Dani DeVine

• Farewell to the Fabulous

  2008-10-07 20:01:04
  

  In life, all good things must come to an end. Sadly, the time has come for one of the most cherished and durable tour players to hang up his racket. After a difficult tournament in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago, Fabrice Santoro, the man Pete Sampras coined "The Magician," announced his plans to play a reduced schedule in 2009, essentially calling it a career at the close of the year.
  
  At 35 years of age, Santoro is currently the oldest man to occupy a spot within the ATP's top 100. Continuing to prove that age is only a number, the Fabulous Fab won his first round match at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow yesterday, treating another audience to the unique display of unorthodox talent that has solidified him as a fan favourite since 1989.
  
  Team DdV wanted to pay its respects to the Tahitian-born world #65, as he plans to limit his play to the Australian and French Opens, a title defense in Newport, and a small handful of other tour events in 2009, exchanging the rigor of touring for more time spent with his wife and daughter.
  
  

   

  Fabrice's Fabulous Fact Sheet:

  
  Debut: 9th December, 1972
  
  Home sweet home: Tahiti, French Polynesia
  
  Magic wand: Right-handed, plays double-handed for every shot
  
  Abracadabra: Highest ranking #17 (6th August, 2001)
  
  Spellbinder: Has collected 6 singles titles and 24 doubles titles
  
  Giant Slayer: Defeated ALL of the following players, ranked #1 at some point during their career: Jimmy Connors, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Thomas Muster, Marcelo Rios, Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moya, Pat Rafter, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer
  
  War horse: Won the longest recorded singles match in the open era at 6 hours and 33 minutes (2004 French Open)
  
  Born to bamboozle: Fabrice is 7-2 lifetime against Marat Safin, who said of him:
  
  "I would rather have a root canal than play Santoro. Being told I would play Santoro was being told I was to die".
  
  Fooling Federer: The winning video among our readers- Fab's famous between the legs shot from the 2005 US Open....
  
  
  
  With his friendly disposition, infectious smile and unbelievable arsenal of trick shots he displayed on the tennis court throughout his career, Fabrice Santoro forever earns our respect and admiration!

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