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11. Thomas
Enqvist
Age:
23
Height:
6'3"
Weight:
187
Birthplace:
Stockholm,
Sweden
Highest Rank:
6 (February 1996)
Current:
11
Career Titles:
11
Best U.S. Open Finish:
Fourth round, 1993,
'96
Stop
Worrying: "Sometimes when he plays he puts too much pressure
on himself. He allows himself to get fed up with
things—with the umpire, say, or the wind. He spends three
or four games thinking he can't play his forehand or his
backhand, or he's worrying about how
well his opponent is playing. But if Thomas is playing
well, it's his opponent who should have to change his
tactics." —Enqvist's coach, Joakim
Nystrom
The Latest but Not Yet the
Greatest: When he broke into the Top 10 in 1995, Enquist became one
of 11 Swedes to rank in the Top 10 since the ATP began
ranking players in
1973.
Pressure? What
Pressure?: Enqvist has won 10 of 11 finals during his seven-year
career.
12. Felix
Mantilla
Age:
22
Height:
5'10"
Weight:
162
Birthplace:
Barcelona,
Spain
Highest Rank:
12
(Current)
Career Titles:
4
Best U.S. Open Finish: Second round,
1996
Generation
Next: "These young players
... they realize there is space for everyone. There is a lot
of friendship with the competition. Instead of being
jealous, they want to match each other's wins in a positive
way."—Emilio Sánchez of Spain, a former Top 10
player, discussing Mantilla and
the new wave of Spanish
players
Felix
Who?: Consistency is the hallmark of success on the ATP Tour:
The deeper into a tournament a player goes, the more points
he earns and, thus, the higher his ranking. While you may
have never heard of Felix Mantilla, he plays consistently
well week in and
week out. During the second half of 1996, for example,
Mantilla advanced past the first round of 14 consecutive
tournaments.
Profiles by Stephen Thomas
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