Karol Kučera

Karol Kučera

Country (sports)	Slovakia
Residence	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born	(1974-03-04) 4 March 1974 Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Height
Turned pro	1992
Retired	2005
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach(es)	Miloslav Mečíř (1997-2001) Marian Vajda (2001-2005)
Prize money	$5,061,125
Singles
Career record	293–244
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 6 (14 September 1998)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	SF (1998)
French Open	3R (1996, 2000)
Wimbledon	4R (1999)
US Open	QF (1998)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (1998)
Olympic Games	2R (1996, 2000)
Doubles
Career record	34–41
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 131 (7 June 2004)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	F (2005)
Hopman Cup	W (1998)

Karol Kučera (born 4 March 1974) is a retired ATP professional male tennis player from Slovakia. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 6 in September 1998, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open the same year.

Tennis career

Kučera turned professional in 1992. He was a member of the Czechoslovakian Galea Cup teams in 1991 and 1992 and the 1992 European championship squad. In 1993 he qualified for his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

In 1995 when Kučera won his first ATP title in Rosmalen. In 1996 he played in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta where he lost to eventual gold medalist Andre Agassi.

A year later he won his second ATP title in Ostrava defeating Magnus Norman. He was runner-up in two other tournaments in Nottingham on grass to Greg Rusedski and Stuttgart Outdoor to Sergi Bruguera on clay.

Kučera's best year was in 1998, where he finished the year in the top 10, ranked World No. 8, which qualified him in the ATP Tour World Championship in Hannover. During the year Kučera won 2 titles in Sydney defeating Tim Henman and New Haven defeating Goran Ivanišević.

He reached another two finals, losing to Gustavo Kuerten in Stuttgart Outdoor and to World No. 1 Pete Sampras in Vienna. Overall in 1998, Kučera compiled a career high 53 match victories and earning $1,402,557.

Kučera achieved his best Grand Slam result in 1998 reaching the semi-finals of Australian Open where on his way he defeated defending champion Pete Sampras in the quarter-finals, losing to eventual champion Petr Korda in 4 sets.

In 1999, Kučera won his fifth ATP title in Basel defeating Tim Henman in the final. After 1999, Kučera struggled with form due to a right wrist and arm injury.

After some injury plagued years, Kučera found some form again in 2003 when he finished in the top 50 for the first time since 1999. During the year he won his sixth and final tour title in Copenhagen defeating Olivier Rochus in the final.

Recently, Kučera was one of the contributing members on the Slovakian team which reached the final of the Davis Cup in 2005, eventually losing to Croatia 2–3. He announced his retirement after the final.

Style of play

Miloslav Mečíř known as the "Big Cat" was Kučera's coach from 1997 to 2001. Kučera was nicknamed the "Little Cat" because of his deceptive style of play and his fluid movement around the court resembling his coach.

Career titles

Singles (6)

Legend (Singles)

Grand Slam (0)

ATP Super 9 (0)

ATP Masters Series (0)

ATP Championships Series (1)

ATP World Series (5)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the Final	Score
1.	12 June 1995	Rosmalen, Netherlands	Grass	Anders Järryd	7–6(9–7), 7–6(7–4)
2.	13 October 1997	Ostrava, Czech Republic	Carpet (i)	Magnus Norman	6–2, retired
3.	12 January 1998	Sydney, Australia	Hard	Tim Henman	7–5, 6–4
4.	17 August 1998	New Haven, U.S.	Hard	Goran Ivanišević	6–4, 5–7, 6–2
5.	4 October 1999	Basel, Switzerland	Carpet (i)	Tim Henman	6–4, 7–6(12–10), 4–6, 4–6, 7–6(7–2)
6.	24 February 2003	Copenhagen, Denmark	Hard (i)	Olivier Rochus	7–6(7–4), 6–4

Singles performance timeline

Tournament	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	SR	W–L
Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open	A	A	A	A	A	1R	3R	2R	SF	QF	1R	1R	2R	2R	2R	A	0 / 10	15–10
French Open	A	A	A	1R	2R	1R	3R	1R	1R	1R	3R	A	1R	1R	2R	A	0 / 11	6–11
Wimbledon	A	A	A	A	1R	2R	3R	1R	1R	4R	2R	A	A	3R	2R	2R	0 / 10	11–10
US Open	A	A	A	A	1R	1R	1R	1R	QF	A	1R	A	2R	3R	2R	2R	0 / 10	9–10
Win–Loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	1–3	1–4	6–4	1–4	9–4	7–3	3–4	0–1	2–3	5–4	4–4	2–2	0 / 41	41–41
Year End Championship
ATP Tour World Championships	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	RR	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 1	0–3
ATP Masters Series
Indian Wells	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	QF	1R	A	3R	A	A	A	0 / 4	6–4
Miami	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	A	3R	4R	1R	1R	1R	1R	2R	A	0 / 8	5–8
Monte Carlo	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	1R	A	2R	QF	1R	A	1R	A	A	0 / 5	3–5
Hamburg	A	A	A	A	A	2R	1R	1R	SF	A	1R	A	A	1R	A	A	0 / 6	4–6
Rome	A	A	A	A	A	3R	1R	A	1R	QF	1R	A	A	1R	A	A	0 / 6	5–6
Canada	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	A	A	QF	A	A	0 / 2	4–2
Cincinnati	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	1R	A	A	1R	A	A	0 / 2	0–2
Madrid1	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	2R	2R	2R	A	A	A	2R	A	A	0 / 4	2–4
Paris	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	3R	2R	1R	2R	A	1R	A	A	0 / 5	2–5
Win–Loss	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	3–2	1–3	1–3	6–6	8–6	4–8	1–3	2–2	4–8	1–1	0–0	0 / 42	31–42
Year End Ranking	862	352	210	159	54	79	63	24	8	17	73	101	83	40	91	310

¹This event was held in Stockholm through 1994, Essen in 1995, and Stuttgart from 1996 through 2001.

External links

• Karol Kučera at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Karol Kučera at the Davis Cup