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Petr Korda




Korda first came to the tennis world's attention as a promising junior player. In 1985 , he partnered with fellow Czech Cyril Suk to win the boy's doubles title at the French Open . Korda and Suk ranked the joint-World No. 1 junior doubles players that year.

Korda turned professional in 1987 . He won his first career doubles title in 1988 , and his first top-level singles title in 1991 . Korda was involved in four Grand Slam finals during his career — two in singles and two in doubles.

In 1990 , Korda and Goran Ivanisevic finished runners-up in the men's doubles at the French Open. In 1992 , he rose to the men's singles final at the French Open, where he was defeated in straight sets by defending champion Jim Courier 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. In 1996 , he teamed-up with Stefan Edberg to win the men's doubles title at the Australian Open .

The crowning moment of Korda's career came in 1998 , when he faced Marcelo Ríos in the men's singles final at the Australian Open. Korda dominated the match from start to finish by winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 and claiming his first (and only) Grand Slam singles title. The win propelled him to his career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. (His career-high doubles ranking was World No. 10.)

Other major highlights of Korda's career included winning the Grand Slam Cup in 1993 , and being part of the Czech Republic's team which won the Hopman Cup in 1994 .

A few months after his Australian Open victory in 1998, Korda became the first high-profile tennis player discovered ingesting a banned substance. Following a match at Wimbledon , Korda tested positive for Nandrolone . Subsequently, he was banned from the sport for one year. Korda did not return to the professional tour and, to all extents and purposes, the ban marked the end of a career during which he won ten singles titles and ten doubles titles.

Korda married a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia, Regina Rajchrtova . They have a daughter named Jessica Regina, born on February 27 , 1993 .

What Korda was best know for (and is his greatest contribution to sports) is th "Scissors Kick" which he would do at midcourt after winning matches.


SINGLES TITLES (10)


  • 1991

  • --- New Haven, Berlin


  • 1992

  • --- Washington, Long Island, Vienna


  • 1993

  • --- Grand Slam Cup


  • 1996

  • --- Doha


  • 1997

  • --- Stuttgart Indoor


  • 1998

  • --- Doha, Australian Open




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