Simon Greul
Simon Greul ( born April 13, 1981 in Stuttgart ) is a German tennis player.
- 2.2.1 Siege
- 2.2.2 finals
Life and career
Simon Greul began playing tennis at age six. Three years later, he joined the First Line Tennis Academy, where he has since been coached by Robert Lopez. Having already collected 1999 first experiences on Futures tournaments, he decided in 2000 after a successful high school level in Ludwigsburg and abgeleistetem military service to a professional career.
In August 2000, he won for the first time a futures tournament in Berlin, and ended the year at No. 521 the tennis world rankings. In 2001, he played then propagated on the ATP Challenger Tour, and was able to celebrate his first title in September 2001 in Aschaffenburg.
In 2002, another victory at a Futures tournament, and in early 2003 the second Challenger title in Dallas. In addition, he first attempted at the Australian Open, to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament, but he lost in the third qualifying round. In July 2003, Simon Greul got for the ATP tournament of his hometown Stuttgart a wildcard, but he lost his first round match against Czech Jiri Vanek. After he had climbed to the middle of the year to No. 148 in the world rankings, he had in August 2003 due to problems with the appendectomy sidelined for almost half a year, and thus fell back to No. 606 in the world rankings.
After he again worked in 2004 slowly upward in 2005 was all the better for Simon Greul: He won a total of three Futures tournaments and also reached in two Challenger tournaments, the final of which he won one in Oberstaufen. Two years after his ATP debut in Stuttgart he could again qualify for the main draw, but lost just as in Ho Chi Minh City in the first round.
The year 2006 was even more successful for Simon Greul: the ATP tournament in Delray Beach, he was directly qualified and scored a first round match against Mardy Fish his first victory on the ATP level. At the Masters Tournament from Miami to Greul could qualify and advance after beating Paradorn Srichaphan, Dominik Hrbatý and Tim Henman to the second round, where he lost in three sets against Andy Roddick. After victories in the Challenger tournaments of Dresden, Ettlingen and Córdoba Greul peaked at # 76 in the world rankings, and was thus directly qualified at Wimbledon Championships 2006. On his Grand Slam debut, he was, however, Tommy Robredo as inferior as two months later Mardy Fish at the U.S. Open. But he was able to reach the knockout stages at his home tournament in Stuttgart, and also at the ATP tournaments of Munich, Umag, Mumbai, Stockholm and Lyon respectively the second round. He defeated Gastón Gaudio in Lyon, the winner of the French Open in 2004.
In the first half of 2007 Greul won only two matches in eight ATP tournaments, and consequently fell back out of the top 100. In June 2007, Simon Greul won two Challenger tournaments in a row in Almaty. In Stuttgart he got like four years ago, a wild card, but lost in the first round against Philipp Kohlschreiber. Due to chronic wrist pain he had to in August 2007, undergoing surgery, and was therefore up to the end of the year no tournaments play more.
Since he had thereby lost again world ranking points, played Simon Greul early 2008 Futures tournaments, and won two straight away. After a few good results in Challenger tournaments to Greul could qualify for the French Open in May 2008, but lost against Ernests Gulbis. In September 2008, he was able to win two Challenger tournaments in a row, first in Freudenstadt and a week later in Alphen aan den Rijn. After another finals in Tarragona Greul ended his comeback year ranked 126 in the world rankings.
In early 2009 succeeded Greul in Chennai against Daniel Gimeno -Traver his first victory on the ATP level in nearly two years. In May 2009, he as last year after qualifying for the French Open, but again there was a first round defeat against Victor Crivoi. A month later, Simon Greul was beating Michael Yani his first victory at a Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon after re successful qualification then. Against the set at position 4 Novak Djokovic but he was then a chance. Similarly, it was him at the U.S. Open in 2009, where he worked in the second round in three short sentences the former world number one Roger Federer was defeated after a first round win over Giovanni Lapentti. Other highlights this season were a Challenger win in Todi, reaching the semi-finals at the ATP tournament in Bucharest, as well as the quarter- finals at the ATP tournament in Hamburg. With number 59, he reached his best to date, year-end standings in the world ranking.
After another first round defeat at the Australian Open 2010 against his fellow countryman Tommy Haas was the first highlight of the year in early March 2010, when Greul was first appointed to the German Davis Cup team. Although he won his match against Jo -Wilfried Tsonga, but could not prevent the 1:4 defeat against France. The following week Greul managed at the Masters tournament in Indian Wells after victories over the French Richard Gasquet and Gaël Monfils a place in the third round, then had but due to a viral illness without a struggle give up his match against Jurgen Melzer. Nevertheless, he achieved the following week with rank 55 its best-ever ranking in the world rankings. Until June 2010 Greul came in any ATP tournament more about the second round addition, only in 's- Hertogenbosch, he succeeded again by defeating Tommy Robredo before losing in the quarterfinals against Benjamin Becker. Also in the home tournament in Stuttgart, he moved to a win over Gilles Simon for the first time to the quarter- finals, but lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero. The following months were very unsuccessful for Simon Greul: For the American hard court tournaments he left respectively in the first round, including at the U.S. Open against Richard Gasquet. Since he could not defend his last year's Challengertitel and also in Bucharest only reached the second round and thus lost the points from the previous year, Greul then fell out of the top 100 in the world rankings.
When qualifying for the Australian Open 2011 Simon Greul difference though in the third round against Denis Gremelmayr out, but he still moved as a lucky loser after the main draw. There he lost in three sets to the set at position 26 Juan Mónaco. Two weeks later reached Greul at the ATP tournament in Johannesburg the quarterfinals where he retired against Izak van der Merwe. In the course of the tournament, he defeated the aspiring young Milos Raonic Kanandier, the Greul designated a year later as one of his three toughest opponents.
Simon Greul played until 2006 when TV Reutlingen, with which he ascended in two consecutive years of the Württemberg division to the 1st Bundesliga. In 2007 he moved to the TK Kurhaus Aachen, with whom he became German champion in 2008 and 2009.