Filippo Volandri was appointed this Saturday the new captain of the Italian Davis Cup team, replacing Corrado Barazzutti, who ended a 20-year period in that position on 31 December.
“The Federal Council of the FIT (Italian Tennis Federation) has appointed Filippo Volandri as the new captain of the Davis Cup team,” reads the official note provided by the Italian Federation.
Volandri, 39, former number 25 in the ATP ranking, replaces Barazzutti, who was captain of Italy for the last twenty years and who at the same time led the Federation Cup team between 2002 and 2016, winning four titles.
“I thank the Federal Council for their confidence in me. At this very important moment in my career as a coach, I have to give a very heartfelt thank you to Corrado (Barazzutti), who in 2001, just named captain, made me debut in Davis Cup even though it was a boy.
I look forward to honoring this position as he did, “said Volandri. Volandri turned professional in 1997. In 2004 he won the Pörtschach Tournament, which was his first ATP tournament.
In 2007 he reached the fourth round of the French Open, which is his best Grand Slam performance so far. In 2007 he won his second ATP title by winning the Palermo Tournament, defeating Ecuadorian Nicolás Lapentti 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in the final.
At the 2007 Rome Masters Volandri caused a stir when he surprisingly defeated world number one Roger Federer in the second round, defeating 6-2, 6-4. Previously, the Italian beat Richard Gasquet.
With a victory against the Czech Tomáš Berdych, Volandri went to the semifinals, where he faced the Chilean Fernando González who beat him 1-6 and 2-6. His best Grand Slam record was the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2007, just weeks after breaking out in Rome.
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