Andrey Golubev

2008 IN REVIEW

The top player from Kazakhstan finished in Top 100 highlighted by reaching his first ATP final and winning two Challenger titles...Posted a 6-5 record in ATP level competition, qualifying into main draw five times, and compiled a 19-13 mark in Challengers...Opened season qualifying into Adelaide (l. to Gulbis) and later in month qualified into Heilbronn Challenger and won title (d. Petzschner)...In May, advanced to QF at San Remo Challenger...In July, reached QF at Cordoba Challenger and then qualified into his first AMS tournament in Toronto (l. to T. Johansson)...Following month, qualified in Los Angeles (l. to Serra) and then into his first Grand Slam at US Open (d. Evans, l. to Nalbandian)...After a SF at Alphen aan den Rijn Challenger in the Netherlands, made his Davis Cup debut for Kazakhstan vs. Philippines and won his singles match...In October, qualified into St. Petersburg and posted wins over O. Rochus, former No. 1 Safin, Zverev and Hanescu before losing to No. 4 Murray in final...Closed season with title at Astana Challenger (d. Recouderc)...In final two tournaments, jumped from No. 150 to a career high No. 93...Earned a career-high $214,955.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2004--Reached Italy #20 Futures final only two months after turning pro...Also reached QF in two more Italian Futures events…2005û-Continued success on Futures circuit, winning Italy #13 and #14 in back-to-back weeks in May…In Challenger play, posted a 2-4 record…2006--Posted 4-3 Challenger record, including reaching QF in Milan...Advanced to four Futures finals, winning France #19 and Spain #37 stops…2007û-Moved on to Challenger level, posting a 25-18 record, reaching final at Recanati with wins over Schuettler and Muller before losing to Wang…Reached SF at Sassuolo and Grenoble Challengers and QF in four other tournaments...Qualified for his first ATP tournament in Basel and defeated No. 87 Amer Delic in 1st RD before losing in next round to No. 21 Paul-Henri Mathieu in three sets…Finished in Top 200 for first time at No. 171.

PERSONAL

Began playing at age six...Father, Alexander, and mother, Marina, are doctors...Has one younger brother, Denis (11)...Born in Volzhskij, Russia and moved to Italy when he was 15 after friend Igor Eremin invited him to live and train there...Resides and trains most of year in Italy...In June 2008, changed his nationality to represent Kazakhstan in Davis Cup competition...Made his Cup debut in September vs. Philippines and won his singles match...Speaks Russian, Italian and English...His goal is to be World No. 1...Off court interests include Playstation and watching his favorite soccer team Juventus...Favorite players are Pete Sampras, Marat Safin and Roger Federer...Considers indoor hard courts his favorite surface and serve and forehand his best shots...Coached by Italian Massimo Puci (since 2002).