Petr Korda

Infobox Tennis player
playername = Petr Korda
country = CZE
residence = Monte Carlo, Monaco
datebirth = January 23 1968
placebirth = Prague, Czechoslovakia
height = 6'3" (190 cm)
weight = 160 lbs (72 kg)
turnedpro = 1987
retired = 2000
plays = Left-handed
careerprizemoney = US$10,448,900
singlesrecord = 410–248
singlestitles = 10
highestsinglesranking = 2 (2-Feb-98)
AustralianOpenresult = W (1998)
FrenchOpenresult = F (1992)
Wimbledonresult = QF (1998)
USOpenresult = QF (1995, 1997)
doublesrecord = 234–160
doublestitles = 10
highestdoublesranking = 10 (11-Jun-90)
updated = January 22, 2007

Petr Korda (Pronounced: KOR-da ) (b. January 23 1968, in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for becoming the first well-known player to be suspended for ingesting a banned substance shortly thereafter.

Career

Junior

Korda first came to the tennis world's attention as a promising junior player. In 1985, he partnered with fellow Czech Cyril Suk to win the boy's doubles title at the French Open. Korda and Suk ranked the joint-World No. 1 junior doubles players that year.

enior

Korda turned professional in 1987. He won his first career doubles title in 1988, and his first top-level singles title in 1991. Korda was involved in four Grand Slam finals during his career — two in singles and two in doubles.

In 1990, Korda and Goran Ivanišević finished runners-up in the men's doubles at the French Open. In 1992, he rose to the men's singles final at the French Open, where he was defeated in straight sets by defending champion Jim Courier 7–5, 6–2, 6–1. In 1996, he teamed-up with Stefan Edberg to win the men's doubles title at the Australian Open.

The crowning moment of Korda's career came in 1998, when he faced Marcelo Ríos in the men's singles final at the Australian Open. Korda dominated the match from start to finish by winning in straight sets 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 and claimed his first (and only) Grand Slam singles title. The win propelled him to his career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. (His career-high doubles ranking was World No. 10.)

Other highlights of Korda's career included winning the Grand Slam Cup in 1993, being part of the Czech Republic's team which won the Hopman Cup in 1994, and upsetting defending champion Pete Sampras in five sets in the fourth round of the 1997 U.S. Open, en route to reaching the quarterfinals.

A few months after his Australian Open victory in 1998, Korda became the first high-profile tennis player discovered ingesting a banned substance. Following a match at Wimbledon, Korda tested positive for nandrolone. Subsequently, he was banned from the sport for one year. Korda did not return to the professional tour; the ban effectively marked the end of his career.

Korda married a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia, Regina Rajchrtova. They have a daughter named Jessica Regina, born on February 27, 1993. Jessica is an amateur golfer, and finished 19th in the 2008 U.S. Women's Open as a 15-year-old, with Korda as her caddy. [cite web|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hqUd4sLvBQJ_52Dgph2GhZnEsfjQD91K2TA00|title= Inbee Park the youngest winner of US Women's Open|last=Ferguson|first=Doug|publisher=AP|date=2008-06-29|accessdate=2008-06-29]

Korda was also known for the "Scissors Kick" which he would do at midcourt after winning matches.

Grand Slam singles finals

Wins (1)

Runner-ups (2)

A = did not participate in the tournament

Doubles titles (10)

Runner-ups (14)

ee also

*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

External links

* [http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/?playernumber=K148 Official ATP Profile]