Julian Knowle

Began playing tennis at age six...Mother, Doris, owns a health spa; father, Gigi, is a watch seller...Enjoys skiing...Member of Austrian Davis Cup team since 1999 and has an 8-11 career record in 18 ties (7-11 in doubles)...Fan of AC Milan soccer team and idol growing up was Stefan Edberg...Favorite band is U2 and favorite country to visit is Italy.

1992 -- Made ATP debut in Kitzbuehel (l. to Saceanu)

1993 -- Played Kitzbuehel for second straight year (l. to Buchmayer)

1994 -- Reached 2nd RD in first career Challenger tournament in Nagoya)

1995 -- Was 0-2 in Challengers

1997 -- Was 2-3 in Challengers

1998 -- Won first tournament at Ireland Futures...Reached QF at Jerusalem and Tampere Challengers

1999 -- Picked up first career Challenger title in Kyoto by defeating Motomura in final...Won Futures events in Great Britain and Indonesia...In doubles, won Kyoto Challenger in March (w/Manta) and Vienna Challenger (w/Strengberger)

2000 -- Won two Futures for second straight year...Reached final in Challengers at Besancon, Bristol and Yokohama...In doubles, won Challengers in Linz (w/Strengberger), Grenoble (w/Manta) and Yokohama (w/Allegro)

2001 -- Made Grand Slam debut with four set loss to Safin in 1st RD at Wimbledon...Won Challenger titles at Graz (d. Schukin in final) and Caracas (d. Kohlmann)...Retired in third set against Voinea in Vienna 1st RD...In doubles, won three Challenger titles (Hamburg, Luebeck and Cherbourg) in five weeks to begin the year (w/ Manta)...Reached first ATP doubles QF in Atlanta (w/Manta) before losing to Leach-Macpherson...Reached 3rd RD at Roland Garros (w/Manta)...Captured Zabrze, Aachen and Caracas Challenger titles (w/Kohlmann)

2002 -- In singles, finished just outside Top 100 at a year-end best No. 107...Had best result at Wimbledon by reaching 3rd RD...Snapped five-match losing streak at All England Club with five-sets win against Llodra in 1st RD and then defeated Nieminen in 2nd RD before losing to eventual champion Hewitt...Finished with a 19-11 Challenger record and one title...Won two ATP doubles titles for first time in his career, earning crowns in Copenhagen (w/Kohlmann) and Umag (w/Cermak)...Won lone Challenger title of year at Andrezieux by defeating Varlet in straight-sets final...Reached Mallorca final (w/Kohlmann) before losing to Bhupathi-Paes...Teamed (w/Melzer) to win Andrezieux Challenger title...Finished No. 55 in doubles and earned a career-high $206,290

2003 -- Compiled an outstanding season in doubles (25-14 record), with season-opening title in Chennai (w/Kohlmann) and finishing with title in St. Petersburg (w/Zimonjic)...In between, reached finals in Copenhagen (w/Kohlmann) and Newport (w/Melzer)...In Challenger play, won titles at Besancon (w/Erlich) and Ischgl (w/Peya)...Had a 2-6 record in singles...

2004 -- Reached doubles finals in Munich and Wimbledon (both w/Zimonjic)...At All England Club, defeated Bhupathi-Miryni (3rd RD), Black-Ullyett (QF) and Knowles-Nestor (SF) in five sets before losing to Bjorkman-Woodbridge in four sets...Also won Challenger titles in Graz (w/Peya) and Milan-1 (w/Bracciali)...Had a 3-6 record in singles

2005 -- Won doubles titles in Munich (w/Ancic) and St. Petersburg (w/Melzer)...Also captured title at Graz Challenger (w/Peya)...His other best ATP results were SF in Milan and Valencia (w/Pala) and St. Poelten (w/Melzer)...His best Grand Slam finishes were QF at Roland Garros and 3rd RD at Wimbledon (w/Melzer)...Went 1-1 in Davis Cup play, winning four-set rubber vs. Ecuador to lift his country into 2006 World Group...Played in only two singles tournaments during year, losing in 1st RD in Chennai in first week and QF at Graz Challenger in August...

2006 -- Posted a 37-27 record, going 35-20 (w/countryman Melzer)...The pair took home Casablanca title in April and reached finals in Houston, then three straight in Metz (had six match points), Vienna (had one match point) and St. Petersburg... The duo also reached SF six times...Finished at No. 11 in Stanford ATP Doubles Race... Played with seven different partners throughout season...Also advanced to SF in Poertschach (w/Bhupathi)...Finished No. 23 individually...

2007 -- Captured his first Grand Slam title (w/Aspelin) and posted career-highs with a 47-27 match record and four titles...Partnered compatriot Melzer in beginning of season, reaching Memphis final and SF at AMS Indian Wells...Made team debut (w/Aspelin) in January at Zagreb, and reunited to reach SF at AMS Monte Carlo and Hamburg and win their first team title at Poertschach...Followed with Halle and Bastad titles...In their third Grand Slam tournament, claimed US Open title with wins over Erlich-Ram in 3rd RD and Bryans in QF... Became first player from his country to win a Grand Slam men's doubles title in Open Era...Returned to Europe and reached SF at indoor tournaments at Metz and AMS Paris...Qualified for first Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai and reached final (l. to Knowles-Nestor)...Finished a career-best No. 3 in Stanford ATP Doubles Race and No. 7 individually...Earned a career-high $459,280.

2007

The Austrian captured his first career Grand Slam title (w/Aspelin) and posted career-highs with a 47-27 match record and four titles...Partnered compatriot Melzer in beginning of season, reaching Memphis final and SF at AMS Indian Wells...Made team debut (w/Aspelin) in January at Zagreb, and reunited to reach SF at AMS Monte Carlo and Hamburg and win their first team title at Poertschach...Followed with Halle and Bastad titles...In their third Grand Slam tournament, claimed US Open title with wins over Erlich-Ram in 3rd RD and Bryans in QF... Became first player from his country to win a Grand Slam men's doubles title in Open Era...Returned to Europe and reached SF at indoor tournaments at Metz and AMS Paris...Qualified for first Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai and reached final (l. to Knowles-Nestor)...Finished a career-best No. 3 in Stanford ATP Doubles Race and No. 7 individually...Earned a career-high $459,280.