Wayne Odesnik
Encyclopedia
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. Among his biggest upsets were a 2007 win over world # 11 Ivan Ljubičić
, and a 2009 win against world # 36 Igor Kunitsyn
.
Odesnik won his first Futures title in 2003, and has won a combined 9 singles titles in Challenger and Future ITF Men's Circuit
events. He resides in Weston, Florida
, in the United States.
In 2001 he won the singles title at the El Paso
Youth Tennis Centre ITF Tournament, was a semifinalist in both singles and doubles (with Jarrett Chirico) at the USTA Junior International Hard Court Championships, finished in third place in singles and doubles (with Chirico) at the boys’ 16 USTA Super National Hard Court Championships, and was a boys’ 16 singles semifinalist at the USTA Super National Clay Court Championships. He also won the Curaçao
Junior Open, and won the doubles title (with Chirico) and at the USTA Super National Spring Championships – The Easter Bowl.
in 2003, winning the first over Jacob Adaktusson in the final, and the next against Juan Mónaco
in the final. He finished his 2003 season ranked # 446 for singles.
2004 saw Odesnik make three Futures finals late in the season, losing at first to Horia Tecău
, then making the second final and again losing to Tecău, then losing in his third final to Brendan Evans. He also participated in the 2004 U.S. Open, after receiving a wildcard entry into the main draw. He lost to David Sánchez 4–6, 7–6 (7), 6–2, 6–3. Odesnik reached one Futures doubles final partnering with Zack Fleishman
, but lost in the final to Tecău (this time in doubles) and Alex Kuznetsov
.
and David Martin
. In 2005 singles play, Odesnik won two finals out of five in Futures play, ending the year with a 10-match winning streak. He won two straight titles in tournaments entered, in Honolulu and Waikoloa, Hawaii. He beat Lipsky in the first final, and then beat Sam Querrey
a week later on his 20th birthday. He also participated in an ATP Masters Series
event, at the Indian Wells Masters
, losing in the first round to Fernando Verdasco
. He wound up 2005 with a 10-match winning streak and ranked 265 for singles, 1,091 for doubles.
at the 2005 U.S. Open. He beat Scott Oudsema 6–2, 6–2, in his first title of the Futures year in Little Rock, Arkansas
, as he did not drop a set in any of his matches, then Harsh Mankad
in Mobile, Alabama
2–6, 6–3, 6–4, to win a title the following week, and then won the Milan
Challenger title over bronze Olympic medalist
Arnaud di Pasquale
in three sets in the final. On April 4, 2006, he was named USTA Circuit Player of the Week. He ended 2006 ranked 194 for singles, and 780 for doubles.
, where he lost to Mischa Zverev
. He went on to make the third round of a major-level event, beating world # 59 Juan Martín del Potro
en route, 3–6, 7–6 (10,) 6–3. He then lost to John Isner
in three tiebreak sets, 7–6 (4), 6–7 (3), 6–7 (2).
At the August 2007 Rogers Masters, Odesnik had an amazing run. In qualifying, ranked # 182, he defeated Jan Hernych
. He went on to the main draw of the ATP Masters Series Canada, and upset world # 11 Ivan Ljubičić
in three sets, 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 (5), before going down to # 91 Frank Dancevic
.
At the 2007 U.S. Open
, Odesnik beat Danai Udomchoke
of Thailand
7–5 in the fifth set to reach the second round. He then lost there to eventual quarterfinalist Juan Ignacio Chela
.
In October in Sacramento, California
, he beat Yen-Hsun Lu, ranked # 99 at the time, in the finals, 6–2, 6–3. Later that month in Busan, Korea, he again defeated Lu, now ranked # 87, 7–6 (5), 2–6, 6–1, before losing in the quarterfinals.
The USTA asked Odesnik and two other young American men to play off in a round-robin
format December 18–20 for a wild-card
berth in the Australian Open
that the organization received in a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia
. The other players selected based on age (22 and under) and ranking (top 200) to compete in Boca Raton, Florida
, were Jesse Levine
and Alex Kuznetsov
. Levine won the wild card, defeating Odesnik 6–4, 6–0.
Odesnik was 4–3 for the year in ATP play, and 26–17 on the Challenger circuit. He ended 2007 ranked # 126 for singles, and # 553 for doubles.
