Martin Verkerk

From Free net encyclopedia

Martin Willem Verkerk (born 31 October 1978 in Leiderdorp, Netherlands) is a Dutch tennis player. As a relatively unknown player, he had a brilliant run at the French Open in 2003, reaching the final before losing to Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero. Along the way, he beat experienced clay court players Carlos Moya and Guillermo Coria.

Verkerk's game is based on booming serves and big backhands. His unexpected run at the French Open as an underdog and expressive on-court antics made him very popular in the Netherlands. The final round was watched by even more households in the Netherlands than when countrymate Richard Krajicek won Wimbledon. However, Verkerk has not reproduced similar results since then, never reaching past the third round in subsequent Grand Slams.

Verkerk's career high ranking is #14. He has two ATP titles, in Milan (2003) and the Dutch Open in Amersfoort (2004).

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