Nickname is "Guille" or "Willy"...Began playing tennis at seven years old...Father, Juan Garcia Ballesteros, is a teacher...Mother, Paqui Lopez Cuesta, is a nurse...Has one younger brother, Juan...Enjoys playing football and skiing...Follows results and supports FC Barcelona...Practices often with fellow resident Juan Carlos Ferrero...Athletes who inspired him are Zinedine Zidane, Pete Sampras and Michael Jordan...Favourite movie is Gladiator and book is Da Vinci Code...His favourite surface is clay and best shot is backhand down the line...Says greatest match he ever seen was countryman Sergi Bruguera's five-set win over Jim Courier in 1993 Roland Garros final...Considers his biggest win over No. 5 Carlos Moya in first round of 2005 Australian Open, which allowed him to break Top 100 for first time...Considers one of his best wins was beating then World No. 1 Rafael Nadal at Bangkok in October 2010...Fitness trainer is Jose Maria Castillo.
2012 -- The Spaniard finished in Top 100 for 8th year in a row...His best results were SF on clay in Stuttgart (l. to Monaco) in July and QF in Auckland (l. to Verdasco), Casablanca (l. to Andreev) and St. Petersburg (l. to Youzhny)...His highest-ranked win came over No. 4 Murray in 2R at Indian Wells (l. to Harrison). It was his 8th career Top 10 victory...In Grand Slam play won a round at Wimbledon (d. Roger-Vasselin 10-8 in 5th set) and US Open (d. No. 11 Monaco from 2 sets down in 5th set TB)...Compiled records of 10-15 on hard, 9-8 on clay and 1-2 on grass. Went 1-2 vs. Top 10 opponents...
2011 -- The Spaniard finished out of Top 50 for 1st time in 3 years and advanced to QF or better 3 times…His best result was SF in Zagreb in February (l. to eventual winner Dodig)…Also a QF in Houston (l. to Cuevas) in April and Doha (l. to Tsonga) in 1st week of year…Reached a career high No. 23 on Feb. 21...Won at least a round in at each Grand Slam (6-4 mark), including 3R at Australian Open and Roland Garros...Went 0-5 vs. Top 10 opponents and compiled marks of 11-17 on hard and 8-10 on clay...
2010 -- The Spaniard enjoyed best season, finishing a year-end high No. 33…Broke into Top 30 for first time in career in October…Won personal-high 31 matches, including 10 of 12 matches on Asian circuit…Captured title in Bangkok (d. Nieminen), his first on hard court, and also posted biggest win of his career over No. 1 Nadal in SF (saved 24 of 26 break points)…Appeared in his first ATP Masters 1000 QF in Shanghai* (l. to Djokovic)… Reached his first grass court final in June in Eastbourne (l. to Llodra)…Reached to SF in Estoril (l. to Gil)…In doubles, won first career title in Doha (w/Montanes)…Earned careeer-high $701,006.
2009 -- The Spaniard finished in Top 50 for first time, ending the year at a career-high ranking of No. 41, and won his maiden ATP World Tour title…In first four months, reached QFs in Johannesburg (l. to Gil), Delray Beach (l. to Korolev) and Houston (l. to Hewitt)…At Kitzbühel in May, posted three consecutive wins over seeded opponents en route to final before defeating Benneteau in title match…Following month, turned in SF effort at Eastbourne (l. to eventual champ Tursunov)…In August, upset No. 10 Verdasco in the opening round at Cincinnati*…Closed season with QFs in Stockholm (l. to Soderling) and Valencia (d. Monfils, l. to Davydenko)…Compiled marks of 12-16 on hard, 10-8 on clay and 6-3 on grass…Earned a career-high $550,859.
2008 -- The Spaniard finished in Top 70 for second time, highlighted by a personal-best 21 match wins and two ATP SF showings...Opened year with QF in Chennai (l. to Nadal) and followed with a Grand Slam-best 3rd RD at Australian Open (d. Chela, Falla, l. to Tsonga)...In February, advanced to SF in San Jose (l. to Roddick)...Did not win back-to-back ATP matches again until Wimbledon where he reached 3rd RD with victories over Van der Merwe and No. 12 Almagro (l. to Schuettler)...In July, returned to clay in Gstaad and advanced to SF (l. to Andreev)...After a 2nd RD at US Open (d. Hrbaty, l. to Seppi), reached QF in Bucharest (l. to Moya)...Went 0-4 vs. Top 10 opponents...Compiled 12-13 mark on hard and 7-8 on clay...Earned a career-high $405,030.
2007 -- Finished in Top 100 for third consecutive year highlighted by three ATP QF showings on as many surfaces (clay, grass, hard)...In February, advanced to QF in Delray Beach (l. to eventual winner Malisse) and following month, reached 3rd RD at AMS Indian Wells (d. No. 18 Baghdatis, l. to Russell)...In April, reached QF in Estoril (l. to eventual champ Djokovic) and upset No. 12 Berdych in 1st RD at Roland Garros (l. to Brzezicki in 2nd RD)...On grass, turned in QF in Nottingham.
2006 -- Improved his year-end ATP Ranking for a sixth consecutive season, highlighted by one SF and a trio of QF...Also compiled an 11-4 record in Challenger play with one title...Advanced to third SF in Delray Beach (d. Agassi, l. to Malisse)...In April, reached QF in Valencia and Estoril...Then reached 2nd RD at ATP Masters Series Hamburg, defeating Youzhny (l. to Ancic)...Reached final at Lugano Challenger (l. to Patience) and one month later claimed title at Scheveningen Challenger (d. Montanes)... Reached QF in Bucharest...In doubles, won title at Scheveningen Challenger (w/Navarro)...Reached first ATP doubles final in Umag (w/Portas)...
2005 -- Opened season by reaching his second SF in Chennai, defeating van Scheppingen, Garcia and Tabara before falling to eventual champion Moya... Made Australian Open debut and recorded first Top 10 win over No. 5 Moya before falling to Kim... Made ATP Masters Series debut in Monte Carlo (l. to Gasquet)... Reached SF at Estoril, defeating Karlovic, J. Johansson and Marin before falling to eventual champion Gaudio... Following week defeated Lisnard and Horna to reach St. Poelten QF (l. to C. Rochus)... With that performance, reached career high ranking of No. 70... Reached 2nd RD at five straight events, including three on grass...
2004 -- Made Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at Roland Garros and reached 2nd RD (d. Reid, l. to Robredo)...Reached first ATP SF at Umag, defeating Hanescu, Saretta and Novak before falling to Canas...Compiled a 5-7 ATP record...Reached final at Rome Challenger...Posted 23-13 Challenger record...Claimed one Futures title in Portugal...
2003 -- Made ATP debut in Valencia as a wild card (l. to Ferrero)...Reached first Challenger final in Seville (l. to Horna)...Was 11-9 in Challengers...In Futures, claimed one title while finishing as a runner-up four times...Had a Futures record of 23-16...Won a pair of Futures doubles titles...
2002 -- Reached two Futures finals in Spain and compiled a 29-14 Futures record...
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