50 Facts About Mike Belkin

Michael I Belkin was born on June 29,1945 and is a former Canadian No 1 tennis player.

Mike Belkin reached the quarter-finals at the 1968 Australian Championships, which he lost to top seed William Bowrey.

Mike Belkin reached the third round in singles in his inaugural Wimbledon.

Mike Belkin won ILTF tournaments at the Western Championships at Indianapolis in 1967 and at the St Petersburg Masters Invitational in 1968 and 1971.

Mike Belkin won the Detroit Invitation in 1965 and 1967 and the Buffalo Indoor in 1973.

Mike Belkin was one of Canada's early tennis phenoms, with his parents moving to Miami Beach when he was 12 for the sake of his tennis.

Mike Belkin won the United States National Boys' singles championship, and won the prestigious Orange Bowl boys and junior singles titles, coincidentally played in Miami Beach, in 1960 and 1961 respectively.

Mike Belkin was US National Junior Champion champion, according to a March 1963 Sports Illustrated article.

Mike Belkin was an excellent clay court player without any tournament experience on grass.

Mike Belkin's game was built around a baseline game with both a solid forehand and two-handed backhand.

At that time, the 17-year-old Mike Belkin was 3 months into revising his game to include serve and volley technique.

Mike Belkin was a top-ranking collegiate player attending the University of Miami.

Mike Belkin reached the finals of the 1965 NCAA individual championships where he lost to Arthur Ashe.

Mike Belkin again lost in the first round at the 1962 US Championship, this time in five sets, to American James Farrin.

At the US Clay Court Championships in 1962, Mike Belkin defeated US No 1 Whitney Reed in the first round and Bob Perry in the second round before losing to Billy Lenoir in the third round.

Mike Belkin won the Blue and Gray Invitation in Montgomery, Alabama at the Montgomery Country Club in June 1962, defeating Norman Perry in a close final.

In 1964, Mike Belkin played at the Wimbledon Championship for the first time, and fared well given his lack of experience on grass.

Mike Belkin defeated Claude de Gronckel in the first round, and Cliff Drysdale in the second, both in four sets, before falling to Bob Hewitt in the third, in straight sets.

At the 1964 US Championships later that summer, Mike Belkin defeated Rodney Susman in the first round before falling to Cliff Richey in the second in five sets.

Mike Belkin defeated Australian Jim Moore in straight sets before falling to that year's eventual champion, Manuel Santana.

In July 1966 Mike Belkin won the Quebec Open, defeating seven-time winner of the event Robert Bedard in the marathon five-set final.

In early July 1967, Mike Belkin won the Detroit Invitation tournament for the second time, defeating Ron Holmberg in the semifinal and Chuck McKinley in the final.

Mike Belkin won the ILTF Western Championships in Indianapolis on clay in July 1967, defeating twice-defending champion and USTA No 3 Cliff Richey in the semifinal and Guzman in the final.

Mike Belkin defeated Richey in the quarterfinal of the US Men's Clay Court Championships in Milwaukee, but lost to Marty Riessen in the semifinal.

At the 1968 Australian Championships, in addition to reaching the quarterfinals in singles, a run which saw victories over M Marchment, Max Pettman, and Allan Stone before his loss to the eventual champion Bill Bowrey, Belkin reached the second round in doubles, partnering Geoff Pollard.

Mike Belkin played the 1969 French Open, but was forced to abandon his match against Georges Goven despite leading by two sets.

Two weeks later, Mike Belkin played the Canadian Open, reaching the semis in singles, where he lost a four-setter to the eventual champion Richey and the quarters in doubles, partnering compatriot Vic Rollins.

Mike Belkin only played the main draw of only four professional circuit events in 1970, Cincinnati, the US Clay Court Championships, Canadian Open, and US Open, playing doubles in only the latter two events.

At Cincinnati, Mike Belkin was soundly beaten by Jeff Borowiak in the first round.

In Toronto, Mike Belkin had a bye into the second round where he lost handily to Andres Gimeno.

Mike Belkin reached the semi-finals of the Houston Outdoor, losing in five sets in that round to Clark Graebner.

Mike Belkin scored easy wins over Roscoe Tanner and Patricio Cornejo before losing to Andres Gimeno.

One week later Mike Belkin reached the third round of the Cincinnati Outdoor, beating Rudy Hernando and Brian Gottfried before succumbing to Jaime Fillol.

Mike Belkin played one final time in 1971, singles at the Sacramento Outdoor, losing again in the first round, this time to Raymond Moore by default.

Two weeks later, Mike Belkin reached the second round in singles in Salisbury, defeating Milan Holecek before falling to Roscoe Tanner.

Two weeks later at the US Open, Mike Belkin was level with Cliff Drysdale in the first set 5 games when he retired from the match.

Mike Belkin opened 1973 playing four indoor events in the US, winning one of them.

Two weeks later at the Birmingham Indoor, Mike Belkin reached the second round in singles, beating Szabolcs Baranyi before losing to Jurgen Fassbender.

Mike Belkin won the 1973 Buffalo Indoor Tennis Championships in February, defeating Clark Graebner, a four-time champion at the event, in the semifinal and John Paish in the close final.

The final events Mike Belkin played this year were ones held in Canada.

In 1975, Mike Belkin competed in two events, only in singles, both in Florida, his home state.

Mike Belkin first played Davis Cup for Canada in 1966 in two ties as Canada advanced to the Europe Group quarterfinals.

Against Finland in the first round, Mike Belkin won the second rubber over Rauno Suominen.

Mike Belkin again partnered Carpenter in the doubles, a match lost in straight sets.

Mike Belkin took the only rubber off the Soviets when he beat Toomas Leius.

Mike Belkin lost the first rubber to Brian Fairlie in straight sets.

Mike Belkin then teamed with Sharpe to win the doubles.

Against Brazil in Sao Paulo, Mike Belkin leveled the tie at a win apiece when Mike Belkin beat Jose Edison Mandarino.

Mike Belkin then beat Thomaz Koch in four sets to again level the tie.

Mike Belkin was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.