Tennis ace to model in Europe - news.com.au
18 January 2004

HE is set to become the male Anna Kornikova of Australian tennis because Robert Giltinan can play like a champion as well as walk like a supermodel. After years of sweating it out on the tennis court, Giltinan, 20, from Cromer Heights on Sydney's northern beaches is setting out on a modelling career in Europe.

Spotted at a Christina Aguilera concert last year, Giltinan has now been short-listed by two top Italian fashion houses. Between shoots, he is playing on the Future's Tennis Circuit: a tournament for aspiring tennis professionals.

"The modelling is very exciting because it has happened so quickly but I'm not giving my tennis away for it," Giltinan said. "I guess I'm lucky, I can hedge my bets either way and end up with an interesting career."
Giltinan was in primary school when he started modelling and television commercials for fun. But with his father Bob a former Davis Cup player, tennis played a more important role in his life.

By 17, he was ranked the number three junior in Australia and now is just one level below professional.
But, for now, modelling holds his attention. Four days after the fateful concert last June, Giltinan was rushed through a modelling open call in Los Angeles to be photographed for exclusive modelling agency Pulse.

He is now waiting to hear from the Italian fashion houses. "It could be Versace, Louis Vuitton or Dolce and Gabbana, I'm not sure yet," Giltinan said. Companies in London, New York and a top San Diego surf label has
also shown interest in the modest Sydney-sider since his photographs were circulated around the world.

"I've been really lucky to end up with an agency like Pulse because they only deal with top fashion houses and they don't send you out for cattle calls which a lot of agencies do," Giltinan said. "Just a year before I went on Pulse's books the same scout who spotted me, Vikki Leza, signed a guy who has just shot the cover of Italian
Vogue. Who knows how far it will take me?"