Tom Okker

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Tom Okker
Country Netherlands
Residence Hazerswoude-Dorp
Date of birth February 22, 1944 (1944-02-22) (age 64)
Place of birth Amsterdam
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Weight ?
Turned pro 1968
Retired 1980
Plays Right-handed
Career prize money $1,257,200
Singles
Career record: 520–216
Career titles: 31
Highest ranking: No. 3 (March 2, 1974)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open SF (1971), QF (1970)
French Open SF (1969), QF (1973)
Wimbledon SF (1978), QF (1968), QF (1969), QF (1979)
US Open F (1968), SF (1971)
Doubles
Career record: 550–152
Career titles: 69
Highest ranking: No. 1 (1969)

Infobox last updated on: May 31, 2007.
Medal record
Competitor for the Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands
Maccabiah Games
Men's tennis
Gold 1965 Israel Men's Singles
Gold 1965 Israel Mixed Doubles

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.

Contents

[edit] 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.

[edit] Davis Cup

Between 1964 and 1981, Okker represented The Netherlands in Davis Cup play, where he was 15-20.[1]

[edit] Maccabiah Games

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

[edit] Style 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.

[edit] Grand Slam singles final

[edit] Runner-up (1)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1968 U.S. Open Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 14-12, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3

[edit] Open era singles finals

[edit] Titles (22)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 1969 Rome, Italy Clay Flag of South Africa Bob Hewitt 10-8, 6–8, 6–1, 1–6, 6–0
2. 1969 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Australia John Newcombe 8-10, 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
3. 1969 Hilversum, Netherlands Hard Flag of the United States Tom Gorman 6–3, 4–6, 7–6
4. 1969 Paris Indoor, France Carpet Flag of the United States Earl Butch Buchholz 8–6, 6–2, 6–1
5. 1970 Hilversum, Netherlands Hard Flag of the United Kingdom Roger Taylor 4–6, 6–0, 6–1, 6–3
6. 1970 Hamburg, Germany Clay Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–4
7. 1971 Louisville WCT, U.S. Clay Flag of South Africa Cliff Drysdale 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
8. 1971 Quebec WCT, Canada Indoor Flag of Australia Rod Laver 6–3, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4
9. 1972 Chicago WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
10. 1973 Washington WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 6–3, 6–7, 7–6
11. 1973 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay Flag of Spain Andrés Gimeno 2–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–7, 6–3
12. 1973 Montreal, Canada Hard Flag of Spain Manuel Orantes 6–3, 6–2, 6–1
13. 1973 Seattle, U.S. Other Flag of Australia John Alexander 7–5, 6–4
14. 1973 Chicago, U.S. Carpet Flag of Australia John Newcombe 3–6, 7–6, 6–3
15. 1973 Madrid, Spain Clay Flag of Chile Jaime Fillol 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5
16. 1973 London, United Kingdom Carpet Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase 6–3, 6–4
17. 1974 Toronto WCT, Canada Carpet Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase 6–3, 6–4
18. 1974 Rotterdam, Netherlands Carpet Flag of the United States Tom Gorman 4–6, 7–6, 6–1
19. 1975 Nottingham, United Kingdom Grass Flag of Australia Tony Roche 6–1, 3–6, 6–3
20. 1975 Paris Indoor, France Hard (i) Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 6–3, 2–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
21. 1977 Richmond WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of the United States Vitas Gerulaitis 3–6, 6–3, 6–4
22. 1979 Tel-Aviv, Israel Hard Flag of Sweden Per Hjertquist 6–4, 6–3

[edit] Runner-ups (23)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 1968 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Flag of South Africa Cliff Drysdale 6–3, 6–3, 6–0
2. 1968 U.S. Open, New York City Grass Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 14-12, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
3. 1969 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Flag of Australia Roy Emerson 6–1, 12-14, 6–4, 6–4
4. 1969 Hamburg, Germany Clay Flag of Australia Tony Roche 6–1, 5–7, 7–5, 8–6
5. 1970 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Flag of Australia Tony Roche 7–5, 7–5, 6–3
6. 1971 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase 3–6, 8–6, 6–1, 6–1
7. 1971 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Flag of Australia John Newcombe 6–2, 5–7, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3
8. 1971 Montreal, Canada Clay Flag of Australia John Newcombe 7–6, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6
9. 1971 Toronto WCT, Canada Carpet Flag of Australia John Newcombe 7–6, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6
10. 1971 Vancouver WCT, Canada Outdoor Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall 6–2, 6–2, 6–4
11. 1972 Boston WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of the United States Robert Lutz 6–4, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
12. 1972 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Flag of the United States Stan Smith 6–4, 6–3
13. 1972 Rotterdam WCT, Netherlands Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
14. 1973 Washington D.C., U.S. Clay Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 6–4, 6–2
15. 1973 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard Flag of the United States Jimmy Connors 7–5, 7–6
16. 1973 Masters, Boston Carpet Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase 6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3
17. 1974 Washington WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase 6–3, 6–3
18. 1974 Boston, U.S. Clay Flag of Sweden Björn Borg 7–6, 6–1, 6–1
19. 1974 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 6–2, 6–2
20. 1975 Rotterdam WCT, Netherlands Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 3–6, 6–2, 6–4
21. 1975 Johannesburg WCT, South Africa Hard Flag of the United Kingdom Buster Mottram 6–4, 6–2
22. 1975 Stockholm WCT, Sweden Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 6–4, 6–2
23. 1978 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay Flag of Hungary Balázs Taróczy 2–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4

[edit] International Jewish Hall of Fame

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

[edit] Miscellaneous

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

[edit] Links



Awards
Preceded by
Jan Janssen		 Dutch Sportsman of the Year
1969		 Succeeded by
Ard Schenk