Félix Mantilla Botella
Encyclopedia
Félix Mantilla Botella is a former Spanish professional tennis player, born in Barcelona
. In common with many of his fellow countrymen, Mantilla's best surface is clay
. While not as successful away from the clay, Mantilla also produced good hardcourt
results. Mantilla's best stroke was his single-handed backhand and he was known for his baseline consistency from both sides, high endurance levels, and courage.
in 1992.
Mantilla turned professional in 1993 playing Futures and Challenger events. In 1994 Mantilla won the Uruguay/Paraguay Satellite classification and was second in the Spanish satellite 2 and 4 events. He also played his first match on the ATP Tour
in Prague
, losing to compatriot Àlex Corretja
in 3 sets.
At the beginning of 1994 Mantilla was ranked 301st in the ATP Entry Rankings, but at the end of 1995 he had progressed to 84th and had a 10–5 record for the season. Mantilla made his first two finals that year losing in the Budapest
Challenger
to Jiří Novák
in 3 sets and following his first semi final appearance at the ATP level losing to Sjeng Schalken
, it was followed up with his first final on the ATP Buenos Aires
losing to Carlos Moyá in straight sets.
Mantilla's ranking had jumped up 66 places at the end of 1996 where he finished the year ranked 18th. He compiled a 48–27 record for the year mostly on the clay, and in the process won three Challenger titles, each of them without losing a set. This feat was achieved in Punta del Este
defeating Kris Goosens in the final. Mantilla followed the success with victories in Naples
over Karim Alami
and later in the year in Tashkent
over Lars Rehmann.
On the ATP main tour, Mantilla qualified for his first TMS event in Monte Carlo and defeated the two time Roland Garros
champion Sergi Bruguera
before losing in the quarter finals to Albert Costa
. In the week before the French Open
, Mantilla reached his second final in St Pölten losing to Marcelo Ríos
.
In his grand slam debut at the 1996 French Open
, Mantilla defeated Dirk Dier and Àlex Corretja, eventually falling to the eventual champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov
in straight sets. After this he went onto win his first ATP title in Oporto over Hernán Gumy
, 6–7(5) 6–4 6–3. Mantilla proceeded to make two more finals in Gstaad
and Umag
where he lost to Albert Costa on both occasions. In total for 1996 Mantilla won three Challenger titles and his first title in Oporto and made three finals.
In 1997 Mantilla went a career best of 53–22 for the season. He achieved his best result at the 1997 Australian Open
before falling to finalist Carlos Moyà
in the quarter finals. Mantilla made his first TMS final in Hamburg
, losing easily to Andriy Medvedev. He then won all his four singles matches as Spain won the World Team Cup
.
After a disappointing second round exit to Magnus Larsson
at Roland Garros, Mantilla went on a hot streak and won four titles in his next five tournaments at ATP level and in between made the final of the Braunschweig
Challenger losing to Francisco Roig
. Mantilla's run began at Bologna
where defeated reigning French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten
, then followed up with titles in Gstaad over Joan Albert Viloca
, in Umag over Sergi Bruguera
and in San Marino
over Magnus Gustafsson
. Mantilla won another title in Bournemouth
over Carlos Moyà and finished the year ranked 16th.
In 1998 Mantilla after losing a bet with Luis Lobo
in Rome, in which he had to dye his hair blonde. Mantilla reached his highest ever ranking of number 10 on June 8 after reaching the semi finals at Roland Garros
losing to Carlos Moyà and defeating Thomas Muster
in the quarter final gaining revenge for his loss in Rome
against the same opponent who when Mantilla was eating a banana at the change of ends, had taken the banana out of his hands and started to eat it himself, at the end of the match Mantilla did not shake hands with Muster. He defended his title in Bournemouth defeating Albert Costa and made two finals on hardcourt in Dubai
losing to Àlex Corretja and Long Island
to Patrick Rafter
.
