Igor Konstantinovich Kunitsyn (Russian: И́горь Константи́нович Куни́цын, IPA: [ˈiɡərʲkʊˈnʲitsɨn]; born September 30, 1981) is a Russian former professional tennis player. He made it into the top 100 for the first time in 2006, and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 35 in July 2009.

Early life

Kunitsyn was raised by his grandparents in Vladivostok, on the eastern coast of Russia when he was young. He started playing tennis at age seven.

Tennis career

Kunitsyn is arguably best known for two matches against compatriot Marat Safin. The first of which was at the 2007 Tennis Channel Open's round-robin stage. Kunitsyn had won the first set, and had an early break in the second before Safin fought back and then got a 5–3 lead. While serving for the match, Kunitsyn broke Safin and then held to get it to 5–5. The set went to a tiebreaker which Safin won. Kunitsyn was still dangerous, as he won the first three games of the third set, before losing the next four. Kunitsyn performed the same as before, and broke Safin again to get the set on equal terms. At 5–5, Kunitsyn suffered a service break and Safin ultimately won the third set 7–5. The pair met again in the final of the Kremlin Cup, an ATP tournament played in Moscow. Kunitsyn defeated the former two-time Grand Slam winner and world No. 1.

In August 2008, he made the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, beating Mischa Zverev, Fabio Fognini, and Somdev Devvarman, before losing Viktor Troicki.

In June 2009, he lost to Israeli Dudi Sela, at 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in a grass-court tune-up for Wimbledon. In Wimbledon, he defeated Wimbledon debutant wildcard Grigor Dimitrov due to retirement after suffering a knee injury, before he lost to Andy Roddick in the second round in four sets, winning the third set. Following the tournament, he reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 35 on 6 July 2009.

Heavily favored Russia was hosted by Israel in a Davis Cup quarterfinal tie in July 2009, on indoor hard courts at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv. With Israel having won the first two matches, in what proved to be the deciding third match Israelis Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich beat Kunitsyn and Marat Safin, 6–3, 6–4, 6–7, 4–6, 6–4, in front of a boisterous crowd of over 10,000. Israel defeated Russia 4–1 for the win.

At the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships in July, Kunistyn was beaten in the second round by 23-year-old American Wayne Odesnik.

In 2012 Wimbledon, he lost his first-round match to Go Soeda.

ATP career finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)

Legend
Legend Grand Slam Tournaments (0–0) ATP World Tour Finals (0–0) ATP Masters 1000 Series (0–0) ATP 500 Series (0–0) ATP 250 Series (1–0)Finals by surface Hard (1–0) Clay (0–0) Grass (0–0) Carpet (0–0)Finals by setting Outdoors (0–0) Indoors (1–0)
Grand Slam Tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP Masters 1000 Series (0–0)
ATP 500 Series (0–0)
ATP 250 Series (1–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–0)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoors (0–0)
Indoors (1–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1–0Oct 2008Moscow, RussiaInternational SeriesHardRussia Marat Safin7–6(8–6), 6–7(4–7), 6–3

Doubles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)

Legend
Legend Grand Slam Tournaments (0–0) ATP World Tour Finals (0–0) ATP Masters 1000 Series (0–0) ATP 500 Series (0–0) ATP 250 Series (1–3)Finals by surface Hard (1–1) Clay (0–0) Grass (0–2) Carpet (0–0)Finals by setting Outdoors (0–2) Indoors (1–1)
Grand Slam Tournaments (0–0)
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
ATP Masters 1000 Series (0–0)
ATP 500 Series (0–0)
ATP 250 Series (1–3)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–2)
Carpet (0–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoors (0–2)
Indoors (1–1)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1Jun 2006Nottingham, Great BritainInternational SeriesGrassRussia Dmitry TursunovIsrael Jonathan Erlich Israel Andy Ram3–6, 2–6
Loss0–2Jul 2007Newport, United StatesInternational SeriesGrassAustralia Nathan HealeyAustralia Jordan Kerr United States Jim Thomas3–6, 5–7
Loss0–3Oct 2009Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia250 SeriesHardCzech Republic Jaroslav LevinskýPoland Mariusz Fyrstenberg Poland Marcin Matkowski2–6, 1–6
Win1–3Oct 2010Moscow, Russia250 SeriesHardRussia Dmitry TursunovSerbia Janko Tipsarević Serbia Viktor Troicki7–6(10–8), 6–3

ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals

Singles: 26 (14–12)

Legend
Legend ATP Challenger (8–8) ITF Futures (6–4)Finals by surface Hard (11–10) Clay (3–1) Grass (0–0) Carpet (0–1)
ATP Challenger (8–8)
ITF Futures (6–4)
Finals by surface
Hard (11–10)
Clay (3–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–1)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Aug 1998Belarus F1, MinskFuturesCarpetUzbekistan Dmitriy Tomashevich4–6, 6–7
Win1–1Sep 1998Ukraine F2, GorlovkaFuturesClayRussia Kirill Ivanov-Smolensky7–6, 6–3
Win2–1Sep 1999Russia F3, TolyattiFuturesHardRussia Artem Derepasko6–2, 6–4
Loss2–2May 2000Fergana, UzbekistanChallengerHardBelarus Vladimir Voltchkov6–4, 0–6, 4–6
Loss2–3Aug 2000Tolyatti, RussiaChallengerHardUzbekistan Vadim Kutsenko4–6, 1–6
Win3–3Jun 2001Italy F7, TurinFuturesClayFrance Éric Prodon6–4, 6–1
Win4–3Jan 2002USA F2, Delray BeachFuturesHardItaly Giorgio Galimberti6–4, 6–2
Loss4–4Feb 2002Croatia F1, ZagrebFuturesHardCroatia Lovro Zovko6–4, 1–6, 6–7(6–8)
Loss4–5Feb 2002Croatia F2, ZagrebFuturesHardCroatia Lovro Zovko2–6, 6–3, 6–7(5–7)
Loss4–6Apr 2002Uzbekistan F1, KarshiFuturesHardChinese Taipei Jimmy Wang5–7, 4–6
Win5–6May 2002Uzbekistan F4, NamanganFuturesHardFinland Tuomas Ketola6–3, 6–3
Loss5–7Oct 2002Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHardAustria Werner Eschauer2–6, ret.
Loss5–8Feb 2003Wrocław, PolandChallengerHardSlovakia Karol Kučera2–6, 1–6
Win6–8Apr 2004Uzbekistan F2, GulistonFuturesHardCroatia Ivan Cerović7–5, 6–2
Win7–8May 2004Fergana, UzbekistanChallengerHardIndia Prakash Amritraj6–4, 7–5
Win8–8Jul 2005Tolyatti, RussiaChallengerHardSlovakia Viktor Bruthans6–1, 6–2
Win9–8Aug 2005Saransk, RussiaChallengerClaySerbia and Montenegro Boris Pashanski7–5, 6–4
Win10–8Nov 2007Shrewsbury, United KingdomChallengerHardNetherlands Igor Sijsling6–2, 6–4
Loss10–9Apr 2008Baton Rouge, United StatesChallengerHardUnited States Bobby Reynolds3–6, 7–6(7–3), 5–7
Loss10–10May 2008Bordeaux, FranceChallengerClayArgentina Eduardo Schwank2–6, 2–6
Win11–10Sep 2008Donetsk, UkraineChallengerHardUkraine Sergey Bubka6–3, 6–3
Win12–10Sep 2010Astana, KazakhstanChallengerHardRussia Konstantin Kravchuk4–6, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–3)
Loss12–11Nov 2010Astana, KazakhstanChallengerHardCroatia Ivan Dodig4–6, 3–6
Loss12–12Mar 2011San José, Costa RicaChallengerHardEcuador Giovanni Lapentti5–7, 3–6
Win13–12May 2011Cremona, ItalyChallengerHardGermany Rainer Schüttler6–2, 7–6(7–2)
Win14–12Aug 2012Karshi, UzbekistanChallengerHardBelarus Dzmitry Zhyrmont7–6(12–10), 6–2

Doubles: 11 (5–6)

