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Jonas Bjorkman: One Swede Career
July 19, 2008
As part of a tennis landscape which has increasingly established a distinction between singles and doubles “specialists,” Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman has emerged as the rare talent to have thrived in both disciplines.
The 36-year-old owns career-high rankings of No. 4 in singles and No. 1 in doubles, demonstrating the versatile skill and exceptional tennis I.Q. that has served him well over an illustrious 17-year career. He also has a full trophy case to show for his efforts, collecting six ATP singles titles and 52 doubles crowns with 18 different partners. His 52 doubles titles place him second among active players behind Canada’s own Daniel Nestor.
Bjorkman has shone on some of the world’s biggest stages, reaching the singles semifinals of Wimbledon (2006) and the US Open (1997) and winning nine career Grand Slam doubles titles, including at least one at each major. In Masters Series doubles competition, he boasts 14 career Masters shields (Rome remains the only Masters Series event he has not won) and two Masters Cup championships.
In 11 previous Rogers Cup appearances, the 6’0” right-hander has reached one singles quarter-final (1998) and won a doubles title (1999) at the event alongside Australian Patrick Rafter.
At an advanced age by tennis standards, Bjorkman’s play of late has suggested that he has not lost a step. Already this year, he has reached the singles semifinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis – dispatching talented young Americans Donald Young and Sam Querrey en route – and has collected a doubles title (at Bastad) to go along with an appearance in the Wimbledon final.
For Canadian fans of Bjorkman, this week’s Rogers Cup will likely be their last opportunity to see the Swede live. He announced during Wimbledon that he would retire at the end of the current season. On Saturday, he won his first qualifying match and will compete for a spot in the main draw on Sunday.
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