Mantilla won his only title for 1999 in Barcelona over Karim Alami
. He defeated world number 1 Pete Sampras
at Indian Wells
on hardcourt and managed to repeat the feat defeating the then number 1 Lleyton Hewitt
in 2002 on hardcourt as well. Apart from his title he reached the semis of the TMS events in Monte Carlo and Rome losing to Gustavo Kuerten and to Pat Rafter respectively. Mantilla said that "Rafter's backhand was so slow it was like his mother hitting the ball".
Mantilla played his only Davis Cup
match for Spain in a promotion and relegation tie against New Zealand in New Zealand for the 2000 Davis Cup. The big stars at the time Àlex Corretja, Albert Costa did not want to travel to Hamilton
for the tie. Mantilla defeated Mark Nielsen
in 5 sets on a fast hardcourt to help Spain gain promotion to the World Group
along with Julián Alonso
, Francisco Clavet
and Joan Balcells
of whom only Balcells competed in any of the winning ties in the winning campaign for the Spanish Davis Cup team in 2000.
Mantilla experienced the first of his shoulder problems and underwent surgery in 2000 and was sidelined for six months and did not return to tennis until January 2001. He won two consecutive Challengers in Espinho
over Tommy Robredo
and Barletta defeating Markus Hipfl, this was followed up with a final in Estoril
losing to nemesis Juan Carlos Ferrero
as he did in all 8 of their matches. Later in the year he won Palermo
defeating David Nalbandian
after saving nine match points for the second time in his career and winning in his semi final victory over Albert Portas
, the first time was against Alberto Berasategui
in the 1998 TMS Hamburg. Mantilla made two finals in 2002 in Doha
and Indianapolis
on hardcourt losing to Younes El Aynaoui
and Greg Rusedski
respectively.
At the 2003 Australian Open
Mantilla played 4 consecutive 5 set matches, winning the first three and then after leading two sets to love he lost the fourth one to Sébastien Grosjean
. In May Mantilla won the Internazionali d'Italia at the Foro Italico
in Rome, his last and biggest career title to date, defeating the favourite Roger Federer
7–5 6–2 7–6(8) and becoming the first unseeded player to win the event. Mantilla said about his game "I don't have the serve of Sampras or the volley of Rafter or the talent of Agassi, you know. I must be very focus every point. I must be strong mentally."
After 2003 Mantilla's career went into decline, with the onset of injuries to his Achilles tendon
and to his shoulder and the game moving at a speed that Mantilla's game could not keep up with. In 2004 he was involved in two more memorable matches in his defense of his TMS Rome title, Mantilla was down 7–5 5–0 against Robby Ginepri
and came back to win the next 13 games to win the match 5–7 7–5 6–0 and in the process he saved 5 match points. The other was a 5 set thriller at the French Open against Marat Safin
which he lost 6–4 2–6 6–2 6–7(4) 11–9, which he served for the match 3 times and was unsuccessful.
Mantilla's last match of 2005 was against Guillermo Coria
at the 2005 US Open and he did not play tennis due to shoulder problems until 2007. In 2006 it was discovered that Mantilla had skin cancer
from which he has recovered.
Mantilla returned to tennis in the 2007 Monza
Challenger and successfully qualified for the main draw winning his 3 qualification matches. In April 2007, Mantilla played his first ATP match since 2005 in Barcelona at the age of 32, where he lost in the second round to Carlos Moyá
.
In 2008 Mantilla was working part time with Wayne Odesnik
and now he
has been appointed by Tennis Australia as a coach to help Australian youngsters with their clay court game, he will move between Australia and Barcelona.
He is a fan of FC Barcelona
and also the Spanish actors Gabino Diego
, Coque Malla
and Juanjo Puigcorbé
He has a large collection of Spanish movies and enjoys reading.
Paris is one of this favourite cities.
"When I come to Rome I always feel like a gladiator in the Colosseum", Mantilla said repeatedly through his championship run. "The people enjoy watching me. I'm just running and fighting all the time."
