Aaron Krickstein
Encyclopedia
Aaron Krickstein nicknamed "Marathon Man", is a former American professional tennis player, who competed on the ATP
Tour from 1983 to 1996. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
, he currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.
Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No. 6, on February 26, 1990. He achieved this ranking on the back of wins in Sydney and Los Angeles, as well as his best ever results at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
and Brad Gilbert
. His coach Nick Bollettieri
remarked as to his personality when he was a teenager: "Aaron was brought up in a Jewish background and babied for 16 years. Now his father wants me to make him Italian."
His sister Kathy won the Big Ten tennis championship in 1998. He is the uncle of LPGA's golfer Morgan Pressel
, who is the daughter of his sister Kathy and the youngest winner of an LPGA major.
He became an active competitor on the high school tennis scene during his teens, and still holds the Michigan
record for most consecutive match wins in at this level (56). He played for University Liggett School
.
He also won the American National Under 16 championship in 1982. While still only 16, he was the US National Junior Tennis Association Champion, Clay Champion, and USTA National Champion in the 18s in 1983. All in all, he won five consecutive junior championships.
His best finishes in a Grand Slam event were at the 1989 US Open, and the 1995 Australian Open
, where he reached the semifinals.
In 1984 he won the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship, becoming its youngest winner, and a clay court tournament in Boston. In 1989 he won the Tokyo Indoor Tennis Tournament and a hard court tournament in Sydney, Australia. In 1991, 1992, and 1993 he won the South African Open.
He had a record of 10 career wins from 0–2 set deficits. Krickstein was nicknamed "Marathon Man" because of his ability to come from behind. Krickstein won 27 of his 35 career matches that went into a fifth set.
He had an injury-plagued career, which included stress fractures in both feet, knee and wrist problems in 1985 and 1986, and injuries suffered when he was side-swiped by a New York City taxi in 1987.
He defeated a number of top players when they were at the very top of their game. He beat Ivan Lendl
(world #1) in 1990, Michael Stich
(world #2 and #4) in 1994 and 1991, Stefan Edberg
(world #3) in 1988 and Boris Becker
(world #3) in 1992, Mats Wilander
(world #4) in 1984, and Jimmy Arias
(world #5) in 1984 and Sergi Bruguera
(world #5) in 1994. He also amassed wins over Pete Sampras
and Andre Agassi
.
, leading his team to a 4–1 win.
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
Tour from 1983 to 1996. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, he currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.
Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No. 6, on February 26, 1990. He achieved this ranking on the back of wins in Sydney and Los Angeles, as well as his best ever results at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Personal
Krickstein is Jewish, and in the mid-1990s was one of three highly ranked Jewish-American tennis players, along with Jay BergerJay Berger
Jay Berger is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990....
and Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
. His coach Nick Bollettieri
Nick Bollettieri
Nicholas James Bollettieri is an American tennis coach who is credited with developing many world-class champions, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Mary Pierce. Recently, he has worked with 2006 U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova, Jelena Janković, Nicole Vaidišová and Sabine...
remarked as to his personality when he was a teenager: "Aaron was brought up in a Jewish background and babied for 16 years. Now his father wants me to make him Italian."
His sister Kathy won the Big Ten tennis championship in 1998. He is the uncle of LPGA's golfer Morgan Pressel
Morgan Pressel
Morgan Pressel is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the LPGA Tour. She turned pro at age 17 and is the youngest-ever winner of a modern LPGA major championship. Pressel has reached as high as fourth in the world rankings....
, who is the daughter of his sister Kathy and the youngest winner of an LPGA major.
Junior
Krickstein began playing tennis when he was six years old.He became an active competitor on the high school tennis scene during his teens, and still holds the Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
record for most consecutive match wins in at this level (56). He played for University Liggett School
University Liggett School
University Liggett School, also known as ULS and Liggett, is a private, secular school inGrosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1878, it is Michigan's oldest independent coeducational day school....
.
He also won the American National Under 16 championship in 1982. While still only 16, he was the US National Junior Tennis Association Champion, Clay Champion, and USTA National Champion in the 18s in 1983. All in all, he won five consecutive junior championships.
Professional
Krickstein set an ATP record for being the youngest player to win a singles title on the ATP Tour (at age 16, 2 months after his 16th birthday, in Tel Aviv. Krickstein also set a record for being the youngest player to ever break the top 10 (at age 17).His best finishes in a Grand Slam event were at the 1989 US Open, and the 1995 Australian Open
1995 Australian Open
The 1995 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at Flinders Park in Melbourne in Victoria in Australia. It was the 83rd edition of the Australian Open and was held from 16 through 29 January 1995.-Men's Singles:...
, where he reached the semifinals.
In 1984 he won the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship, becoming its youngest winner, and a clay court tournament in Boston. In 1989 he won the Tokyo Indoor Tennis Tournament and a hard court tournament in Sydney, Australia. In 1991, 1992, and 1993 he won the South African Open.
