Benjamin Becker biography
Date of birth : 1981-06-16
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Merzig, Saarland, West Germany
Nationality : German
Category : Sports
Last modified : 2011-04-18
Credited as : Professional Tennis player, ATP tour, US Open, ATP Masters Series
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Benjamin Becker is a German professional tennis player. Becker's primary weapon is a very big serve that he can hit at up to 220 km/h (136.7 mph), along with powerful groundstrokes.
Becker was born at Merzig, Saarland, then part of West Germany. He won the 2004 NCAA singles title while helping Baylor University to the team title.
The ATP tour’s 2006 Newcomer of the Year, the big-serving Benjamin Becker won his first title in 2009, defeating Raemon Sluiter in the final of the grass-court event in s'Hertogenbosch. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 38 on October 5, 2009. Becker—no relation to fellow German Boris Becker, the six-time major champion—captured the NCAA singles title and helped Baylor University to its first team title in 2004. In the third round of the 2006 U.S. Open, Becker beat Andre Agassi in the American’s final professional match. That round of 16 appearance is to date Becker’s best showing at a major.
Timeline :
Began playing at age seven
Nicknamed Benni
Father, Jorg, works in a tax office; mother, Ulrike, works at a retail store; one younger sister, Kathrin
No relation to former No. 1 and six-time Grand Slam title winner Boris Becker but began wearing his clothing line in May 2007
Played four years from 2001-05 at Baylor University in Texas and earned All-America honors last three years
Captured the NCAA singles title (d. Michael Kogan of Tulane) and helped Baylor to its first team title in 2004 (d. UCLA)
Majored in Finance and International Business and is one semester short of earning his degree
Favorite surface is hard courts and considers his serve and forehand as most important parts of his game
A big soccer and basketball fan and favorite soccer team is 1. FC K÷ln and follows NBA Dallas Mavericks because of countryman Dirk Nowitzki
Idolized Becker and Andre Agassi growing up
Voted Sportsman of the Year in November, 2006, in his home province Saarland in Germany by 38 percent of the viewers of German local television channel SR
Named 2006 ATP Newcomer of Year
Has an 0-2 Davis Cup singles record
Works with Tarik Benhabiles and Jean-Luc Fontanot.
