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Nicolas seems to be a popular name on the ATP tour. Using the 1998 ATP Guidebook TMR found five men with the first name of Nicolas (in some case's Nicklas) in the top two hundred and fifty, and four men with the name Nicolas from two hundred and fifty-one to five hundred. They are respectively: (take a deep breath!)
Nicholas Keifer, Nicolas Lapentti, Nicolas Escude, Nicklas Kulti, Nicholas Thomann, Nicklas Timfjord, Nicolas Kischkewitz,Nicolas Massu,Nicolas Coutelot and last and not least in the ranking of Nicolas' and Nicklas' is Nicolas Pereira.
Of course, most of us do not pay much attention to the number of people in a sport with the same first name and TMR is not saying that you necessarily should, but we thought that ll the readers out there would like to know the stories behind the men with this popular name. Unfortunately, the staff of TMR (a grand total of two!) irresponsibility lost TMR's sole copy of the 1999 ATP tour guidebook. All of the information may not be up to date, but we hope that you don't notice unless, you are an avid Nicholas supporter!
According to the ATP tour medi guidebook, this 21yr German travels with his mother to tournaments. TMR does not know if this is still the case be we do know that this young Nicolas has had some fine results. He advanced to the Quarterfinals of the 1998 Australian Open (where he was defeated by another Nocolas!) and the 1998 Wimbledon. Nicholas finished the 1997 season as the number one German but loss to Bores Becker, the former number one of Germany for twelve years, at the German Open in May!
Nicholas Escude began 1998 with a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, defeating fellow Nicholas, Nicolas Keifer, in the quarterfinals. This surfing tennis player from France has a laid back and graceful style of play and prefers to play on slower surfaces. Escude ended at 93 in teh ATP ranking in 1997, but ended 1998 in the top forty. He credits his success to fromer tour pro Tarik Benhabiles. "He knows how to appproach me and there is a complicity between us outside the courts and he brought a lot of me." Isn't this the coach everyone wishes for?
Nicholas Lapentti, from Guayaquil Ecuador enjoyed an outstanding junior career, winning th Orange Bowl (defeating his current doubles partner Gustavo Kuerten) and reaching the semifinal at teh French Open and the US Open juniors, all in 1994. It was not until this year's Australian Open did this talented Nicolas begin to make his mark on the pro tour. He reached the Semifinals if the Australian Open before being defeated by Thomas Enquist. With his stunning pefromance his ranking jumped to a career hight of 40 in the ATP tour ranks. Off of the court Lapentti's interests include soccor and reading Robert Ludlum books. He is the best tennis playing that Ecuador has seen since 1990 French Open Champion, Andres Gomez. Hopefully he will continue with his fine play and live up to his popular name.
Nicklas Kulti was born in Stockholm, Sweden (but currently residing in Monte Carlo Monaco) on April 22, 1971. Kulti had been on the tour since 1989 and reached a career singles ranking of 32. Kulti dropped out of the top 100 in singles in 1997, but ramains a prominent doubles player, reacing the 1997 US Open doubles final (with Bjorkman) and reaching a careed doubles ranking of 11 on the ATP Tour ranks. It is a real opportunity to cath this Nicolas in action on the doubles court!
There is little information available on this 19yr Chilean. TMR does know Massu won the 1997 Orange Bowl. Who know, Massu could be the next Chilian star!
Unfourtunately, it was virtually impossible to find information on the remaining Nicolas', so this is where our story ends. We at TMR hope that you learned something new about the Nicolas' of tennis!