, Odesnik defeated Donald Young, ranked # 100 in the world, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4. In April at the International Series in Houston, Texas, he beat world # 60 Dudi Sela
of Israel 6–3, 7–5, and world # 76 Sergio Roitman
of Argentina 2–6, 7–6(4), 6–1. At the World Team Championship
in Germany in May he beat world # 64 Ivo Minář
, 6–2, 6–1, and in doubles he and partner James Blake
beat Lucas Arnold (world # 129) and Sebastián Prieto
(# 36) 6–3, 6–7 (5), 10–7, and Czechs Tomáš Berdych
(# 115) and Pavel Vízner
(# 5), 0–6, 7–5, 10–8. That led to him that month receiving his then-highest-career ranking of # 393 later that month.
In early 2008 Odesnik was being coached by Félix Mantilla
, the Spanish clay-court specialist and 1998 French Open
semifinalist, who reached # 10 in the world.
At the French Open
in May, he beat world # 31 Guillermo Cañas
7–6(6), 7–6 (3), 7–6(8) in a very tight three-hour and 46-minute match that got him to round 2 of the grand slam. "I was just trying not to put [Cañas] on a pedestal in my mind", said Odesnik. He hit twice as many forehand winners (33) as Cañas, and rushed the net 39 times, converting on 30 of those opportunities. He then beat world # 52 Hyung-Taik Lee 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 in the next round.
At Wimbledon he arrived on court against 24th seed Jarkko Nieminen
with heavy strapping on his thigh, and succumbed to injury after losing the opening set 6–3. Odesnik underwent rehab on an injured abductor muscle in his left hip; a small tear in his groin
that he had suffered in a tournament in Poland.
In August he beat world # 91 Bobby Reynolds
4–6, 6–1, 6–4, in Los Angeles, world # 70 Sébastien Grosjean
7–5, 6–4 in New Haven, and at the US Open world # 83 Fabio Fognini
2–6, 6–0, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 in New York. In November Odesnik beat world # 82 Diego Junqueira
2–6, 6–3, 6–4 in Ecuador. He ended 2008 ranked # 119 for singles, and # 558 for doubles.
, beating world # 82 Vincent Spadea in the semifinals, 6–2, 6–3, to move up to # 98 in the world rankings. Seeded fourth, Odesnik dropped only one set in five tournament matches—to fifth-seeded Jesse Levine
in the quarterfinals, which he won 7–6 (6), 6–7 (4), 6–4, in a match that took over three hours.
In April at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
in Houston, Texas
at River Oaks Country Club
, Odesnik defeated third-seeded world # 31 Jürgen Melzer
of Austria 6–4, 6–0 (winning 94% of his second-serve points), beat fellow American John Isner
in a 7–5, 3–6, 7–6 (5) in a 2:37 quarterfinal marathon,http://www.mensclaycourt.com/ and defeated world # 77 Björn Phau
of Germany, 6–4, 6–3, in the semifinals to reach his first ATP World Tour final, in which he lost to Lleyton Hewitt
, 2–6, 5–7. Following the tournament, he received his then-career-best world ranking of # 77.
As of April 11, in 14 ATP World Tour clay-court matches he had the best winning percentage among Americans on clay; 0.714, to world # 6 Andy Roddick
's 0.663.
At the 2009 French Open
Odesnik lost 3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 in three hours and 43 minutes on the main Court Philippe Chatrier to the world's # 7 player, hometown favorite Gilles Simon
.
At Wimbledon Odesnik lost his first round match to 30th-ranked Jürgen Melzer 1–6, 4–6, 2–6. Odesnik was hampered by a groin strain, and called a trainer onto the court. The match generated some media attention as a consequence of the patterns of pre-match betting on the result, with the online betting exchange Betfair
reporting that unusually large sums for a low-profile match were wagered on the straight sets scoreline, but Betfair indicated that it did not suspect any wrongdoing, and that betting accelerated after a TV announcer noted shortly before the match that Odesnik had a thigh injury.
At the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships
in July, Odesnik beat fourth-seeded, world # 36 Igor Kunitsyn
of Russia 2–6, 6–1, 6–1.
, a warm-up event for the Australian Open
. He was fined 7,000 USD, and faces a multi-year banishment from professional tennis.
On April 19, Odesnik agreed to a voluntary suspension from the tour while awaiting a hearing by an independent tribunal, which is expected to take place around June 2010. In the mean time, Odesnik is free to return to the tour at any time.
On May 19, 2010, Odesnik was banned—initially for two years, but later commuted to one year, two months after pleading guilty to importing human growth hormone into Australia.http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/06/2002942/westons-odesnik-is-back-on-tour.html The suspension was dated to Dec. 29, 2009. As part of the ban, his results since December 29 were erased and he was required to forfeit his ranking points and prize money. Odesnik was ranked No. 114 and had earned more than $90,000 in prize money in 2010.
