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Fernando GonzlezFernando Francisco Gonzlez Ciuffardi (born July 29, 1980), nicknamed El Bombardero de La Reina (Spanish "La Reina's Bomber") and Mano de Piedra ("Hand of Stone,") is a professional tennis player from Chile. Gonzlez was born in Santiago, Chile. His father, Fernando, is a manager of a flour mill in Santiago and his mother, Patricia, is a housewife. He began playing tennis at the age of 7. He moved with his family to the municipality of La Reina in eastern Santiago, where his father presided a tennis club. As a junior, Gonzlez achieved the number one position. He won the US Open boys doubles (with compatriot Nicols Mass) in 1997, and the French Open singles (defeating a young Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final) and doubles (with Venezuelan Jos de Armas) in 1998. He became a professional in 1999. His first ATP title came in 2000 when he defeated compatriot Nicols Mass in the US Men's Clay Court Championships final in Orlando, Florida. It was the first all-Chilean ATP final since Jaime Fillol defeated Ricardo Acua in the 1982 Itaparica final. In 2002 he surpassed former number one player Marcelo Ros as the top Chilean in the singles rankings, and was one of most improved players on the ATP circuit, jumping 118 positions in the ATP Champions Race. In February of that year he won his second career ATP title in Via del Mar by defeating Nicols Lapentti in the final, and later that year he won his third title in Palermo, Italy and reached the semifinals at the Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati, and the quarterfinals at the US Open grand slam event. Gonzlez repeated his Via del Mar title in 2004 by defeating Gustavo Kuerten in the final. Later that year, at the Olympic Games in Athens, he and doubles partner Nicols Mass gave their country its first ever Olympic gold medal, when they defeated Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schttler of Germany to win the men's doubles tournament. He also obtained a bronze in the men's singles. Gonzlez began 2005 in great shape by winning Auckland (New Zealand) in January. In his career, Gonzlez has defeated many former number-one players, including Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi (both while they held the top spot), Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras. Gonzlez is currently coached by Argentinian Horacio de la Pea. Gonzalez, Fernando Gonzlez, Fernando Gonzlez, Fernando
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