Benjamin Becker
Benjamin Becker ( born June 16, 1981 in Merzig ) is a German tennis player.
- 2.1 Single 2.1.1 Siege 2.1.1.1 ATP World Tour
- 2.1.1.2 ATP Challenger Tour
- 2.1.2.1 ATP World Tour
Tennis career
At the age of nine years, Becker began playing tennis. During his time at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, he became an American college champion of 2004, both with the team of the University as well as in singles. In November 2005, Becker decided, contrary to earlier plans for a career as a professional tennis player. With participation in second-and third-tier tournaments he fought his way in the world rankings to the top.
Breakthrough in 2006
In June 2006, he succeeded the first time, to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament. In the first round of the Wimbledon Championships, he defeated Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela. In the second round came against the Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the From his first five- set match on the tour.
As the number 112 in the world rankings, he qualified for the U.S. Open in New York. After he can beat the Italian Filippo Volandri and then had the set Frenchmen Sébastien Grosjean in the first round, he met in round 3 to the American veteran Andre Agassi. In a dramatic match, it was at the end of Becker, who prevailed in four sets 7-5, 6:7, 6:4 and 7:5, and thus ended Agassi's long career ( he had previously announced that the U.S. be open would be his last tournament ). In the second round Becker different then with 3:6, 4:6 and 3:6 against Andy Roddick. In the published on 11 September 2006 world rankings, he was with number 76 among the top 100 for the first time
When ATP tournament in Tokyo it was in the semifinal the number 1, the Swiss Roger Federer, stop with 3:6 and 4:6. His quarter-final match against Czech Jiri Novak on the previous day, only at 3:24 clock in the morning (local time) ended - the zweitspäteste end in ATP history.
2007
Even with the ATP tournaments in the American Delray Beach ( 3:6, 6:7 against James Blake ) and San José ( 6:7, 5:7 against Ivo Karlović ) Becker was able to reach the semi-finals and so on until the world ranking Rank 38 climb. Previously, he had just missed a surprise at the Australian Open. He was defeated there in the first round in five fought sets Marat Safin 7-5, 6:7, 6:3, 3:6 and 4:6.
In the further course of the season Becker lost often already in round one or two. Only in the grass tournament in 's- Hertogenbosch, he reached the quarter-finals, but it lost to the Frenchman Anthony Dupuis (then number 345 in the world rankings ) with 6:7, 3:6. In September, he reached his first ATP final, where he lost to Dmitry Tursunov 1:6, 2:6 in Bangkok.
Losing streak and first tournament victory (2008-2009)
After a disappointing running in 2008, in which he, among many early defeats, sometimes even in the first round of qualifying, three quarterfinals in Adelaide ( 6:7, 4:6 against Michaël Llodra ), Memphis ( 1:6, 0: 6 posted against Steve Darcis ) and Basel ( 6:7, 4:6 against David Nalbandian ), he finished the season ranked 129 in the world rankings. Managed Only in May 2009 Becker by victories in the Challenger tournaments of Heilbronn, Baton Rouge, Rhodes and Cremona, and the finals in Ramat haScharon the leap back into the Top 100 in June Becker reached at the Gerry Weber Open 2009 in Halle to wins the round of the last eight, where he defeated Victor Hanescu and over Rainer Schuettler as one of five Germans against Olivier Rochus qualifiers with 7:6, 3:6 and 3:6. A week later, Becker won in 's- Hertogenbosch, another warm-up tournament for Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-3 against Raemon Sluiter his first title on the ATP World Tour. At the next Grand Slam tournament he left but then in the second round against Jurgen Melzer with 6:7, 3:6 and 6:7 from. When ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati Becker reached Round 2, where he lost to Lleyton Hewitt. At the U.S. Open 2009, he retired on lap 1 from Fernando Verdasco against. He remained in the following five tournaments without a win. Only at the tournament in Lyon Becker recorded an opening win again, but already retired on lap two. The last tournament of the year played Becker in Paris -Bercy, where he first Michaël Llodra defeated before he had a chance against Nikolay Davydenko.
The year 2010
The year began with a successful qualification in Doha, where Becker failed in the second round of the main draw to Ivo Karlović. At the Medibank International Sydney a week later, he retired again in Round 2. At the Australian Open, he lost his second-round match again, this time against Nicolás Almagro in five sets. Difference also in the subsequent tournaments in Zagreb and San José Becker in round 2. In Delray Beach, he reached for the first time in the season one quarterfinal, where he failed to Jarkko Nieminen 6-7 in the third set. When ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami Becker reached the fourth round after beating Simon Greul, Ivan Ljubičić and Tommy Robredo, he lost to Andy Roddick ( 6:7, 4:6 ). The highlight of the clay court season were the second-round appearances in Monte - Carlo and Madrid, he failed to Juan Carlos Ferrero and Roger Federer. The French Open in Paris were for him with a first round defeat against Denis Istomin to an end. Becker started with two consecutive semi-finals in Halle / Westphalia and Den Bosch successfully in the lawn season. In Halle he lost in three sets against Lleyton Hewitt ( 7:6, 6:7, 2:6 ). At Wimbledon was in round 2 against the eventual finalists Tomas Berdych terminus. At the tournament in Los Angeles, he reached the second round, where he retired against James Blake. At the U.S. Open Becker suggested in the opening match Daniel Brands, but lost in round 2 against David Ferrer. In the Open de Moselle in Metz, he failed equally in round 1 of the Finnish Jarkko Nieminen. At the following tournament, Becker played with victories over Mischa Zverev, the set of number two Fernando Verdasco and Daniel Brands to the semifinals before. There he was defeated again Nieminen 3:6 and 2:6. He was qualified for the ATP tournament in Shanghai, but lost in round 1 against Frenchman Gael Monfils with 1:6, 5:7. In Stockholm he reached the second round with a win over a qualifier, then failed however in straight sets to Robin Soderling. In St. Petersburg, Becker reached the quarterfinals. At the BNP Paribas Open in Paris -Bercy he survived the qualification. In the main draw he defeated Denis Istomin, before he failed in round 2 of Gael Monfils. Becker finished the season with a match record of 29:31 and a prize of 553 431 U.S. dollars.
Davis Cup and Bundesliga
Becker was nominated by Patrik Kuhnen early 2007 for the first time the German Davis Cup team. In the first round, which Germany won against Croatia, Becker but remained without a win. In March 2010, Becker was appointed to the team again for the first round match against France, he lost to Jo -Wilfried Tsonga in four sets. The insignificant last single was defeated Julien Benneteau also in two sets. The German team lost at the end with 1:4.
Benjamin Becker also plays in Mannheim at the TK Green-White Mannheim in the tennis league, where he had to show a single record of 2-1 and a doubles record of 3-0 in 2007 and with Green-White German team champion.
Achievements
Singles
Win
ATP World Tour
ATP Challenger Tour
Finals
ATP World Tour
Others
There is no family connection to the former German tennis player Boris Becker. Benjamin Becker's grandfather was the Saarland Landtag Alfred Becker, who died in 1995. His cousin is the radio host Tom Becker.