While he appears to have great natural intensity, Odesnik said in 2008 that he was striving for even greater mental toughness through sessions with a sports psychologist. In 2009 he was also working with fitness trainer Mikhail Zanko, and coached by Grant Doyle.
, Dudi Sela
, Sergio Roitman
, and Shahar Pe'er
is one of a number of young Jewish tennis players who are highly ranked.
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
American 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, with a two-handed backhand
Backhand
The backhand is a tennis shot in which one swings the racquet around one's body in the direction where one wants the ball to go, usually performed from the baseline or as an approach shot. The term is also used in other racquet sports, and other areas where a similar motion is employed...
.
His career-high in singles was # 77, as of April 13, 2009. Among his biggest upsets were a 2007 win over world # 11 Ivan Ljubičić
Ivan Ljubicic
----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37....
, and a 2009 win against world # 36 Igor Kunitsyn
Igor Kunitsyn
Igor Kunitsyn is a professional male tennis player from Russia. He made it into the top 100 for the first time in 2006, and reached a career-high singles ranking of 35 on July 6, 2009.-Early life:...
.
Odesnik won his first Futures title in 2003, and has won a combined 9 singles titles in Challenger and Future ITF Men's Circuit
ITF Men's Circuit
The ITF Men's Circuit is a series of professional tennis tournaments held around the world that are organized by the International Tennis Federation. The ITF Men's Circuit represents the lowest rung of the men's professional tennis ladder...
events. He resides in Weston, Florida
Weston, Florida
Weston is a suburb of South Florida located in Broward County, Florida, USA. Established as a city in 1996, much of the community was developed by Arvida/JMB Realty and is located near the western developmental boundary of Broward County. It is the most western city in Broward County, and its...
, in the United States.
Early life
Odesnik and his family emigrated from South Africa to the United States when he was age 3, and he became an American citizen. His father, Harold, is a jeweler who owns a store in Aventura, just north of Miami, Florida, and his mother, Janice, is a former South African competitive gymnast who is now a computer coordinator. His grandmother, Sylvia, was a professional ice skater.Tennis career
Odesnik was introduced to tennis at age 7 by his grandmother, and his first tennis club was the Jewish Community Center in North Miami Beach, Florida.Junior career (2000–01)
In 2000 Odesnik lost in the finals in singles at the Easter Bowl.In 2001 he won the singles title at the El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
Youth Tennis Centre ITF Tournament, was a semifinalist in both singles and doubles (with Jarrett Chirico) at the USTA Junior International Hard Court Championships, finished in third place in singles and doubles (with Chirico) at the boys’ 16 USTA Super National Hard Court Championships, and was a boys’ 16 singles semifinalist at the USTA Super National Clay Court Championships. He also won the Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
Junior Open, and won the doubles title (with Chirico) and at the USTA Super National Spring Championships – The Easter Bowl.
Professional career; 2001–04
Odesnik first competed professionally in 2001, playing only one match. He didn't win anything in 2002, but did go on to win two futures events in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 2003, winning the first over Jacob Adaktusson in the final, and the next against Juan Mónaco
Juan Mónaco
Juan Mónaco , nicknamed "Pico", is a male tennis player from Argentina. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 14 on February 4, 2008. He is sponsored by Adidas and Yonex.-Biography:...
in the final. He finished his 2003 season ranked # 446 for singles.
2004 saw Odesnik make three Futures finals late in the season, losing at first to Horia Tecău
Horia Tecau
Horia Tecău is a Romanian tennis player who turned pro in 2003, and is a doubles specialist. Tecău is currently ranked 9th in ATP's doubles ranking, being also his highest doubles ranking achieved on August 8, 2011....
, then making the second final and again losing to Tecău, then losing in his third final to Brendan Evans. He also participated in the 2004 U.S. Open, after receiving a wildcard entry into the main draw. He lost to David Sánchez 4–6, 7–6 (7), 6–2, 6–3. Odesnik reached one Futures doubles final partnering with Zack Fleishman
Zack Fleishman
Zachary Rodin "Zack" Fleishman is a right-handed professional tennis player from the United States.-Tennis career:Fleishman began playing tennis at the age of 8....
, but lost in the final to Tecău (this time in doubles) and Alex Kuznetsov
Alex Kuznetsov
----Alex Kuznetsov is an American tennis player, accomplished in junior tennis. He moved from Ukraine to the US when he was 3 years old...
