Martín Jaite
Encyclopedia
Martín Jaite is an Argentine
right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis
player.
Jaite's ATP
highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.
Jaite's playing style leveraged his consistency, speed, thoughtful use of tactics, and fitness to compensate for his lack of power. His best surface was clay, which allowed him to hit the ball deep to either side of the court, and gave him more time to use his defensive skills. Jaite's best shot was his topspin single-handed backhand, which was difficult for his opponent to attack.
and Argentina as a child, Jaite was a top junior in both countries. He won the Spanish National championships, and was offered a try-out on the Argentine Davis Cup
team, but declined at first because he didn't want to offend Spain. He finally joined the team, but lost to Jimmy Connors
when the Argentinians faced the United States.
In 1983, Jaite joined the ATP tour and quickly moved up the world rankings; from # 826 in 1982 to # 156 in 1983 to # 54 in 1984. The following year, he won his first ATP tour title and was ranked in the world's top 20, where he remained for the next few years.
In 1985, Jaite also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, his best Grand Slam
result.
In May 1986 at Forest Hills Jaite defeated world # 4 Boris Becker
, 6–2, 7–6.
In May 1987 Jaite beat world # 9 Henri Leconte
, 7–6, 7–6, in Germany. In September 1987 Jaite upset world # 3 Mats Wilander
, 7–6, 6–4, 4–6, 0–6, 6–4, to win a competition in Bacelona, Spain.
In April 1989 he upset world # 8 Jakob Hlasek
, 6–4, 6–1, in Monte Carlo.
Jaite became only the sixth South American to be ranked in the top 10 in the ATP computer rankings, reaching # 10 in 1990. In May 1990 he defeated world # 2 Stefan Edberg
, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, in Germany.
Jaite defeated world # 4 Guy Forget
6–2, 6–2, in April 1991 in France, and then again in July, 7–6(5), 7–5, in Gstaad
, Switzerland.
in Seoul
, but lost to Brad Gilbert
, the eventual bronze medal
winner.
play, 11–7 in singles on clay, between 1984 and 1999 http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10000651.
Jaite was involved in a Davis Cup tie against the U.S. in Buenos Aires
when Andre Agassi
was leading 6–2, 6–2, 5–0. Jaite was leading 40–0 in the 6th game of the 3rd set, and missed his first serve. Agassi then called out to his then-coach Nick Bollettieri
, "hey watch this, and then followed by catching the second serve in his left hand to give Jaite the game. Viewed as an act of disrepect, Agassi was booed by the crowd for five minutes.http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=2562959
, the Buenos Aires
Challenger, and director of Futures events in Argentina. From July 2007 till December 2008 Jaite was coaching David Nalbandian
, and helped lead him to titles in Madrid
and Bercy
, where he became the first man to defeat the top two players in the world, Roger Federer
and Rafael Nadal
, in consecutive tournaments.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player.
Jaite's ATP
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...
highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.
Jaite's playing style leveraged his consistency, speed, thoughtful use of tactics, and fitness to compensate for his lack of power. His best surface was clay, which allowed him to hit the ball deep to either side of the court, and gave him more time to use his defensive skills. Jaite's best shot was his topspin single-handed backhand, which was difficult for his opponent to attack.
Tennis career
While moving back and forth between BarcelonaBarcelona
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...
and Argentina as a child, Jaite was a top junior in both countries. He won the Spanish National championships, and was offered a try-out on the Argentine 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...
team, but declined at first because he didn't want to offend Spain. He finally joined the team, but lost to Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
when the Argentinians faced the United States.
In 1983, Jaite joined the ATP tour and quickly moved up the world rankings; from # 826 in 1982 to # 156 in 1983 to # 54 in 1984. The following year, he won his first ATP tour title and was ranked in the world's top 20, where he remained for the next few years.
In 1985, Jaite also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, his best Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
result.
In May 1986 at Forest Hills Jaite defeated world # 4 Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, 6–2, 7–6.
In May 1987 Jaite beat world # 9 Henri Leconte
Henri Leconte
Henri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Biography and career:...
, 7–6, 7–6, in Germany. In September 1987 Jaite upset world # 3 Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
, 7–6, 6–4, 4–6, 0–6, 6–4, to win a competition in Bacelona, Spain.
In April 1989 he upset world # 8 Jakob Hlasek
Jakob Hlasek
Jakob Hlasek is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland.-Career:The major highlights of Hlasek's career came in 1992. He won the French Open men's doubles title that year...
, 6–4, 6–1, in Monte Carlo.
Jaite became only the sixth South American to be ranked in the top 10 in the ATP computer rankings, reaching # 10 in 1990. In May 1990 he defeated world # 2 Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, in Germany.
Jaite defeated world # 4 Guy Forget
Guy Forget
Guy Forget is a former French professional tennis player. During his career, he helped France win the Davis Cup in both 1991 and 1996. Since retiring as a player, he has served as France's Davis Cup team captain.-Career:...
6–2, 6–2, in April 1991 in France, and then again in July, 7–6(5), 7–5, in Gstaad
Gstaad
Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Part of the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world....
, Switzerland.
Olympics
He participated for his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, but lost to Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
, the eventual bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
winner.
Davis Cup
Jaite was 14–20 in Davis CupDavis 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...
play, 11–7 in singles on clay, between 1984 and 1999 http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10000651.
