Harel Levy
Harel Levy (Hebrew: הראל לוי; born 5 August 1978) is a retired Israeli professional tennis player, and the current captain of Israel's Davis Cup team.In a career interrupted first by Israeli Army service and later by serious right hip surgery in 2001, Levy notably scored victories over Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Michael Chang and Wayne Ferreira.As well as reaching the singles final of the 2000 Toronto Masters, he finished runner-up at Nottingham in 2001 and won a doubles title in Newport, Rhode Island.In June he and partner Raviv Weidenfeld won in Ireland, defeating Daniele Braccoalo and Igor Gaudi 7–6, 6–4 in the final.In September he and partner Noam Okun won at Budapest, defeating Daniel Fiala and Leoš Friedl in the final.In January 2000 he and partner Jonathan Erlich won at Orlando, Florida, defeating Óscar Ortiz and Jimy Szymanski in the final.In July they won at Newport, Rhode Island, defeating Kyle Spencer and Mitch Sprengelmeyer in the final of the Hall of Fame tennis championships.In May 2001 Levy upset the world's top player, Pete Sampras, at the Italian Open, saving 13 of 17 break points.Levy played down his achievements by joking that he was more depressed by his Israeli soccer team (Maccabi Haifa) losing that week than excited by his success.[1][20] He spent six months home in Ramat Ha-Sharon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, recuperating, and in April 2002 returned to playing tennis.Levy fared better in the doubles tournament where, along with partner Jonathan Erlich he won the title in straight sets, over Simon Aspelin and Johan Landsberg.In late April the Israelis captured the Hungary F1 tournament in Budapest, defeating Nikola Martinović and Joško Topić 5–7, 6–2, 6–1 in the final.In 2005 Levy won the USTA Tulsa Challenger, beating Benedikt Dorsch of Germany, the reigning NCAA men's singles champion, in a three-hour duel.[29] In September 2005 he and partner Noam Okun won in Istanbul, Turkey, defeating David Škoch and Martin Štěpánek in the final, 6–4, 7–5.[30] In June 2006 he and Giorgio Galimberti won in Milan, Italy, defeating Frederico Gil and Juan Albert Viloca in the final, 6–3, 6–3.[33] Later in July, Levy, who had slipped to 264 in the world rankings since his surgery, won a challenger title in Manchester, Great Britain, beating Travis Rettenmaier 6–2, 6–4 in the final.[38] Levy decided at the beginning of 2009 to enter slowly reduce his participation in singles tournaments, and put an emphasis on his doubles career with Noam Okun.In September 2008 against the Peru Davis Cup team, after losing one match in singles to Luis Horna 7–5, 5–7, 7–6(3), 6–3, Levy paired with Andy Ram to win the doubles tie 6–1, 6–1, 6–2, as Israel won 4–1.2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson defeated Levy in the opening match, 6–7(3), 6–4, 7–5, 4–6, 8–6, in just under 4 hours, but Levy won the decisive final match against Andreas Vinciguerra in Vinciguerra's hometown of Malmö, Sweden, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 8–6 in a marathon 3 hour, 44 minutes to lead the Israeli team to a come-from-behind 3–2 victory over the 7-time Davis Cup champion Swedes[42] at Baltic Hall, allowing Israel to advance in the 2009 Davis Cup.[43] He added: "Despite all the difficult years, scouring the globe to play in small tournaments with little success, I'm now experiencing a joy that has made it all worthwhile.[51] With the tie clinched for Israel, the reverse singles rubbers were "dead", and instead of best-of-five matches, best-of-three sets were played, with the outcomes of little to no importance.[52] Israel wrapped up a 4–1 victory over Russia, as Levy defeated Kunitsyn 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(2), while Sela retired with a wrist injury while down 3–4 in the first set against Andreev.
IsraelRamat HaSharonNahshonimAustralian OpenFrench OpenWimbledonUS OpenDavis CupHebrewtennis playerIsrael's Davis Cup team2000 Toronto Masters2009 Davis CupPete SamprasAndy RoddickMichael ChangWayne Ferreira2000 TorontoMastersNottinghamNewport, Rhode IslandNoam OkunDudi SelaJewishBrazilianGustavo KuertenMaccabi HaifaIsrael Tennis CentersIsraeli militaryIsraeli Defense ForcesLior MorBarry CowanFilippo VeglioRaviv WeidenfeldIgor GaudiGilles ElseneerWim NeefsAptos, CaliforniaJiří NovákDaniel FialaLeoš FriedlJonathan ErlichÓscar OrtizJimy SzymanskiKyle SpencerMitch SprengelmeyerMartin DammStefan KoubekSébastien GrosjeanJérôme GolmardMarat SafinAmos MansdorfTim HenmanItalian OpenFrancisco ClavetNicolas KieferAndreas VinciguerraThomas JohanssonAndrei PavelJustin GimelstobPaul GoldsteinPaul BaccanelloIsèreRik de VoestAmir HadadFred Hemmes Jr.Raemon SluiterScott HumphriesMark MerkleinDnipropetrovsk tournamentIrakli LabadzeSimon AspelinMario AnčićMartin GarcíaBudapestMiskolcJan Frode AndersenAdam ChadajStéphane RobertBenedikt DorschDavid ŠkochMartin ŠtěpánekGiorgio GalimbertiFrederico GilJuan Albert VilocaScott LipskyDavid MartinCecil MamiitEric TainoYuba City, CaliforniaJean-Julien RojerRajeev RamMartín GarcíaSebastián PrietoArnaud ClémentMichaël LlodraTravis RettenmaierDekel ValtzerAndy RamNoam BehrSwedenPeru Davis Cup teamLuis Horna2002 Australian OpenMalmö, SwedenRussiaIgor AndreevIgor KunitsynMikhail YouzhnyEyal Ranfighter jetsthe Spanish Davis Cup teamAug 2000TorontoJun 2001Jul 2000NewportFeb 2010JohannesburgKarol BeckRohan BopannaAisam QureshiAthensVasilis MazarakisMichael HillLexington