.
2005
Odesnik reached one Futures doubles final with Josh Goffi, but lost to Scott LipskyScott Lipsky
Scott Lipsky is a professional tennis player from the United States. He is primarily a doubles specialist....
and David Martin
David Martin (tennis)
David Martin is a professional American tennis player.He teamed with Scott Lipsky to win his first ATP doubles title in February 2008 at the SAP Open in San Jose, California, defeating the number one ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan.-Tennis career:Before attending Stanford, David was a US...
. In 2005 singles play, Odesnik won two finals out of five in Futures play, ending the year with a 10-match winning streak. He won two straight titles in tournaments entered, in Honolulu and Waikoloa, Hawaii. He beat Lipsky in the first final, and then beat Sam Querrey
Sam Querrey
Sam Austin Querrey is a professional American tennis player from Thousand Oaks, California currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of August 2010, he is the fourth-highest ranked American. His career high rank was #17, achieved on January 31, 2011. His height allows him to play with a strong...
a week later on his 20th birthday. He also participated in an ATP Masters Series
ATP Masters Series
The ATP Masters Series was a series of nine tennis tournaments that formed part of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America...
event, at the Indian Wells Masters
Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
, losing in the first round to Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco Carmona is a professional tennis player. He is currently ranked no. 22 in the world. Verdasco started playing tennis at four years of age and had a full-time coach when he was eight...
. He wound up 2005 with a 10-match winning streak and ranked 265 for singles, 1,091 for doubles.
2006
In 2006 Odesnik won three singles titles on the Futures circuit. He lost in straight sets to Raemon SluiterRaemon Sluiter
Raemon Sluiter is a professional male tennis player from the Netherlands. His career-high Association of Tennis Professionals Entry ranking is Number 46...
at the 2005 U.S. Open. He beat Scott Oudsema 6–2, 6–2, in his first title of the Futures year in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, as he did not drop a set in any of his matches, then Harsh Mankad
Harsh Mankad
----Harsh Mankad is a professional tennis player from India. He is the grandson of cricketer Vinoo Mankad, and the son of cricketer Ashok Mankad, and tennis player Nirupama Vasant....
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
2–6, 6–3, 6–4, to win a title the following week, and then won the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
Challenger title over bronze Olympic medalist
Tennis at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Men's Singles
The men's singles tennis competition during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was played at the Tennis Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.-Medalists:-Seeds:# # # # ...
Arnaud di Pasquale
Arnaud Di Pasquale
Arnaud Di Pasquale is a former professional male tennis player from France.Di Pasquale is best remembered for his bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the men's singles event...
in three sets in the final. On April 4, 2006, he was named USTA Circuit Player of the Week. He ended 2006 ranked 194 for singles, and 780 for doubles.
2007
In Challenger events, he reached the finals of KarlsruheKarlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, where he lost to Mischa Zverev
Mischa Zverev
Mikhail "Mischa" Zverev is a German professional tennis player. He is the son of former Russian tennis player Alexander Zverev, who is also his coach. He now resides in Monte-Carlo, Monaco and represents Germany internationally...
. He went on to make the third round of a major-level event, beating world # 59 Juan Martín del Potro
Juan Martin Del Potro
Juan Martín del Potro is an Argentine professional tennis player. Del Potro achieved a top-10 ranking by the Association of Tennis Professionals for the first time on October 6, 2008. In January 2010, he reached a career-high ranking of world no. 4...
en route, 3–6, 7–6 (10,) 6–3. He then lost to John Isner
John Isner
John Robert Isner is an American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high rank of no. 18 on July 5, 2010, and has been as high as the second-ranked American tennis player behind Andy Roddick...
in three tiebreak sets, 7–6 (4), 6–7 (3), 6–7 (2).
At the August 2007 Rogers Masters, Odesnik had an amazing run. In qualifying, ranked # 182, he defeated Jan Hernych
Jan Hernych
Jan Mauda Hernych is a professional male tennis player from Czech Republic. Born in Prague, he turned pro in 1998 and achieved his highest ranking of World No. 59 on 27 April 2009. He is currently 241st in the ATP rankings.-External links:...
. He went on to the main draw of the ATP Masters Series Canada, and upset world # 11 Ivan Ljubičić
Ivan Ljubicic
----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37....
in three sets, 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 (5), before going down to # 91 Frank Dancevic
Frank Dancevic
Frank Russell Dancevic is a Canadian professional tennis player. He first became the country's top singles player, according to ATP rankings, on February 10, 2003, as an eighteen-year old, and remained so from January 30, 2006 until June 20, 2010. He is the Canada No...
