Federico Luzzi

"I'm a lucky guy: ranked 167th in the world with five Italians ahead of me, and they gave me the Davis Cup showcase!"

"I knew Federico from the age of 15. He was a player who entertained the crowd. Watching him fascinated me. I never met him on the circuit, but I will always remember him as a nice and funny guy."

"Federico not only won, he won beautifully. He was also a handsome boy, with a captivating face that was both sweet and mischievous, showered with female affection, not least from his mother Paola."

"Regardless of his tennis skills, which were perhaps not fully exploited, he was a likeable and brilliant young man, and his sudden death left his many friends in disbelief and dismay."

"The last time we had dinner together was in Los Angeles, where he was taking an acting course. “Fla, you don't know how many women,” he told me. And I teased him: “What on earth do they see in you...” Every now and then I look at the photo of Fede that I keep in my wallet: he was beautiful."

"I didn't know him well, although I knew he was considered the hope of Italian tennis. As a player, he was very nervous, but that's common among young people trying to make a name for themselves. What I don't understand is how a 28-year-old can die while many criminals walk around freely."

"Federico Luzzi was there to watch me play in the final against Safina last year, and now he's gone. It was as if he were there with me."

"He could be a phenomenon, someone like Xavier Malisse. He has the handicap of being Italian."