1998 IN REVIEW

Finished as No. 1 Belgian for fourth consecutive year...After 1-5 start in first two months, won at least one match in his next seven tournaments...In 1st RD Davis Cup tie vs. border rival Netherlands, beat Schalken and Siemerink in straight sets...Posted his lone Top 10 win of year over No. 7 Bjorkman in 1st RD of Rome before losing in next round...Returned to Roland Garros, site of SF in '97 and advanced to QF with four consecutive straight-set wins (d. Larsson, Martelli, Enqvist, Clavet) before falling to Corretja...Lost Davis Cup opening round rubber to Courier in QF...Played in final event at U.S. Open and lost in 1st RD before undergoing right foot surgery on Oct. 28 to remove small piece of bone which caused inflammation and pain.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1990-Reached the QF in his first career Challenger in Knokke...1991-Reached doubles SF at Siracusa Challenger (w/Vanhoudt)...Made Davis Cup debut against Australia...1992-Won Challenger doubles titles in Geneva and Casablanca (w/Vanhoudt)...1993-Reached first Tour singles QF in Florence and won his first doubles title (w/Vanhoudt) in Umag...Won Challenger doubles titles in Graz (w/Vanhoudt) and Lippstadt (w/Laurendeau)...1994-Finished as No. 1 Belgian player for the first time...Posted a 2-1 record in Davis Cup singles for Belgium...1995-Qualified in Vienna and defeated local favorite Muster to win his first career ATP Tour title...First Belgian to win a singles Tour title since Bernard Mignot won in Zurich in 1976...First career SF in San Marino in August...Won Prague Challenger doubles title (w/Flegl)...1996-Best results were indoors with QF in Zagreb, Marseille and Copenhagen and SF in St. Petersburg...1997-Captured second ATP Tour title in Kitzbnhel (d. Alonso), SF at French Open and QF in Antwerp...Qualified at Roland Garros (d. No. 7 Corretja, l. to Kuerten) and climbed from 122 to No. 58 afterward...Became first Belgian to finish in Top 50 rankings and reached career-high No. 39 in September...Earned a career-high $492,104. CAREER TITLES (2): 1995-Vienna; 1997-Kitzbnhel. CAREER DOUBLES TITLES (1). GRAND SLAM RECORD CAREER9897969594 AUS. OPEN3-51ST 2ND2ND1ST2ND FRENCH OPEN9-3QFSF1ST-- WIMBLEDON2-42ND 1ST2ND1ST- U.S. OPEN0-31ST1ST1ST--

PERSONAL

Won the Belgian Championship in 1991 and a member of the Belgian Davis Cup squad for the first time in '91...Has a 14-19 career record in Cup play in 15 ties...His father is a pharmacist...Enjoys playing soccer and buying compact discs...Favorite band is Smashing Pumpkins...Coached by Gabriel Gonzalez (since 1994).