Mantilla after he won TMS Rome. "I couldn't speak. The third (thank you) was to my other coach, that he was with me almost 11 years. His name is Jordi Vilaro. He was with me during my career. At one stage I said, 'I must change something because, you know, we know each other a lot.' I said, 'I need another motivation.' It was really hard to stop with him because he's my second father for me because he shows the way to me to humility and to humble, to be humble, and just to have respect for everybody. And that is very important for me just to remember the people who was with you always, no?"
About his style of game. "I think, first of all, that I am hungry again, you know. The last two years my mentality was not as good as now. And for me, when you play like me that you must be running all the day, I don't have the serve of Sampras or the volley of Rafter or the talent of Agassi, you know. I must be very focus every point. I must be strong mentally. I did a very good preparation in the last couple of months, and that's the key. If I am strong physically, I am strong mentally. And when I am like that, I'm dangerous."
Runner-ups (11)
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. In common with many of his fellow countrymen, Mantilla's best surface is clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. While not as successful away from the clay, Mantilla also produced good hardcourt
Hardcourt
Hardcourt or hard court describes a form of surface or floor on which a sport is played. It may refer to an indoor court made from a wood, or more specifically hardwood such as maple, as in basketball or indoor soccer. Alternatively, it may refer to outdoor materials such as asphalt, shale, or clay...
results. Mantilla's best stroke was his single-handed backhand and he was known for his baseline consistency from both sides, high endurance levels, and courage.
Tennis career
Mantilla began playing tennis at the age of ten and was a member of the winning Spanish Sunshine Cup team along with Albert CostaAlbert Costa
Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:...
in 1992.
Mantilla turned professional in 1993 playing Futures and Challenger events. In 1994 Mantilla won the Uruguay/Paraguay Satellite classification and was second in the Spanish satellite 2 and 4 events. He also played his first match on the ATP Tour
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, losing to compatriot Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
in 3 sets.
At the beginning of 1994 Mantilla was ranked 301st in the ATP Entry Rankings, but at the end of 1995 he had progressed to 84th and had a 10–5 record for the season. Mantilla made his first two finals that year losing in the Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
Challenger
ATP Challenger Series
The ATP Challenger Tour, known until the end of 2008 as the ATP Challenger Series, is a series of international men's professional tennis tournaments...
to Jiří Novák
Jirí Novák
Jiří Novák is a former Czech tennis player, who was born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia but resides nowadays in Monte Carlo, Monaco.-Career:Novák turned professional in 1993 and won 7 singles and 18 doubles titles during his career, winning $7,614,063 in prize money. For six years, he was the...
in 3 sets and following his first semi final appearance at the ATP level losing to Sjeng Schalken
Sjeng Schalken
Sjeng Schalken is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands.-Playing style:A right-handed baseliner with a single-handed backhand, Schalken's game is characterised by his consistency of both wings and his continental technique on both the forehand and backhand...
, it was followed up with his first final on the ATP Buenos Aires
ATP Buenos Aires
The ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,...
losing to Carlos Moyá in straight sets.
Mantilla's ranking had jumped up 66 places at the end of 1996 where he finished the year ranked 18th. He compiled a 48–27 record for the year mostly on the clay, and in the process won three Challenger titles, each of them without losing a set. This feat was achieved in Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
defeating Kris Goosens in the final. Mantilla followed the success with victories in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
over Karim Alami
Karim Alami
Karim Alami is a tennis player from Morocco, who turned professional in 1990. He represented his native country as a qualifier at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he was defeated in the first round by Switzerland's eventual winner Marc Rosset. The right-hander won two career titles in...
and later in the year in Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
over Lars Rehmann.
On the ATP main tour, Mantilla qualified for his first TMS event in Monte Carlo and defeated the two time Roland Garros
French Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
champion Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:...
before losing in the quarter finals to Albert Costa
Albert Costa
Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:...
. In the week before the French Open
French Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
, Mantilla reached his second final in St Pölten losing to Marcelo Ríos
Marcelo Ríos
Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No...
.
In his grand slam debut at the 1996 French Open
1996 French Open
List of the 1996 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Yevgeny Kafelnikov def. Michael Stich, 7–6, 7–5, 7–6*It was Kafelnikov's 3rd title of the year, and his 10th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.- Women's singles :...