.
At the 2007 U.S. Open
2007 U.S. Open (tennis)
The 2007 US Open was held from 27 August to 9 September 2007, at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York City....
, Odesnik beat Danai Udomchoke
Danai Udomchoke
Danai Udomchoke is a professional tennis player from Thailand. He was born in Bangkok, where he still resides.Udomchoke turned professional in 1997, and is coached by Jan Stoce. He is sponsored by Dunlop Sport for his racquets and apparel. His career-best ranking is World No...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
7–5 in the fifth set to reach the second round. He then lost there to eventual quarterfinalist Juan Ignacio Chela
Juan Ignacio Chela
Juan Ignacio Chela is a professional male tennis player from Argentina. Like most Argentine players he is comfortable on Clay courts and owns all six of his career titles on the surface...
.
In October in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, he beat Yen-Hsun Lu, ranked # 99 at the time, in the finals, 6–2, 6–3. Later that month in Busan, Korea, he again defeated Lu, now ranked # 87, 7–6 (5), 2–6, 6–1, before losing in the quarterfinals.
The USTA asked Odesnik and two other young American men to play off in a round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
format December 18–20 for a wild-card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
berth in the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
that the organization received in a reciprocal agreement with Tennis Australia
Tennis Australia
Tennis Australia is the governing body for the sport of Tennis in Australia. The organisation exists to promote tennis and conduct domestic and international tournaments on behalf of Australia, including the Australian Open and the Davis Cup for the Australian Davis Cup Team...
. The other players selected based on age (22 and under) and ranking (top 200) to compete in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, were Jesse Levine
Jesse Levine
Jesse Levine is a Canadian-born American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high singles rank of No. 94 on November 3, 2008....
and Alex Kuznetsov
Alex Kuznetsov
----Alex Kuznetsov is an American tennis player, accomplished in junior tennis. He moved from Ukraine to the US when he was 3 years old...
. Levine won the wild card, defeating Odesnik 6–4, 6–0.
Odesnik was 4–3 for the year in ATP play, and 26–17 on the Challenger circuit. He ended 2007 ranked # 126 for singles, and # 553 for doubles.
2008
In February, at the San Jose International Series2008 SAP Open - Singles
Andy Murray was the defending champion, but chose not to participate that year.Andy Roddick won in the final 6–4, 7–5, against Radek Štěpánek.-Seeds:# Andy Roddick # James Blake # Tommy Haas ...
, Odesnik defeated Donald Young, ranked # 100 in the world, 6–1, 5–7, 6–4. In April at the International Series in Houston, Texas, he beat world # 60 Dudi Sela
Dudi Sela
David "Dudi" Sela is an Israeli professional tennis player.Sela reached a career-high singles ranking of # 29 in July 2009. He is currently Israel's top men's singles player, ahead of Amir Weintraub.As a 17-year-old junior, he won the 2003 French Open boys' doubles championship with his doubles...
of Israel 6–3, 7–5, and world # 76 Sergio Roitman
Sergio Roitman
Sergio Andres Roitman in Buenos Aires, Argentina, nicknamed Escopeta is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina....
of Argentina 2–6, 7–6(4), 6–1. At the World Team Championship
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...
in Germany in May he beat world # 64 Ivo Minář
Ivo Minár
Ivo Minář is a professional male tennis player from the Czech Republic. On July 20, 2009, Minář reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 62...
, 6–2, 6–1, and in doubles he and partner James Blake
James Blake
James Riley Blake is an American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2011, Blake is ranked no. 63 among active male players with 24 career finals appearances...
beat Lucas Arnold (world # 129) and Sebastián Prieto
Sebastián Prieto
Sebastián Prieto is a professional tennis player from Argentina.Primarily a doubles specialist, Prieto has won 9 doubles titles in his career. He began playing for the Argentina Davis Cup team in 1999....
(# 36) 6–3, 6–7 (5), 10–7, and Czechs Tomáš Berdych
Tomáš Berdych
Tomáš Berdych is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. His most notable achievements are reaching the final of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, and the semifinals of the 2010 French Open. He defeated the Croatian player Ivan Ljubičić in five sets to win the Paris Masters in 2005...
(# 115) and Pavel Vízner
Pavel Vízner
Pavel Vízner is a professional male tennis player from the Czech Republic. Vízner has reached the French Open final twice, having had turned professional in 1990 and achieved a career high doubles ranking of World Number 5 on September 10, 2007.- Career :While Vízner had played tournaments in 1988...
