Alex Bogdanovic

2006 IN REVIEW

The British No. 3 (behind Murray, Henman) finished with a career-high year-end ATP Ranking highlighted by a couple of Challenger titles and first ATP QF...Opened season by claiming back-to-back Challenger titles in Wrexham (d. Robert) and Bergamo (d. Bolelli)...Compiled a 24-14 record in Challenger action...In April, reached three straight Challenger QF then lost in 1st RD of all three ATP grass events in England...Fell to Tursunov at Queen’s, to Mirnyi in three sets at Nottingham and to eventual finalist Nadal at Wimbledon...Came to US and reached first career ATP QF in Newport, defeating Levine and Bastl before losing in three sets to Melzer... Returned to Davis Cup action in tie against Israel, falling in singles rubber to Okun...Reached 2nd RD at ATP stop in Bangkok, defeating Wang before falling to countryman Henman...Reached final at Mons Challenger (l. to Tipsarevic)...Earned a career-high $86,805.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2001 – Played eight U.K. Futures events, posting best result with QF at Cumberland…2002 – Made ATP debut at Queen’s Club (l. to Elseneer)…Made Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon (l. to Escude)…Claimed first career Futures title at Nottingham (d. Milligan)…2003 – Claimed first career ATP win at Queen’s (d. Parmar, l. to Dupuis)…Also reached 2nd RD the following week at Nottingham (d. Gambill, l. to Voltchkov)…Made Davis Cup debut in World Group 1st RD, falling to Hewitt before downing Woodbridge in dead rubber…Reached first career Challenger final at Surbiton (l. to Moodie), defeating Karlovic in three tie-breaks in SF…Reached SF at Denver Challenger (l. to Parmar)…2004 – Again reached 2nd RD at Nottingham (d. J. Johansson, l. to Dent)…Made third straight Wimbledon appearance (l. to Federer)…Reached back-to-back Challenger finals in July at Nottingham (l. to Tsonga) and Manchester (d. Mertinak)…Made US Open debut, losing to Calatrava in five sets…2005 – Claimed Challenger titles at Nottingham (d. Hilton) and Sunderland (d. Udomchoke).

PERSONAL

Full name is Aleksa Bogdanovic...Nicknamed Boggo and A-Bog...Born in Belgrade and when he was eight, his parents, Dusan and Amelia, along with sister Amelia, fled former war-torn Yugoslavia to seek a better life in Great Britain...At school, he was persuaded by a tennis mad best friend to take up tennis and says "At first it was just a social thing, a way of making friends in a new country"...Started playing regularly on international junior circuit in 1999 and his best results were SF at US Open juniors in 2001 (l. to Muller) and at Banana Bowl, a presitigious junior tournament in Brazil...Also won his lone international junior title at Uruguay Bowl that year (d. Dabul)...Finished No. 14 in world junior rankings in '01...Admired former stars Pete Sampras and Goran Ivanisevic while growing up...Favorite soccer team is Manchester United and considers best surfaces grass and hard courts (indoor)...Former British Davis Cup captain Roger Taylor compared his backhand to that of Rod Laver...Made Davis Cup debut in 2003 and has a 1-3 career record in three ties...Coached by countryman Mike Raphael.