Juan Ignacio Chela retires from professional tennis - Tennis news
Argentinean star, Juan Ignacio Chela, announced his retirement from professional tennis on a social networking site on Monday. He achieved great success in his 14-year career at the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour and captured many titles in singles and doubles events.
Ignacio Chela was ranked at number 176th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings when he decided to end his career. He stated his retirement in Spanish at his twitter account:
“After many years it was time to move to another stage in my life, I retire from professional tennis”.
The 33-year-old made a convincing start to this circuit. He was ranked 29th in the ATP Rankings and despite losing his opening match at the Heineken Open, the Argentine cruised to third round of the Australian Open (lost to fifth seed David Ferrer). He then cruised to the semi-finals at his home soil event in Vina del Mar (lost to seventh seeded Carlos Berlocq). Ignacio Chela kept momentum rolling at the Davis Cup where he overpowered Germany’s Florian Mayer in the reverse singles. However, the Argentine got off-track after this and fell to an eight match losing streak.
He played his last match at the Wimbledon Championships, third of the four Grand Slam events held in London, where he was underplayed by the Slovakian star, Martin Klizan, in a five-set thriller. He suffered the defeat after trailing 9-11 in the deciding set at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in June.
Ignacio Chela’s last victory came at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco in February where the Argentine devastated the local wild card entrant, Cesar Ramirez, with a bagel.
The Argentine may endured a dismal season this year but he achieved great success in his 14-years on the tour. He bagged six ATP singles titles and three doubles titles. Ignacio Chela reached his career best rank at number 15 and reached quarter-finals of three Grand Slam events.
The Argentinean veteran captured his sixth title at the Power Horse World Team Cup in Dusseldorf last season (overpowered local challenger Philipp Kohlschreiber). He ended his career by registering 326-277 win-loss record.
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