(# 5), 0–6, 7–5, 10–8. That led to him that month receiving his then-highest-career ranking of # 393 later that month.
In early 2008 Odesnik was being coached by Félix Mantilla
Félix Mantilla Botella
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...
, the Spanish clay-court specialist and 1998 French Open
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:...
semifinalist, who reached # 10 in the world.
At the French Open
2008 French Open - Men's Singles
Rafael Nadal was the defending champion and did not drop a set in the tournament and won in the final 6–1, 6–3, 6–0, against Roger Federer.-Seeds:# Roger Federer # Rafael Nadal # Novak Djoković ...
in May, he beat world # 31 Guillermo Cañas
Guillermo Cañas
Guillermo Ignacio Cañas , often referred to as Willy Cañas, is a retired Argentine professional tennis player. He was born in Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, and named after Argentine tennis star Guillermo Vilas. His highest singles ranking was 8th . After retirement Cañas took on coaching, he...
7–6(6), 7–6 (3), 7–6(8) in a very tight three-hour and 46-minute match that got him to round 2 of the grand slam. "I was just trying not to put [Cañas] on a pedestal in my mind", said Odesnik. He hit twice as many forehand winners (33) as Cañas, and rushed the net 39 times, converting on 30 of those opportunities. He then beat world # 52 Hyung-Taik Lee 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 in the next round.
At Wimbledon he arrived on court against 24th seed Jarkko Nieminen
Jarkko Nieminen
Jarkko Kalervo Nieminen is a professional tennis player from Finland.His highest ranking is 13th, which was achieved on July 10, 2006. He has won one ATP singles title and two doubles titles in his career so far. His best performances in Grand Slam tournaments have been reaching the quarter-finals...
with heavy strapping on his thigh, and succumbed to injury after losing the opening set 6–3. Odesnik underwent rehab on an injured abductor muscle in his left hip; a small tear in his groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
that he had suffered in a tournament in Poland.
In August he beat world # 91 Bobby Reynolds
Bobby Reynolds
----Robert "Bobby" Thomas Reynolds in Cape Cod, Massachusetts) is an American professional tennis player who resides in Acworth, Georgia.-Professional career:...
4–6, 6–1, 6–4, in Los Angeles, world # 70 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:...
7–5, 6–4 in New Haven, and at the US Open world # 83 Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini is a professional tennis player.He is the current Italian No. 1. He achieved his career high rank of No. 32 in the world on 20 June 2011 as a result of his success at the 2011French Open...
2–6, 6–0, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 in New York. In November Odesnik beat world # 82 Diego Junqueira
Diego Junqueira
Diego Junqueira is a professional tennis player who plays left-handed from Argentina...
2–6, 6–3, 6–4 in Ecuador. He ended 2008 ranked # 119 for singles, and # 558 for doubles.
2009
In February, Odesnik won the Home Depot Center USTA Challenger in Carson, CaliforniaCarson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, beating world # 82 Vincent Spadea in the semifinals, 6–2, 6–3, to move up to # 98 in the world rankings. Seeded fourth, Odesnik dropped only one set in five tournament matches—to fifth-seeded Jesse Levine
Jesse Levine
Jesse Levine is a Canadian-born American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high singles rank of No. 94 on November 3, 2008....
in the quarterfinals, which he won 7–6 (6), 6–7 (4), 6–4, in a match that took over three hours.
In April at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
The U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship is an annual ATP Tour tennis tournament that started in 1910. It is the last remaining ATP Tour-level tournament in the United States to be played on clay courts....
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
at River Oaks Country Club
River Oaks Country Club
River Oaks Country Club is a country club located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States. The club has hosted the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament since 1931....
, Odesnik defeated third-seeded world # 31 Jürgen Melzer
Jürgen Melzer
Jürgen Melzer is an Austrian tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking of no. 8 on 18 April 2011, and a doubles ranking of no. 6 on 13 September 2010. He is the only current player on the ATP Tour to be ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles. He is a left-handed tennis player, but...
of Austria 6–4, 6–0 (winning 94% of his second-serve points), beat fellow American John Isner
John Isner
John Robert Isner is an American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high rank of no. 18 on July 5, 2010, and has been as high as the second-ranked American tennis player behind Andy Roddick...
in a 7–5, 3–6, 7–6 (5) in a 2:37 quarterfinal marathon,http://www.mensclaycourt.com/ and defeated world # 77 Björn Phau
Bjorn Phau
Björn Phau is a German tennis player and the son of a German mother and an Indonesian father. He reached a singles ranking of 59 in the world on 19 June 2006. He defeated Andre Agassi 7–5, 7–5 at the 2006 Dubai Tennis Championships. In an interview, Agassi cited Phau as one of the quickest tennis...
of Germany, 6–4, 6–3, in the semifinals to reach his first ATP World Tour final, in which he lost to 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...