Jaite was involved in a Davis Cup tie against the U.S. in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
when Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
was leading 6–2, 6–2, 5–0. Jaite was leading 40–0 in the 6th game of the 3rd set, and missed his first serve. Agassi then called out to his then-coach Nick Bollettieri
Nick Bollettieri
Nicholas James Bollettieri is an American tennis coach who is credited with developing many world-class champions, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Mary Pierce. Recently, he has worked with 2006 U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova, Jelena Janković, Nicole Vaidišová and Sabine...
, "hey watch this, and then followed by catching the second serve in his left hand to give Jaite the game. Viewed as an act of disrepect, Agassi was booed by the crowd for five minutes.http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=2562959
After tennis
Jaite has had an important role in Argentine tennis since his retirement. He is the tournmament director for ATP Buenos AiresATP 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,...
, the Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
Challenger, and director of Futures events in Argentina. From July 2007 till December 2008 Jaite was coaching 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:...
, and helped lead him to titles in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Bercy
Bercy
Bercy is a neighborhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It is the city's 47th administrative neighborhood. -History:Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late Neolithic . The name of Bercy, or Bercix, appeared for the...
, where he became the first man to defeat the top two players in the world, 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...
and Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
, in consecutive tournaments.
Career titles (12)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (12) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| 1. | 1985 |  Buenos AiresBuenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... |
Clay |  Diego PérezDiego Pérez (tennis) Diego Pérez is a retired professional tennis player from Uruguay. Pérez turned pro in 1981, and won one ATP Tour singles and three doubles titles in his career, which lasted until 1996... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 2. | 1986 |  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 | Paolo Canè Paolo Canè Paolo Canè is a former tennis player from Italy.Canè turned professional in 1983. During his career, he won three top-level singles titles . He also won three tour doubles titles .Canè's career-high rankings were World No... |
6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 3. | 1986 |  StuttgartMercedes Cup The Mercedes Cup is an ATP World Tour 250 series tennis tournament on the ATP Tour. Held since 1916 in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes Cup is played on clay courts... |
Clay |  Jonas SvenssonJonas Svensson Jonas Svensson is a former professional tennis player from Sweden.During his career, Svensson was a French Open semi-finalist twice both times as unseeded player.... |
7–5, 6–2 |
| 4. | 1987 |  Barcelona |
Clay | Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... |
7–6(5), 6–4, 4–6, 0–6, 6–4 |
| 5. | 1987 | 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 |  Karel NováčekKarel Novácek Karel Nováček is a retired Czech former top ten tennis player. Born in Prostějov, Czechoslovakia . Nováček now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, United States.... |
7–6(5), 6–7(7), 6–4 |
| 6. | 1989 | Stuttgart Mercedes Cup The Mercedes Cup is an ATP World Tour 250 series tennis tournament on the ATP Tour. Held since 1916 in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes Cup is played on clay courts... |
Clay |  Goran PrpićGoran Prpic Goran Prpić is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. He played also for, then, Yugoslavia, prior to 1991.... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 7. | 1989 | Madrid Madrid Tennis Grand Prix The Madrid Tennis Grand Prix is a defunct professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit initially and later, the ATP World Series of the ATP Tour. The tournament was established in 1972 and was played every year until... |
Clay | Jordi Arrese Jordi Arrese Jordi Arrese i Castañé is a former professional tennis player from Spain.Born in Barcelona, Arrese won the men's singles Silver Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in his home-town of Barcelona... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 8. | 1989 |  São PauloSão Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among... |
Clay | Javier Sánchez Javier Sánchez Javier Sánchez Vicario is a former professional tennis player from Spain.Sánchez won the US Open junior title in 1986, and then turned professional. He won his first professional doubles titles in 1987. His first top-level singles title came in 1988 at Buenos Aires. During his career he won a... |
7–6(5), 6–3 |
| 9. | 1989 | Itaparica ATP Itaparica Known by various names, this is a defunct men's tennis tournament that was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit from 1986 to 1989 and the ATP Tour in 1990. The event was held in Itaparica, Brazil and was played on outdoor hard courts.... |
Hard |  Jay BergerJay Berger Jay Berger is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990.... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 10. | 1990 | Guarujá ATP Guarujá The Guarujá Open was a men's tennis tournament held in Guarujá, Brazil.The tournament was originally part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit, it was played on a carpet surface in its introductory year of 1981 before switching to clay courts in 1982 until its last year in 1992... |
Hard |  Luiz MattarLuiz Mattar Luiz Mattar is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. He played on the professional tour from 1986–1995, during which time he won seven top-level singles titles and five tour doubles titles. His career-high rankings were World No. 29 in singles , and World No. 55 in doubles... |
3–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 11. | 1990 |  GstaadAllianz 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 | 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, 6–7(5), 6–2, 6–2 |
| 12. | 1991 |  NiceATP Nice The ATP Nice Open is an ATP World Tour 250 series and, formerly, Grand Prix tennis circuit affiliated men's tennis tournament... |
Clay | Goran Prpić Goran Prpic Goran Prpić is a former professional tennis player from Croatia. He played also for, then, Yugoslavia, prior to 1991.... |
3–6, 7–6(1), 6–3 |