Tom Okker

Infobox Tennis player
playername = Tom Okker


nickname =
country = Netherlands
residence = Hazerswoude-Dorp
datebirth = birth date and age|1944|2|22
placebirth = Amsterdam
height = height|m=1.77
weight = ?
turnedpro = 1968
retired = 1980
plays = Right-handed
careerprizemoney = $1,257,200
singlesrecord = 520–216
singlestitles = 31
highestsinglesranking = No. 3 (March 2, 1974)
AustralianOpenresult = SF (1971), QF (1970)
FrenchOpenresult = SF (1969), QF (1973)
Wimbledonresult = SF (1978), QF (1968), QF (1969), QF (1979)
USOpenresult = F (1968), SF (1971)
doublesrecord = 550–152
doublestitles = 69
highestdoublesranking = No. 1 (1969)
updated = May 31, 2007

Tom Okker (born February 22 1944), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman" and "Tom the Twitch", is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968 through 1974, reaching a career high of World No. 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World No. 1 in doubles in 1969.

Tennis career

Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through 1968. In 1968, he turned professional and won his first important tournament in singles and doubles (with Marty Riessen) at the Italian Open. At Wimbledon, Okker reached the quarterfinals in 1968 and the semifinals in 1978. He achieved his best result in a Grand Slam tournament in 1968, when he lost the final of the U.S. Open to Arthur Ashe 14-12, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3.

Okker won 31 singles titles. As of 2000, 20 years after his retirement, Okker’s 31 career "open tennis" singles victories (combined ATP tour, Grand Prix, and WCT tournaments) still ranked 20th all-time. Among Okker’s singles titles were the 1970 German Open and Belgian Open, 1973 Dewar Cup and Canadian Open, and 1974 WCT Rothmans. He also was the runner-up in 24 singles tournaments.

Despite his success in singles, Okker is mostly remembered for being one of the most successful men's doubles player of all time. Okker won two Grand Slam doubles titles, the U.S. Open in 1976 (with Riessen) and the French Open (with John Newcombe) in 1973. In total, Okker won 78 doubles events, a record that was finally broken by Todd Woodbridge in 2005. Okker’s other doubles titles include: 1973 Italian Open; 1973 London Grass Courts (with Riessen); 1973 Spanish Open (with Ilie Nastase); 1975 Opel International (with Arthur Ashe); and 1978 WCT World Doubles (with Wojtek Fibak).

One of the first tennis professionals to win at least U.S. $1 million in career prize money, Okker's WTC career earnings stood at U.S. $1,257,200 when he retired in 1980.

Davis Cup

Between 1964 and 1981, Okker represented The Netherlands in Davis Cup play, where he was 15-20. [http://www.daviscup.com/teams/player.asp?player=10002278]

Maccabiah Games

In 1965 Okker won both the singles and the mixed doubles titles at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

tyle of play

Okker was a fan favorite with his animated, quick-footed play. He was a slight but canny player who often defeated larger, more powerful opponents.

Grand Slam singles final

Runner-up (1)

International Jewish Hall of Fame

Okker, who is Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Miscellaneous

Although officially retired, Okker continues to play in senior tennis tournaments, and owns an art gallery in Hazerswoude-Dorp, Netherlands.

Links

* [http://www.daviscup.com/teams/player.asp?player=10002278 Davis Cup record]
* [http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=tennis&ID=78 Jews in Sports bio]