Born in Czechoslovakia and moved with his family to Switzerland in 1968 and has been a Swiss citizen since. He excelled in hockey as a boy and competed on the Swiss national team (juniors) at age 12. But after breaking his foot and arm, his father persuaded him to take up a "safer" sport which became tennis and began at 15.

Helped Switzerland to the 1982 European Team Championships. A member of the Swiss Olympic Team in 1984 and '88 and member of the Swiss Davis Cup team since 1984. Made an unbelievable run to qualify for the Nabisco Masters in 1988, jumping from 29 to No. 9 (NGP rankings) in the last three weeks by winning at Wembley, Johannesburg and finishing runner-up at Brussels. He then went 3-0 in round robin play in New York, defeating Lendl, Mayotte, and Agassi before losing to Becker in the semi-finals.

He missed four months of the year when he broke his right wrist and three ribs in an auto accident on Jan. 22 in France. He fell to No. 43 on July 4 before coming back to finish a career-high No. 8 on the ATP computer. He defeated three former No. 1 players -- Connors (at Basle), McEnroe (at Paris Indoor) and Lendl (at Masters) in 1988. Surpassed $1 million in career prize money in November 1988 at the Masters while finishing a year-end best No. 8.

Compiled a 42-24 match record, finished No. 17 and earned a career-high $661,671 in 1990. Ended the year by winning the season-ending ATP Tour World Doubles Final in Sanctuary Cove, Australia with Forget. Won a career-high six doubles titles (five with Forget).