, Mantilla defeated Dirk Dier and Àlex Corretja, eventually falling to the eventual champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002...
in straight sets. After this he went onto win his first ATP title in Oporto over Hernán Gumy
Hernan Gumy
Hernán Gumy is a former tennis player from Argentina, who turned professional in 1991. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the first round by Venezuela's Nicolas Pereira. Gumy made two finals in his career; both of them ATP...
, 6–7(5) 6–4 6–3. Mantilla proceeded to make two more finals in Gstaad
Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad
The Swiss Open is a tennis tournament held in Gstaad, Switzerland. Held since 1915, the tournament is played on outdoor clay courts...
and Umag
Croatia Open Umag
The ATP Studena Croatia Open is a tennis tournament held in Umag, Croatia that is part of the 250 series of the ATP Tour.The first Croatia Open was held in 1990 as the Yugoslavia Open and has been played every year since. It is played on red clay courts. Carlos Moyá has won the tournament a record...
where he lost to Albert Costa on both occasions. In total for 1996 Mantilla won three Challenger titles and his first title in Oporto and made three finals.
In 1997 Mantilla went a career best of 53–22 for the season. He achieved his best result at the 1997 Australian Open
1997 Australian Open
The 1997 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne in Victoria in Australia. It was the 85th edition of the Australian Open and was held from 13 through 26 January 1997.-Men's Singles:...
before falling to finalist Carlos Moyà
Carlos Moyá
Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland...
in the quarter finals. Mantilla made his first TMS final in Hamburg
Hamburg Masters
The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship...
, losing easily to Andriy Medvedev. He then won all his four singles matches as Spain won the World Team Cup
World Team Cup
The World Team Cup is the international team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals . The tournament has been contested annually since 1978 and is generally considered to be second most prestigious men's team competition in tennis after the Davis Cup.Every year, the eight nations...
.
After a disappointing second round exit to Magnus Larsson
Magnus Larsson
Per Henrik Magnus Larsson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.Larsson turned professional in 1989 and won his first top-level singles title at Florence in 1990. His first doubles title was also won in Florence, in 1991.Some of the most significant highlights of Larsson's career came...
at Roland Garros, Mantilla went on a hot streak and won four titles in his next five tournaments at ATP level and in between made the final of the Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
Challenger losing to Francisco Roig
Francisco Roig
Francisco Roig Genís is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He was primarily a doubles player, winning 9 ATP World Tour titles and reaching 12 more finals. He retired from the tour in 2001...
. Mantilla's run began at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
where defeated reigning French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000...
, then followed up with titles in Gstaad over Joan Albert Viloca
Joan Albert Viloca
Joan Albert Viloca Puig is a professional tennis player from Spain. He turned professional in 1992. His favourite surface is clay, surface on which he achieved his both ATP finals in his whole career, although both came in 1997.-Singles finalist :*1997: Gstaad, Austria .*1997: Mexico City, Mexico...
, in Umag over Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:...
and in San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
over Magnus Gustafsson
Magnus Gustafsson
Magnus Nils Gustafsson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.Gustafsson won 14 top-level singles titles during his career, reaching a career-high singles ranking of World No. 10 in 1991. He was also part of the Swedish team which won the Davis Cup in 1998...
. Mantilla won another title in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
over Carlos Moyà and finished the year ranked 16th.
In 1998 Mantilla after losing a bet with Luis Lobo
Luis Lobo
Luis Lobo is a professional male tennis player from Argentina, who won the gold medal in the men's doubles competition at the 1995 Pan American Games....
in Rome, in which he had to dye his hair blonde. Mantilla reached his highest ever ranking of number 10 on June 8 after reaching the semi finals at Roland Garros
1998 French Open
List of the 1998 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Carlos Moyá def. Àlex Corretja, 6–3, 7–5, 6–3*It was Moyá's 2nd title of the year, and his 5th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles:...
losing to Carlos Moyà and defeating Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list...
in the quarter final gaining revenge for his loss in Rome
Rome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
against the same opponent who when Mantilla was eating a banana at the change of ends, had taken the banana out of his hands and started to eat it himself, at the end of the match Mantilla did not shake hands with Muster. He defended his title in Bournemouth defeating Albert Costa and made two finals on hardcourt in Dubai
Dubai Tennis Championships
The Dubai Tennis Championships is a professional tennis tournament owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai, United Arab...
losing to Àlex Corretja and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
to Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
.