, 2–6, 5–7. Following the tournament, he received his then-career-best world ranking of # 77.
As of April 11, in 14 ATP World Tour clay-court matches he had the best winning percentage among Americans on clay; 0.714, to world # 6 Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
's 0.663.
At the 2009 French Open
2009 French Open
The 2009 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 108th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year...
Odesnik lost 3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 in three hours and 43 minutes on the main Court Philippe Chatrier to the world's # 7 player, hometown favorite Gilles Simon
Gilles Simon
Gilles Simon is a French professional tennis player and former world no. 6. He is a nine-time winner on the ATP World Tour...
.
At Wimbledon Odesnik lost his first round match to 30th-ranked Jürgen Melzer 1–6, 4–6, 2–6. Odesnik was hampered by a groin strain, and called a trainer onto the court. The match generated some media attention as a consequence of the patterns of pre-match betting on the result, with the online betting exchange Betfair
Betfair
Betfair is the world's largest Internet betting exchange. The company is based in Hammersmith in West London, England. Since Betfair was launched in June 2000 it has become the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest betting exchange in the world. Betfair claim to have over 3...
reporting that unusually large sums for a low-profile match were wagered on the straight sets scoreline, but Betfair indicated that it did not suspect any wrongdoing, and that betting accelerated after a TV announcer noted shortly before the match that Odesnik had a thigh injury.
At the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships
2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships
The 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 22nd edition of the event known that year as the Indianapolis Tennis Championships and was part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2009 ATP World Tour...
in July, Odesnik beat fourth-seeded, world # 36 Igor Kunitsyn
Igor Kunitsyn
Igor Kunitsyn is a professional male tennis player from Russia. He made it into the top 100 for the first time in 2006, and reached a career-high singles ranking of 35 on July 6, 2009.-Early life:...
of Russia 2–6, 6–1, 6–1.
2010
On March 26, 2010, after having reached a world ranking of 98 in professional tennis, Odesnik pled guilty to importing HGH to Australia, prior to the Brisbane InternationalBrisbane International
The Brisbane International 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 of the WTA Premier tournaments of the Women's Tennis Association Tour...
, a warm-up event for the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
. He was fined 7,000 USD, and faces a multi-year banishment from professional tennis.
On April 19, Odesnik agreed to a voluntary suspension from the tour while awaiting a hearing by an independent tribunal, which is expected to take place around June 2010. In the mean time, Odesnik is free to return to the tour at any time.
On May 19, 2010, Odesnik was banned—initially for two years, but later commuted to one year, two months after pleading guilty to importing human growth hormone into Australia.http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/06/2002942/westons-odesnik-is-back-on-tour.html The suspension was dated to Dec. 29, 2009. As part of the ban, his results since December 29 were erased and he was required to forfeit his ranking points and prize money. Odesnik was ranked No. 114 and had earned more than $90,000 in prize money in 2010.
2011
Unranked, Odesnik received a main draw wild card for ITF Futures event U.S.A. F1, and reached the quarter-finals. The following week, again as a wild card, he retired from his second round qualifying match. After a week off, this week, as a qualifier, he has reached semi-finals of U.S.A. F4, where he faces Matt Reid next.Style of play
Odesnik has a modest serve, an excellent forehand, an improving backhand, and good quickness. He also varies his first and second serves, hides the placement of his forehand, and plays the angles on the court.While he appears to have great natural intensity, Odesnik said in 2008 that he was striving for even greater mental toughness through sessions with a sports psychologist. In 2009 he was also working with fitness trainer Mikhail Zanko, and coached by Grant Doyle.
Personal
Odesnik is Jewish, and along with Jesse LevineJesse Levine
Jesse Levine is a Canadian-born American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high singles rank of No. 94 on November 3, 2008....
, Dudi Sela
Dudi Sela
David "Dudi" Sela is an Israeli professional tennis player.Sela reached a career-high singles ranking of # 29 in July 2009. He is currently Israel's top men's singles player, ahead of Amir Weintraub.As a 17-year-old junior, he won the 2003 French Open boys' doubles championship with his doubles...
, Sergio Roitman
Sergio Roitman
Sergio Andres Roitman in Buenos Aires, Argentina, nicknamed Escopeta is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina....
