Former left-hander known for his powerful groundstrokes with heavy topspin, he reached a career-high ranking of ninth in the world and won three singles titles; reached the final match of the 2005 French Open.
He turned pro as a relative unknown in 1996.
He was the subject of controversy after testing positive for clenbuterol in 2003.
He grew up in San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina.
He lost to Rafael Nadal in the finals of the 2005 French Open.