Mantilla won his only title for 1999 in Barcelona over Karim Alami
Karim Alami
Karim Alami is a tennis player from Morocco, who turned professional in 1990. He represented his native country as a qualifier at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he was defeated in the first round by Switzerland's eventual winner Marc Rosset. The right-hander won two career titles in...
. He defeated world number 1 Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
at Indian Wells
Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
on hardcourt and managed to repeat the feat defeating the then number 1 Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20...
in 2002 on hardcourt as well. Apart from his title he reached the semis of the TMS events in Monte Carlo and Rome losing to Gustavo Kuerten and to Pat Rafter respectively. Mantilla said that "Rafter's backhand was so slow it was like his mother hitting the ball".
Mantilla played his only Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
match for Spain in a promotion and relegation tie against New Zealand in New Zealand for the 2000 Davis Cup. The big stars at the time Àlex Corretja, Albert Costa did not want to travel to Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
for the tie. Mantilla defeated Mark Nielsen
Mark Nielsen
Mark Nielsen was a Connecticut state senator during the 1990s and later served as legal counsel and chief of staff to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney...
in 5 sets on a fast hardcourt to help Spain gain promotion to the World Group
Davis Cup structure
The Davis Cup tennis competition is structured around a number of groups, with promotion and relegation between them.At the top is the World Group, which competes in a knockout competition. Below that it becomes regional, with an American Zone, Euro/African Zone and Asia/Oceania Zone. Each of these...
along with Julián Alonso
Julian Alonso
Julián Alonso Pintor is a retired tennis player from Catalonia, Spain, who turned professional in 1996 and retired five years later....
, Francisco Clavet
Francisco Clavet
Francisco Javier Clavet González is a former tennis player from Spain.From 2009 he has been coaching his countryman Feliciano López.-Singles career titles:* 1990 - Hilversum* 1995 - Palermo* 1996 - Amsterdam...
and Joan Balcells
Joan Balcells
Joan Manel Balcells Fornaguera is a retired professional tennis player from Spain. He won one ATP Tour singles title in his career. Balcells played for the Spain Davis Cup team in 2000, winning the doubles rubber in the final against Australia...
of whom only Balcells competed in any of the winning ties in the winning campaign for the Spanish Davis Cup team in 2000.
Mantilla experienced the first of his shoulder problems and underwent surgery in 2000 and was sidelined for six months and did not return to tennis until January 2001. He won two consecutive Challengers in Espinho
Espinho, Portugal
Espinho is a city in Espinho Municipality in Portugal. It is a reputed beach resort and a zone of legal gambling with a casino - Casino Solverde. Its fair - Feira de Espinho, having been first organised in 1894, is well known in Portugal...
over Tommy Robredo
Tommy Robredo
Tommy Robredo Garcés is a Spanish professional tennis player. On 8 May 2006, he broke into the world's top ten for the first time. His highest singles ranking to date is No...
and Barletta defeating Markus Hipfl, this was followed up with a final in Estoril
Estoril
Estoril is a seaside resort and civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, Lisboa District. The Estoril coast is close to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It starts in Carcavelos, 15 kilometres from Lisbon, and stretches as far as Guincho, often known as Costa de Estoril-Sintra or...
losing to nemesis Juan Carlos Ferrero
Juan Carlos Ferrero
Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002...
as he did in all 8 of their matches. Later in the year he won Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
defeating David Nalbandian
David Nalbandian
David Pablo Nalbandian is an Argentine professional tennis player and former world no. 3. He was runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships and the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.-Biography:...
after saving nine match points for the second time in his career and winning in his semi final victory over Albert Portas
Albert Portas
Albert Portas Soy is a former professional tennis player.-Career:Portas turned professional in 1994...