, and Shahar Pe'er
Shahar Pe'er
Shahar Pe'er is an Israeli professional tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking is World No. 11, which she achieved on January 31, 2011 ....
is one of a number of young Jewish tennis players who are highly ranked.
Singles wins (14)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (0) |
| Challengers (5) |
| Futures (9) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | April 28, 2003 |  Montego BayMontego Bay Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches... |
Hard |  Juan MónacoJuan Mónaco Juan Mónaco , nicknamed "Pico", is a male tennis player from Argentina. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 14 on February 4, 2008. He is sponsored by Adidas and Yonex.-Biography:... |
2–6, 7–6(3), 6–0 |
| 2. | September 1, 2003 | Montego Bay Montego Bay Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches... |
Hard |  Jacob Adaktusson |
7–6(3), 6–2 |
| 3. | November 7, 2005 |  Waikoloa |
Hard | Scott Lipsky Scott Lipsky Scott Lipsky is a professional tennis player from the United States. He is primarily a doubles specialist.... |
6–1, 6–1 |
| 4. | November 14, 2005 | Honolulu |
Hard | Sam Querrey Sam Querrey Sam Austin Querrey is a professional American tennis player from Thousand Oaks, California currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of August 2010, he is the fourth-highest ranked American. His career high rank was #17, achieved on January 31, 2011. His height allows him to play with a strong... |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 5. | March 20, 2006 | Little Rock |
Hard | Scott Oudsema |
6–2, 6–2 |
| 6. | March 27, 2006 | Mobile Mobile, Alabama Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest... |
Hard |  Harsh MankadHarsh Mankad ----Harsh Mankad is a professional tennis player from India. He is the grandson of cricketer Vinoo Mankad, and the son of cricketer Ashok Mankad, and tennis player Nirupama Vasant.... |
2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 7. | June 19, 2006 |  MilanZenith Tennis Cup The Aspria Tennis Cup Trofeo City Life is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the Harbour Club Milano in Milan, Italy, since 2006.-Singles:-Doubles:-External... |
Clay |  Arnaud di PasqualeArnaud Di Pasquale Arnaud Di Pasquale is a former professional male tennis player from France.Di Pasquale is best remembered for his bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the men's singles event... |
5–7, 6–2, 7–6(5) |
| 8. | October 8, 2007 | Sacramento Swanston Challenger The Natomas Men's Professional Tennis Tournament is a tennis tournament held in Sacramento, California, USA since 2005. The event is part of the ATP Challenger Tour and is played on outdoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:- External links :**... |
Hard |  Lu Yen-hsunLu Yen-hsun Lu Yen-hsun is a Taiwanese professional tennis player. He goes by the nickname Rendy. As of November 1, 2010, Lu is ranked #33 in the world and #1 in Asia. His favorite surface is hardcourt.- Junior career:... |
6–2, 6–3 |
| 9. | January 26, 2009 | Carson Countrywide Classic USTA Challenger The USTA LA Tennis Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour and the ITF Women's circuit. It is held annually at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, USA, since... |
Hard | Scoville Jenkins Scoville Jenkins Scoville Jenkins is a former professional tennis player on the ATP Tour . He is sometimes referred to by his nickname "Sco"... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 10. | January 31, 2011 | Palm Coast |
Clay | Nicola Ghedin |
6–2, 6–1 |
| 11. | March 7, 2011 | McAllen |
Hard |  Gastão EliasGastao Elias Gastão Elias is a Portuguese men's professional tennis player that competes in the ATP World Tour. In November 2011, he achieved a career-high singles world ranking no. 163. He has won four futures singles titles... |
6–7(5), 6–4, 6–1 |
| 12. | May 2, 2011 | Savannah |
Hard | Donald Young |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 13. | July 18, 2011 | Lexington Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships The Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour and the ITF Women's tour. It is held annually at the Hilary J... |
Hard |  James WardJames Ward (tennis) James Ward is a British tennis player, and British no. 2 behind Andy Murray. As of 22 August 2011 he is ranked 139 in the ATP singles rankings and 234 in doubles... |
7–5, 6–4 |
Runners-up (1)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (1) |
| Challengers (0) |
| Futures (0) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | April 12, 2009 | Houston U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships The U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship is an annual ATP Tour tennis tournament that started in 1910. It is the last remaining ATP Tour-level tournament in the United States to be played on clay courts.... , Texas |
Clay |  Lleyton HewittLleyton 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... |
2–6, 5–7 |