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Getting to know: Santiago Giraldo

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#1 ·
If JMDP has a thread, I think Santiago Giraldo from
Colombia deserves one as well. I am happy to be a
founder of this thread and I hope to update it, as I
see I'm not as busy as I thought I would (at least at
the beginning of schoolyear).


Santiago Giraldo was born on 27th November (ahh a
November child!!!!)
1987 in Pereira, Colombia, but now
lives in his home country capital - Bogota and works with Team Colsanitas. He has been seen practising with people who used to be responsible for Fabiola Zuluaga preparation.


My interest on Santiago Giraldo occured when I was
preparing materials for the website I used to have,
about players from Latin America. I wanted to pick up
some promising juniors and follow their developing
careers. It was September 2003. Giraldo had 7 won
tournaments in Boys-16 age category in singles and
doubles that time. In that moment, his junior career
stopped, but it doesn't mean he decided to give up
tennis. He started showing up in local futures events.
Continuing about his junior career, he played only 3
events in Boys-18 category. Two of them were really
successful.
Given in January a Wild Card to G-1
tournament in Bogota, he won the event. Then, in May, he
entered Roland Garros main draw after quallies and
lost in straight sets to eventual quaterfinalist Juan
Martin del Potro (Argentina). Surprisingly, the Colombian was
seeded 4 in another Grand Slam event for juniors, the
US Open. He took an advantage of that fact, reaching
the semifinal, where he lost to eventual finalist,
Jeremy Chardy of France.

Aged 15, he became a tennis professional. Beginning of his career wasn't easy, like in most of the cases for young players. There was no need to panic after being bagelled in first appearance in main draw of futures (in Colombia) by Carlos Avellan from Ecuador. Just one week after, he overcame Avellan in the quallification. How it happened? Giraldo got a walkover. He started playing futures more seriously in 2003, when he earned his first ATP point, after few attempts. As he received a WC to national ITF event, he defeated Erasmo Vasquez from Mexico. It took few big months for Giraldo to get really noticed in seniors tour. Where could it be? No other place, but in Bogota challenger in April 2005. The Colombian made a benefit of another wild card, reaching the quaterfinal. Even though he has never been above that level, he repeated challengers quaterfinals in Gramado in August, and in Bogota 3 this week. Impressive victories over no3 seeded Boris Pashanski and a hyped Argentinian junior player Juan Martin del Potro can give hope to Giraldo and his supporters give the hope he will be able to take the revenge on Marcos Daniel, his next opponent. This year young Colombian already has lost to Daniel. Neverthless, our hero is still on the run, continuing his winning time. Taking the crown in Medellin futures (15.000$) and winning two more matches in a challenger, he made it into seven match victories in a row.
Favourite surface for Santiago Giraldo is clay, however he knows how to play on hardcourt as well. He's right-handed, plays double-handed backhand. He started his adventure with tennis at the age of 6 or 7, following steps of his whole family, especially mother. I am not sure about this, but I suppose Daniel Giraldo, who unsuccessfully tried himself as a pro player is his older brother, and talented Andrea Giraldo is his younger sister. As far as they are not his cousins or they are not related at all. The Bogota's inhabitant likes listening to music (mainly merengue, salsa and vallenato) and using computer, so he's got rather typical hobby for teenagers all around the world. What makes him different to many others, is his goal: he wants to be ranked in top ten between senior players. As for now, he's ranked at 358 ATP, which is his highest position. The admirer of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal can be soon the one, on which eyes of Colombian tennis fans will be turned on as Fabiola Zuluaga retired and Alejandro Falla cannot fight back against injuries.

Good luck Santi!

all rights reserved, Nathaliia M.
 
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#33 ·
Geez, I should be keeping this thread going :awww: Santi would need some bandwagon jumpers to help me. Yesterday he had problems with Go Soeda and the match hasn't finished yet... 7-6 2-6 2-3.... awww, tough job.

Starting from that Bogota challenger above, he reached final in San Luis Potosi (l. to Vicente), lost in 3rd round Q of RG to Ulihrach, but played as LL and lost to Djokovic - eventual semifinalist.

Made QF of Surbiton challenger, defeating Rushby and Baker, losing to Kendrick. He does seem to know what's grass on about, but can say goodbye to Wimbledon today :sad:
 
#38 ·
Overall the year could have been probably better, many 1st round losses in ATP events and the quallies, but still the best year, after the Quito win he added a Bogota final.

Hopefully the gained experience will help in 2008 :wavey:
 
#39 ·
Hi to everybody! :wavey:
I had the fortune to know Santiago in the Challenger of Buenos Aires. The first thing that called me the attention of he, was the way of putting on the cap, and then i started to appreciate his game.
Finished his match against Marcos Daniel, where he lost I had the opportunity, thanks to my web site dedicated on tennis of being able to do an interview to him, and he surprised to me his good spirit in spite of his defeat and his friendliness especially :).
He is a really charming boy :eek:, of now in more, he has a fan here in Buenos Aires, I expect to listen very good results of Santiago in a nearby future.

In the next post i go to put a couple of pictures that i took from this match.

I have to sorry for my bad english... i hope you understand me ;)

KARO;
 
#47 · (Edited)
Santiago Giraldo

Santiago Giraldo Salazar (Profesional)
Fecha de nacimiento 27 de Noviembre de 1987

Edad 20 años

Ciudad de nacimiento Pereira

Nombre del Padre Eduardo Giraldo

Nombre de la Madre Elsa Salazar

Estatura 187 mts.