, the first time was against Alberto Berasategui
Alberto Berasategui
Alberto Berasategui is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1994....
in the 1998 TMS Hamburg. Mantilla made two finals in 2002 in Doha
Qatar ExxonMobil Open
The Qatar Open, currently known as the Qatar ExxonMobil Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour...
and Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
on hardcourt losing to Younes El Aynaoui
Younes El Aynaoui
Younes El Aynaoui is a professional tennis player from Morocco.He is a five-time singles winner on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in 2003, at the age of 31. His long career has been plagued by injuries and he did not play competitive tennis between September...
and Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski
Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33...
respectively.
At the 2003 Australian Open
2003 Australian Open
The 2003 Australian Open was a tennis tournament held in 2003. It was the first Grand Slam event of the 2003 ATP Tour and the 2003 WTA Tour. It was the 91st edition of the event.-Men's Singles: Andre Agassi def...
Mantilla played 4 consecutive 5 set matches, winning the first three and then after leading two sets to love he lost the fourth one to Sébastien Grosjean
Sébastien Grosjean
Sébastien René Grosjean is a retired tennis player from France. His career-high ATP Entry ranking is No. 4 . He retired from tennis on May 27, 2010.-Career:...
. In May Mantilla won the Internazionali d'Italia at the Foro Italico
Foro Italico
Foro Italico is a sports complex in Rome, Italy. It was built between 1928 and 1938 as the Foro Mussolini under the design of Enrico Del Debbio and, later, Luigi Moretti...
in Rome, his last and biggest career title to date, defeating the favourite Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
7–5 6–2 7–6(8) and becoming the first unseeded player to win the event. Mantilla said about his game "I don't have the serve of Sampras or the volley of Rafter or the talent of Agassi, you know. I must be very focus every point. I must be strong mentally."
After 2003 Mantilla's career went into decline, with the onset of injuries to his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
and to his shoulder and the game moving at a speed that Mantilla's game could not keep up with. In 2004 he was involved in two more memorable matches in his defense of his TMS Rome title, Mantilla was down 7–5 5–0 against Robby Ginepri
Robby Ginepri
Robert Louis Ginepri is an American professional tennis player.-Early life:Robby Ginepri is of Luxembourgish ancestry....
and came back to win the next 13 games to win the match 5–7 7–5 6–0 and in the process he saved 5 match points. The other was a 5 set thriller at the French Open against Marat Safin
Marat Safin
Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken...
which he lost 6–4 2–6 6–2 6–7(4) 11–9, which he served for the match 3 times and was unsuccessful.
Mantilla's last match of 2005 was against Guillermo Coria
Guillermo Coria
Guillermo Sebastián Coria , nicknames include El Mago , is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina who was runner-up in the 2004 French Open...
at the 2005 US Open and he did not play tennis due to shoulder problems until 2007. In 2006 it was discovered that Mantilla had skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
from which he has recovered.
Mantilla returned to tennis in the 2007 Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
Challenger and successfully qualified for the main draw winning his 3 qualification matches. In April 2007, Mantilla played his first ATP match since 2005 in Barcelona at the age of 32, where he lost in the second round to Carlos Moyá
Carlos Moyá
Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland...
.
In 2008 Mantilla was working part time with Wayne Odesnik
Wayne Odesnik
Wayne Odesnik is a professional left-handed American tennis player, with a two-handed backhand.His career-high in singles was # 77, as of April 13, 2009...
and now he
has been appointed by Tennis Australia as a coach to help Australian youngsters with their clay court game, he will move between Australia and Barcelona.
Personal and quotes
Both of Mantilla's parents are schoolteachers.He is a fan of FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and also the Spanish actors Gabino Diego
Gabino Diego
Gabino Diego is a Spanish actor, born on 18 September 1966 in Madrid. He was educated at Runnymede College, in Madrid.His credits include: ¡Ay Carmela! and Belle Époque.-Awards:*Goya Awards**1999 - Nominated - Best Actor for La hora de los valientes...
