together with Yahiya Doumbia (1988 in Lyon ), José Francisco Altur (1989, San Marino) and Nicolás Lapentti (1995 in Bogotá ) is one of four players who managed once to win the tournament at their ATP debut. With his compatriot Altur he has in common that this first remained the only ATP singles title in the career simultaneously.

Achievements

Singles

Win

Doubles

Win

Finals

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