Caracteristicas Diestro

Ranking actual 139 ATP

Raqueta Babolat

Estudios Bachillerato

Entrenador (es) Entrenadores Equipo ColSanitas




LOGROS PRINCIPALES:

Campeón Challenger Series, Quito, 2007

Campeón Challenger Series Bancolombia Open, Bogotá, 2007

Subcampeón Challenger Series San Luis Potosí, México, 2007

Roland Garros 2007 – Superó el cuadro clasificatorio en su primera presentación

Campeón Challenger Series Seguros Bolívar Open, Bogotá, 2006

Campeón ITF Future 2 de Sorocaba, Brasil, 2006

Campeón ITF Future Seguros Bolívar de Cali 2006

Subcampeón Challenger Series de Medellín, 2006

Subcampeón ITF Future 1de Sorocaba, Brasil, 2006

Semifinal Challenger Series de Bimghamton, Estados Unidos, 2006

Semifinal Challenger Series de Cuenca, Ecuador, 2006

Semifinal Challenger Quito, Ecuador, 2006

Semifinal ITF Future de Piracicaba, Brasil, 2006

Semifinal ITF Future Seguros Bolívar de Bucaramanga 2006

Semifinalista US Open Junior 2005

Campeón ITF Future Seguros Bolívar de Medellín 2005

Campeón Parada Mundial Juvenil de Barranquilla 2005 (Sub-18 años)

Cuartos de final Challenger Petrobras Bogotá 2005 – Torneo de 50 mil dólares

Cuartos de final Challenger de Gramado, Brasil, 2005, Torneo de 50 mil dólares

Cuartos de final Challenger Seguros Bolívar, Bogotá 2005 – Torneo de 75 mil dólares

Cuartos de Final Challenger Comcel – Torneo de 25 mil dólares – Bogotá 2005


 Número 1 de Suramérica - Gira COSAT Sub-16 años 2003


Campeón Torneo de Cali, Colombia

Campeón Torneo de Guayaquil, Ecuador

Finalista Torneo de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Semifinalista Torneo de Lima, Perú

(Partidos ganados: 26. Partidos Perdidos: 4)

Número 1 Gira Europea Sub-16 años 2003


Campeón Torneo de Bologna, Italia

Campeón Torneo de La Baule, Francia

Campeón Torneo de París, Francia

Cuartos de Final Torneo de Le Pontet, Francia

Tercera Ronda Torneo de Milán, Italia

(Partidos ganados: 20. Partidos perdidos: 2)

En el balance del 2003, Santiago Giraldo completo cinco títulos, un subtítulo y una semifinal en 11 torneos internacionales que ha disputado en la Categoría 16 años, correspondientes a la Gira Suramericana y a la Gira Europea de Tenis. La estadística del año 2003 le deja 48 partidos ganados y sólo 6 perdidos en torneos internacionales de la Categoría 16 años.


Número 3 de Suramérica Gira COSAT Sub -14 años 2001


Campeón en Torneo de Guayaquil, Ecuador

Subcampeón en Torneo de Cali, Colombia

Cuartos de Final Torneo de Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela

Cuartos de Final Torneo de Montevideo, Uruguay

Gira Europea Sub-14 años 2001


Cuartos de final Torneo de Francia

Cuartos de final Torneo de Alemania

Cuartos de final Torneo de Bélgica

Con Selección Colombia:


·Tercer Lugar Suramericano Sub-14 años 2001 – Bogotá, Colombia


(Esta fue la primera Selección Colombia Masculina de la Categoría 14 años en clasificarse a un campeonato mundial).


Otros logros


Ha sido el mejor jugador Sub-14 años y Sub-16 años de Suramérica, en el 2001 y el 2003, respectivamente.


En el 2001 terminó como el tercer mejor jugador de Suramérica en esta categoría, tras alcanzar los cuartos de final de los torneos de Gira Cosat de Venezuela y Uruguay, fue subcampeón en el torneo de Colombia, campeón en el torneo de Ecuador e integró, gracias a dichos logros, la Selección Suramericana que participó en la Gira Europea de Tenis. En dicha gira por Europa consiguió avances a cuartos de final en los torneos de Francia, Alemania y Bélgica.


Junto a Robert Farah, integró la primera Selección Colombia Masculina de la Categoría 14 años que, en la historia de nuestro país, consiguió cupo para un Campeonato Mundial, luego de quedarse con el tercer lugar del Campeonato Suramericano realizado en Colombia en el 2001.


Igualmente, hace parte del grupo de tenistas más importantes que surge tras la generación de Alejandro Falla y Carlos Salamanca, quienes fueron campeones del torneo de dobles del Roland Garros Juvenil.
 
#48 ·
#51 · (Edited)
Re: Santiago Giraldo

Yo tambien tenia esa duda, le escribi al jefe de prensa del patrocinador y me dijo q tubo q hacerse unas cirugias q no podian postergarse mas, una hernia inguinal mas q todo, tbn aprovechó para correjirse la miopía y un ganglio en el cuello, lo mas probable esq reaparezca en la Davis, ojala se recupere pronto.
Saludos!!!
Ah y si, corregi la fecha y la ciudad donde nació, gracias por las fotos!!!
 
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