, Coque Malla
Coque Malla
Coque Malla is a Spanish musician and actor, frontman of the group Los Ronaldos. He was born in Madrid in 1969. He starred in the film Todo es mentira with Penélope Cruz-References:...
and Juanjo Puigcorbé
Juanjo Puigcorbé
Juanjo Puigcorbé is a Spanish actor. He has appeared in over 100 films and television shows since 1977. He starred in the 1993 film The Window Over the Way, which was entered into the 44th Berlin International Film Festival....
He has a large collection of Spanish movies and enjoys reading.
Paris is one of this favourite cities.
"When I come to Rome I always feel like a gladiator in the Colosseum", Mantilla said repeatedly through his championship run. "The people enjoy watching me. I'm just running and fighting all the time."
Mantilla after he won TMS Rome. "I couldn't speak. The third (thank you) was to my other coach, that he was with me almost 11 years. His name is Jordi Vilaro. He was with me during my career. At one stage I said, 'I must change something because, you know, we know each other a lot.' I said, 'I need another motivation.' It was really hard to stop with him because he's my second father for me because he shows the way to me to humility and to humble, to be humble, and just to have respect for everybody. And that is very important for me just to remember the people who was with you always, no?"
About his style of game. "I think, first of all, that I am hungry again, you know. The last two years my mentality was not as good as now. And for me, when you play like me that you must be running all the day, I don't have the serve of Sampras or the volley of Rafter or the talent of Agassi, you know. I must be very focus every point. I must be strong mentally. I did a very good preparation in the last couple of months, and that's the key. If I am strong physically, I am strong mentally. And when I am like that, I'm dangerous."
Singles: 21 (10–11)
Wins (10)| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (1) |
| ATP Championship Series (1) |
| ATP Tour (8) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| 1. | 10 June 1996 |  OportoATP Oporto The Oporto Open is a defunct ATP Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1995 to 1996. It was held in Porto in Portugal and was played on outdoor clay courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:*... |
Clay |  Hernán GumyHernan Gumy Hernán Gumy is a former tennis player from Argentina, who turned professional in 1991. He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the first round by Venezuela's Nicolas Pereira. Gumy made two finals in his career; both of them ATP... |
6–7(5) 6–4 6–3 |
| 2. | 9 June 1997 |  BolognaATP Bologna Outdoor The Bologna Outdoor is a defunct Grand Prix and ATP affiliated tennis tournament played from 1985 to 1998. It was held in Bologna in Italy and held on outdoor clay courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:*... |
Clay |  Gustavo KuertenGustavo Kuerten Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000... |
4–6 6–2 6–1 |
| 3. | 7 July 1997 |  Gstaad |
Clay |  Juan Albert Viloca |
6–1 6–4 6–4 |
| 4. | 21 July 1997 |  Umag |
Clay | Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... |
6–3 7–5 |
| 5. | 4 August 1997 |  San MarinoSan Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
Clay |  Magnus GustafssonMagnus Gustafsson Magnus Nils Gustafsson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.Gustafsson won 14 top-level singles titles during his career, reaching a career-high singles ranking of World No. 10 in 1991. He was also part of the Swedish team which won the Davis Cup in 1998... |
6–4 6–1 |
| 6. | 8 September 1997 |  BournemouthBrighton International The Brighton International was a tennis tournament held in Brighton, UK. It was a WTA Tour event from 1978-1995 and an ATP Tour event from 1996-2000, upon the discontinuation of the women's tournament. The women's event was held in October.... |
Clay | Carlos Moyà Carlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... |
6–2 6–2 |
| 7. | 14 September 1998 | Bournemouth |
Clay | Albert Costa Albert Costa Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:... |
6–3 7–5 |
| 8. | 12 April 1999 | Barcelona Torneo Godó The Barcelona Open also known as Torneo Godó, Trofeo Conde de Godó, Open Banco Sabadell, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players. The event has been held annually in Barcelona, Spain since 1953, and is played on clay courts. Originally an event of the Grand Prix tennis circuit... |
Clay |  Karim AlamiKarim Alami Karim Alami is a tennis player from Morocco, who turned professional in 1990. He represented his native country as a qualifier at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he was defeated in the first round by Switzerland's eventual winner Marc Rosset. The right-hander won two career titles in... |
