Andrey Golubev

Began playing at age six…Father, Alexander, and mother, Marina, are doctors…Has one younger brother, Denis…Born in Volzhskij, Russia and moved to Bra, Italy when he was 15 after friend Igor Eremin invited him to live and train there…Bra locals nickname him "Andrea"…Resides and trains most of year in Italy…In June 2008, changed his nationality to represent Kazakhstan in Davis Cup competition…Speaks Russian, Italian and English…His goal is to be World No. 1…Off court interests include Playstation and watching his favourite soccer team Juventus…Favourite players are Pete Sampras, Marat Safin and Roger Federer…Considers indoor hard courts his favourite surface and serve and forehand his best shots…Named 2010 Most Improved Player Of The Year...Coached by Italian Massimo Puci (since 2002).

Golubev DEUCE Feature (Nov. 2010)

2010 -- The top player from Kazakhstan was named ATP Most Improved Player of Year after climbing from No. 133 in ‘09 to a year-end best No. 36, highlighted by a personal-high 24 match wins…In July, captured his first ATP World Tour title in Hamburg without dropping a set (d. Melzer)…Also posted first Top 10 win over No. 6 Davydenko en route…In October, advanced to final in Kuala Lumpur (l. to Youzhny) with wins over Soderling and Ferrer…Went undefeated in five Davis Cup singles matches to help his country into ‘11 World Group for first time…Compiled marks of 13-13 on clay and 11-5 on hard…Earned a career-high $723,166.

2009 -- Fell in Australian Open 1st RD (l. to Fognini), Roland Garros 2nd RD (l. to Hewitt), Wimbledon 1st RD (l. to Tsonga) and US Open 1st RD (l. to L. Mayer)…Qualified for ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada (l. to Wawrinka in 2nd RD)…On ATP Challenger Tour, won Astana (d. Marchenko), reached Recanati final (l. to Bohli), Bordeaux SFs (l. to Gicquel)…

2008 -- 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...

2007 -- 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...

2006 -- Posted 4-3 Challenger record, including reaching QF in Milan...Advanced to four Futures finals, winning France #19 and Spain #37 stops...

2005 -- 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...

2004 -- Reached Italy #20 Futures final only two months after turning pro...Also reached QF in two more Italian Futures events...

2011

The 2010 ATP Most Improved Player Of The Year, started the year at World No. 36...

He snapped an 18-match losing streak in August at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati (l. to Stepanek in 2nd RD)...Lost to World No. 1 Nadal in US Open 1st RD...Dropped to 3-10 lifetime versus Top 10 opponents...It was his seventh straight first-round loss at a Grand Slam...