Thierry Ascione

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Thierry Ascione is a French professional tennis player. Be began playing tennis at the age of eight and turned professional in 2000. His favourite surface is carpet and considers his backhand to be his best shot. In 2000, Ascione improved his ranking more than 500 positions by reaching the quarter final stages at four Futures events. A year later in 2001 he improved his ranking for a third consecutive year and won his first professional title at a French Futures in July. He also reached his first semi-final at Challenger level in Grenoble. It was in 2003, when Ascione finished in the Top 100 for the first time and made his biggest jump into the Top 100 from the previous season, climbing 455 ranking positions. He compiled a 20-12 record in Challenger play and won two titles in Andrezieux (d. Beck) and Helsinki (d. Andreev). On the ATP circuit he picked up his first victories, posting a 3-5 record, winning his first match in Bangkok (d. Miranda) before falling to Taylor Dent in the second round. In October, he won his first Masters Series match in Paris, defeating Juan Ignacio Chela in the first round 6-0, 6-3 before losing to world number three Roger Federer in straight sets. In 2004, he continued his progress up the rankings by achieving a career of 10 ATP match wins. He opened the season by reaching his first ATP quarter final in Chennai, defeating Rafa Nadal before losing to Carlos Moya. At the Australian Open he won his first Grand Slam match by defeating Felix Mantilla to reach the second round. During the season he also went on to make his Davis Cup debut losing in a first round tie against Croatia to Ivan Ljubicic. In the remainder of the season he went on to reach his second quarter final at Casablanca and posting a career best Masters Series result by reaching the third round at Miami (l. Grosjean).

In 2005, the French man followed up his best career ATP season with a solid year at Challenger level, compiling a 35-14 record. He started the year by reaching the semi-final at New Caledonia, losing to fellow countryman Gilles Simon. Ascione won his first Challenger title of the season at Andrezieux in France, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in the final 6-1, 6-3. In April he played in the Masters Series event at Monte Carlo, reaching the second round before falling to Guillermo Coria 2-6, 1-6. In June he won his second Challenger event of the season at Reggio Emilia and won a third title two months later in New York. Ascione compiled his best season at Challenger level in 2006 with a 17-18 record, advancing to a semi-final at Tampere and quarter finals at Tunis, Reggio Emilia and Rennes. He opened the season by reaching the ATP quarter final in Chennai, losing to Radep Stapanek. In Grand Slam play the Frenchman made early first round exits at both the Australian Open (l. Mirnyi) and Roland Garros (Ramirez Hidalgo).

The Frenchman enjoyed a strong season on Challenger circuit to finish in the Top 100 for third time in five years. Ascione posted a 37-17 record and claimed two titles in four finals, winning in Rome (d. Crivoi) and Andreziuex in October (d. Acasuso). In July he also reached back-to-back finals in Montauban (l. Lammer) and Mantova (l. Di Mauro) and turned in quarter finals at six other Challenger events. He also won a Futures title in France in February. At Roland Garros he received a wildcard and won his second Grand Slam match, when he defeated Marin Cilic in the first round before losing to world number one Roger Federer. He qualified for the US Open but retired in the first round against de Voest. In 2008, Ascione lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Spain's Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. In his next tournament he returend to the Challenger circuit and reached the quarter final at Bergamo (l. Seppi) and in February winning his first title at the Challenger event in Cherbourg (d. Pless). In Grand Slam play, Ascione made early first round exits at Roland Garros (l. Reynolds) and Wimbledon (l. Tipsarevic).