7–6(2) 6–3 6–3 |
| 9. | 24 September 2001 | Palermo Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia The Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia was a tennis tournament held annually in Palermo in Italy. Held from 1935 until 2006, the tournament was played on outdoor clay courts and was a part of the ATP Tour schedule from 1979 to 2006.-Singles:-Doubles:... |
Clay | David Nalbandian David Nalbandian David Pablo Nalbandian is an Argentine professional tennis player and former world no. 3. He was runner-up at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships and the winner of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.-Biography:... |
7–6(2) 6–4 |
| 10. | 5 May 2003 | Rome Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... |
Clay | Roger Federer Roger Federer Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles... |
7–5 6–2 7–6(8) |
Runner-ups (11)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (1) |
| ATP Championship Series (1) |
| ATP Tour (8) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| 1. | 13 November 1995 | Buenos Aires ATP Buenos Aires The ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,... |
Clay | Carlos Moyá Carlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... |
6–0, 6-3 |
| 2. | 1996 |  St. PöltenHypo Group Tennis International The Hypo Group Tennis International was an annual tennis tournament held in Pörtschach, Austria. The event was part of the ATP Tour's ATP International Series. The tournament had been held since 1981, on clay courts.-List of singles winners:... |
Clay |  Marcelo RíosMarcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... |
6–2 6–4 |
| 3. | 1996 | Gstaad Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad The Swiss Open is a tennis tournament held in Gstaad, Switzerland. Held since 1915, the tournament is played on outdoor clay courts... |
Clay | Albert Costa Albert Costa Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:... |
4–6, 7–6(2), 6–1, 6–0 |
| 4. | 1996 | San Marino |
Clay | Albert Costa Albert Costa Albert Costa i Casals is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 2002.-Tennis career:... |
7–6(7), 6–3 |
| 5. | 1996 | Umag Croatia Open Umag The ATP Studena Croatia Open is a tennis tournament held in Umag, Croatia that is part of the 250 series of the ATP Tour.The first Croatia Open was held in 1990 as the Yugoslavia Open and has been played every year since. It is played on red clay courts. Carlos Moyá has won the tournament a record... |
Clay | Carlos Moyá Carlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... |
6–0, 7–6 |
| 6. | 12 May 1997 |  Hamburg |
Clay |  Andrei MedvedevAndrei Medvedev Andriy Medvedev , is a former professional tennis player from Ukraine. Medvedev made a splash on the international tennis scene when, as a 17-year-old, he won titles in Genoa and Stuttgart... |
6–0, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 7. | 1998 |  DubaiDubai Tennis Championships The Dubai Tennis Championships is a professional tennis tournament owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai, United Arab... |
Hard | Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... |
7–6(0), 6–1 |
| 8. | 1998 |  Long Island |
Hard | Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... |
7–6(3), 6–2 |
| 9. | 15 April 2001 | Estoril Estoril Open The Estoril Open is an ATP and WTA clay court tournament held in Jamor, Oeiras, Portugal . The men's tournament was created in 1990 and since its inception, every champion except 2004 champion Juan Ignacio Chela and 2009–2010 champion Albert Montañés has been in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings,... |
Clay | Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... |
7–6(3), 4–6, 6–3 |
| 10. | 06 January 2002 |  Doha |
Hard | Younes El Aynaoui Younes El Aynaoui Younes El Aynaoui is a professional tennis player from Morocco.He is a five-time singles winner on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in 2003, at the age of 31. His long career has been plagued by injuries and he did not play competitive tennis between September... |
4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 11. | 18 August 2002 | Indianapolis Atlanta Tennis Championships The Atlanta Tennis Championships is an annual men's tennis tournament that is now played at the Atlanta Athletic Club in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek, Georgia as part of the ATP Tour.... |
Hard |  Greg RusedskiGreg Rusedski Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33... |
6–7, 6–4, 6–4 |