Legend
Legend ATP Challenger (4–4) ITF Futures (1–2)Finals by surface Hard (4–4) Clay (0–2) Grass (0–0) Carpet (1–0)
ATP Challenger (4–4)
ITF Futures (1–2)
Finals by surface
Hard (4–4)
Clay (0–2)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (1–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1May 2001Uzbekistan F2, AndijanFuturesHardSouth Africa Rik de VoestAustralia Jordan Kerr Finland Tuomas Ketola7–5, 2–6, 1–6
Win1–1May 2001Fergana, UzbekistanChallengerHardSouth Africa Rik de VoestCanada Simon Larose Australia Michael Tebbutt6–1, 6–7(4–7), 6–3
Loss1–2Apr 2004Uzbekistan F1, QarshiFuturesHardRussia Dmitri VlasovCroatia Ivan Cerović North Macedonia Lazar Magdinchev3–6, 6–2, 4–6
Win2–2Aug 2004Segovia, SpainChallengerHardBelarus Vladimir VoltchkovSpain Daniel Muñoz de la Nava Spain Iván Navarro3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss2–4Aug 2004Bronx, United StatesChallengerHardItaly Uros VicoUnited States Huntley Montgomery United States Tripp Phillips6–7(6–8), 7–6(10–8), 2–6
Loss2–5Sep 2004Kyiv, UkraineChallengerClayRussia Yuri SchukinSpain Albert Portas Argentina Sergio Roitman1–6, 1–6
Win3–5Sep 2004Donetsk, UkraineChallengerHardItaly Uros VicoSwitzerland Marco Chiudinelli Croatia Lovro Zovko3–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win4–5Feb 2005Belgrade, SerbiaChallengerCarpetUkraine Orest TereshchukCzech Republic Lukáš Dlouhý Czech Republic Jan Vacekwalkover
Win5–5Apr 2005Uzbekistan F1, QarshiFuturesHardRussia Sergei DemekhineUzbekistan Murad Inoyatov Uzbekistan Denis Istomin6–4, 5–7, 6–4
Loss5–6Jan 2008Heilbronn, GermanyChallengerHardPakistan Aisam QureshiSouth Africa Rik de Voest United States Bobby Reynolds6–7(2–7), 7–6(7–5), [4–10]
Loss5–7Jul 2010Braunschweig, GermanyChallengerClayKazakhstan Yuri SchukinPortugal Leonardo Tavares Italy Simone Vagnozzi5–7, 6–7(4–7)

Performance timelines

Key
WFSFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH

Singles

Tournament20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013SRW–LWin%
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian OpenAAAQ1Q1Q1A1RQ31R2R2R1RQ20 / 52–529%
French OpenAAQ1Q2AAQ21RA1R1R1R1RQ10 / 50–50%
WimbledonAAQ21RQ2Q22R1R1R2R1R2R1RQ30 / 83–827%
US OpenQ1A1RQ2Q1Q21R2R1R1RA3RAQ20 / 63–633%
Win–loss0–00–00–10–10–00–01–21–40–21–41–34–40–30–00 / 248–2425%
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Indian WellsAAAAAQ1A1R1R2RAA1RQ10 / 41–420%
MiamiAAAAAQ11R1R1R2RA2R2RA0 / 63–633%
Monte CarloAAAAAAAQ2A1RQ2AAA0 / 10–10%
RomeAAAQ1AAQ2Q2A1RAAAA0 / 10–10%
HamburgAAAQ1AAAAAAAAAA0 / 10–10%
MadridNot HeldAAAAAAA1RAQ1AA0 / 10–10%
CanadaAAAAAAAAA1RAAAA0 / 10–10%
CincinnatiAAAQ1AAAAA2RAAAA0 / 11–150%
ShanghaiNot Held2RAAAA0 / 11–150%
ParisAAAAAAAAAAA2RAA0 / 10–10%
Win–loss0–00–00–00–00–00–00–10–20–24–80–01–21–20–00 / 176–1726%

Doubles

Tournament2003200420052006200720082009201020112012SRW–LWin%
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian OpenAAAA1R1R2R2RA2R0 / 53–538%
French OpenAAAAQFSFQFA1R1R0 / 510–567%
WimbledonQ1AAA2R2R1RAAA0 / 32–340%
US OpenAAAA1R3R1RA1RA0 / 42–433%
Win–loss0–00–00–00–04–47–44–41–10–21–20 / 1717–1750%
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Indian WellsAAAAAA1RAAA0 / 10–10%
MiamiAAAAAA1RAAA0 / 10–10%
CanadaAAAAAA1RAAA0 / 10–10%
CincinnatiAAAAAA1RAAA0 / 10–10%
Win–loss0–00–00–00–00–00–00–40–00–00–00 / 40–40%

External links