He had a record of 10 career wins from 0–2 set deficits. Krickstein was nicknamed "Marathon Man" because of his ability to come from behind. Krickstein won 27 of his 35 career matches that went into a fifth set.
He had an injury-plagued career, which included stress fractures in both feet, knee and wrist problems in 1985 and 1986, and injuries suffered when he was side-swiped by a New York City taxi in 1987.
He defeated a number of top players when they were at the very top of their game. He beat Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
(world #1) in 1990, Michael Stich
Michael Stich
Michael Detlef Stich is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991...
(world #2 and #4) in 1994 and 1991, Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
(world #3) in 1988 and Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
(world #3) in 1992, Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
(world #4) in 1984, and Jimmy Arias
Jimmy Arias
James Arias is a former tennis touring professional player from the United States, a bronze medallist.From Grand Island, near Buffalo, New York, Arias's peak year was 1983, when as a 19 year-old he finished the year ranked World No. 6, having reached the U.S...
(world #5) in 1984 and Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:...
(world #5) in 1994. He also amassed wins over Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
and Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
.
Davis Cup
He was a member of the United States Davis Cup team from 1985–87, and also was a member of the 1990 squad. He compiled a 6–4 record in singles play during Davis Cup ties. The highlight of Krickstein's Davis Cup career came in 1990 when he scored two hard-fought victories in a World Group Quarterfinal tie against CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia Davis Cup team
The Czechoslovakia Davis Cup team competed from 1921-1992, winning the tournament once, in 1980. From 1993, the nations competed as:*Czech Republic Davis Cup team *Slovakia Davis Cup team...
, leading his team to a 4–1 win.
Singles (9)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1. | October 10, 1983 | Tel Aviv ATP Tel Aviv The Tel Aviv Open is a defunct, ATP Tour affiliated tennis tournament. It was played from 1979-1996. It was held at the Israel Tennis Center at Ramat HaSharon, near Tel Aviv, Israel and was played on outdoor hard courts. The tournament was played as a ATP Challenger Series event in 1998 and 1999... , Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
Hard |  Christoph Zipf |
7–6, 6–3 |
| 2. | July 16, 1984 | Boston U.S. Pro Tennis Championships The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of Open Era... , United States |
Clay |  José-Luis Clerc |
7–6(2), 3–6, 6–4 |
| 3. | September 10, 1984 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard |  Shahar PerkissShahar Perkiss Shahar Perkiss is an Israeli right-handed 6' 4" former professional tennis player.-Tennis career:A year after first picking up a tennis racket, Perkiss ranked # 1 in Israel in the age 10 and under ranks.... |
6–4, 6–1 |
| 4. | September 17, 1984 | Geneva ATP Geneva The Geneva Open is a defunct Grand Prix and ATP Tour affiliated tennis tournament that was held annually from 1980 to 1991 in Geneva, Switzerland on clay courts.-Singles:- Doubles :-External links:*... , Switzerland |
Clay |  Henrik SundströmHenrik Sundström Henrik Sundström is a former professional male tennis player from Sweden. He is nicknamed Henke. Sundström was at his best on clay and achieved his strongest results on this surface, with his solid and heavy topspin groundstrokes from the baseline.- Tennis career :Sundström turned professional in... |
6–7, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 5. | January 9, 1989 | Sydney Outdoor, Australia | Hard |  Andrei CherkasovAndrei Cherkasov Andrei Cherkasov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Born in Ufa, Soviet Union, Cherkasov first came to the tennis world's attention as an outstanding junior player. In 1987, he was ranked the World No. 3 junior player and finished runner-up in the boy's singles at the US Open... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 6. | September 18, 1989 | Los Angeles, United States | Hard |  Michael ChangMichael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... |
2–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 7. | October 17, 1989 | Tokyo Indoor ATP Tokyo Indoor The Tokyo Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played in Tokyo, Japan. It was one of the most prestigious in terms of prize money available. The event was played as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour from 1978 to 1989 and part of the Grand Prix Championship Series, the precursors to the Masters... , Japan |
Carpet | Carl-Uwe Steeb Carl-Uwe Steeb Carl-Uwe Steeb is a former professional tennis player from Germany.Steeb turned professional in 1986. He won his first top-level singles title in 1989 in Gstaad... |
6–2, 6–2 |
| 8. | March 30, 1992 | Johannesburg ATP Johannesburg The SA Tennis Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts started originally as a Grand Prix tennis circuit event. It is currently part of the 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It is held annually in February at Montecasino, in... , South Africa |
Hard |  Alexander Volkov |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 9. | March 29, 1993 | Durban ATP Johannesburg The SA Tennis Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts started originally as a Grand Prix tennis circuit event. It is currently part of the 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It is held annually in February at Montecasino, in... , South Africa |
Hard |  Grant StaffordGrant Stafford Grant Stafford is a former tennis player from South Africa.Turning professional in 1990, Stafford won five doubles titles during his career. The right-hander reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour on January 31, 1994, when he was ranked 53rd in the world.-External links:*... |
6–3, 7–6(7) |