Mike Belkin

Michael I. Belkin (born June 29, 1945) is a former Canadian No. 1 tennis player.

The right-handed Belkin attained a career-high singles ranking of no. 7 world amateur during the early 1960s.

He joined the fledgling professional tour in the later half of his playing career, compiling a 36–36 career singles win–loss record.

He won the United States National Boys' (15 and under) singles championship, and won the prestigious Orange Bowl boys and junior (18 and under) singles titles, coincidentally played in Miami Beach, in 1960 and 1961 respectively.

While still a student at Miami Beach High School, the right-handed Belkin was Florida men's champion.

As a 16-year-old, Belkin lost to Briton Roger Taylor in straight sets in the opening round of the 1961 U.S. Championships.

He again lost in the first round at the 1962 U.S. Championship, this time in five sets, to American James Farrin.

And the year after, for a third consecutive time, Belkin lost in the first round of the same tournament, this time in straight sets to Norman Perry.

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

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 November 1962 Belkin, at age 17, won the Florida State Tennis Championship, defeating US No. 1 Frank Froehling in the semifinal and Gardnar Mulloy in the final.

This would be his first tournament win against a strong field.

He was also U.S. National Junior Champion (18 and under) champion, according to a March 1963 Sports Illustrated article.

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

His game was built around a baseline game with both a solid forehand and two-handed backhand.

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

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

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

He 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 U.S. Championships later that summer, Belkin defeated Rodney Susman in the first round before falling to Cliff Richey in the second in five sets.

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

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

In April 1965, Belkin defeated Richey on clay in the semifinal of the ILTF St. Petersburg Masters Invitational in three straight sets but lost the final to Ramanathan Krishnan in four sets.

Belkin won the Detroit Invitation, a strong field tournament, in early July 1965, defeating the USTA No. 3 Arthur Ashe in the quarterfinal, Dick Savitt in the semifinal, and the USTA No. 2 Chuck McKinley in the final.

Having not competed in singles in any main draws of grand slam tournaments in 1965, Belkin played in two in 1966.

At Roland Garros he lost in the first round, to Pancho Guzmán in four sets.

At Wimbledon, Belkin reached the second round.

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

Canada's top-ranked player five times between 1966 and 1972, Belkin had a career 17–12 Davis Cup record, including a 14–7 record in singles.

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

"Bédard started strongly but the toil of the three-and-a-half hour final began to show in the final set when cramps completely immobilized him".

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

In 1967 he again did not compete in a grand slam event.

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

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.

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

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

He also reached the third round in singles in his inaugural Wimbledon.

Belkin's other results included semi-finals appearances in 1969 at both the Cincinnati Masters event and Canadian Open.

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.