11 Facts About Mariano Puerta

Mariano Puerta reached a career-high ATP world No 9 singles ranking in August 2005.

Mariano Puerta won his first ATP title in 1998 in Palermo, Italy.

In 2000, Mariano Puerta achieved his highest year-end ranking of World No 21, reaching five finals, and winning one of them.

Mariano Puerta was reduced to playing Challenger-level tournaments for a while until he had earned enough points to return to the ATP Tour.

In 2005, Mariano Puerta made an eye-opening comeback on the Tour by winning the title in Casablanca and then making it to the final of the world's most prestigious clay court tournament, the French Open, where he eventually succumbed to Rafael Nadal in a close match.

Since returning to the tour, Mariano Puerta has only played on the ATP Challenger Tour, including winning the Bogota Challenger in 2008 and reaching the final of the San Luis Potosi Challenger in 2008 without dropping a set, where he was forced to default the final, and the Cordenons challenger in 2007.

Mariano Puerta is an excellent clay-court specialist with a game that revolves around very accurate and powerful groundstrokes off both wings with heavy topspin.

Mariano Puerta is very capable at the net, having good volleys and quick reflexes despite his slow court speed.

In 2003, Mariano Puerta received a two-year doping suspension after testing positive for clenbuterol at Vina del Mar In his defence, he argued that the substance had been administered to him by his doctor to combat asthma and that it had no performance-enhancing effect.

In December 2005, Mariano Puerta was banned again, this time after it was revealed that he had tested positive for the use of the cardiac stimulant etilefrine following his 2005 French Open final loss to Rafael Nadal.

Mariano Puerta appealed against the ban, claiming on his web site that he only ingested trace amounts of it accidentally left over by his wife in a glass.