Michelle Larcher de Brito

• Date of birth: January 29, 1993
• Birthplace:  Lisbon, Portugal
• Residence: Bradenton, Florida, USA
• Height:  5' 5" (1.65m)
• Weight: 125 lbs. (57 kg)
• Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
• Turned Pro: February 7, 2007

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Micaela Larcher de Brito most commonly known as Michelle de Brito or Michelle Larcher de Brito (born January 29, 1993 in Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portuguese female tennis player. Michelle's family, moved to the United States to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida when she was 9 years old. Besides her father, António Larcher de Brito, she was coached by Nick Bollettieri till the end of 2007. Currently she is training full time with her father. Due to her already impressive achievements at a tender age, Michelle has been compared with Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion Maria Sharapova although she does not like being compared to Maria Sharapova - as per her brother, Sérgio.

Career

Junior

Michelle played in the ITF Junior circuit from August, 2006 to December, 2007, managing to win three singles tournaments. In Grand-Slam tournaments, she made it to the singles quarterfinals of the 2007 French Open and the doubles quarterfinals of the 2007 Wimbledon Championships. She won her last tournament, the 2007 Orange Bowl, becoming, at 14 years, 10 months and 11 days, the second youngest champion of the event's history after Nicole Vaidisova. She was also the youngest player ever to win the U-16 Eddie Herr Championship (in 2005 when she was 12). Her best junior ranking was the 20th place with a 44-15 singles record and a 10-17 doubles record.

Senior

Michelle made her debut on the ITF circuit in early February, 2007, in the $75.000, hard court tournment in Midland, Michigan, United States. There, as an unranked wildcard, she lost in the first round both singles (lost 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 against Kristina Brandi) and doubles (teaming with Greta Arn, lost 6–4, 6–2 against the pair of Julie Ditty and Natalie Grandin). She would make WTA Tour debut as unranked wildcard at the Miami Open, reaching the second round before falling to No.16 seed Daniela Hantuchova 7–5 6–0. At 14 years, 1 month and 3 days, Brito became the seventh-youngest in the WTA tour history to win a singles main draw match by beating Meghann Shaughnessy 3–6, 6–2 7–6(3) in the first round and the youngest since the Age Eligibility Rule was implemented in 1995. Despite this achievement, due to her age, she wasn't allowed to play any more senior tournaments until September. During that time, Michelle played for the Sacramento Capitals in the World Team Tennis, where she won the 2007 championship. In her return to the circuit, Michelle became the first Portuguese player to reach a semifinal at a $75,000 ITF event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, losing to no.3 seed Rossana de los Rios 7–5, 3–6, 7–5. The feat allowed her to debut in the WTA rankings at no.364, with no one younger ahead of her.

On March 28, 2008, on her return to Sony Ericcson Open in Miami, Michelle garnered the greatest win of her young career, beating World No. 16 Agnieszka Radwanska, 2–6, 6–3, 7–5 in the 2nd round. This was also the greatest victory ever in portuguese female tennis. She would then lose to World No. 15 Shahar Pe'er 6–0, 6–2. The following month, Michelle debuted on her home tournament in Portugal, the Estoril Open. She lost to Sanda Mamic 2–6, 6–0, 6–4.

Personal life

Michelle's coach and father, António, is Portuguese, born in Angola. Her mother, Caroline, is from South Africa. She has two older brothers, twins Sebastião and Sérgio.

source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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