Karsten Braasch
| Country (sports) |  Germany |
|---|---|
| Residence | Ratingen, Germany |
| Born | July 14, 1967 Marl, Germany |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Turned pro | 1987 |
| Retired | 2005 |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Prize money | $1,497,244 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 68-96 (at ATP Tour-level, Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 38 (12 January 2004) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1997) |
| French Open | 1R |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1992, 1994) |
| US Open | 3R (1993) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 103-128 (at ATP Tour-level, Grand Slam-level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 6 |
| Highest ranking | No. 36 (10 November 1997) |
Karsten Braasch (born 14 July 1967 in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a former professional German tennis player. His highest ATP singles ranking is 38th, which he reached on 13 June 1994. His career high in doubles was at 36 set at 10 November 1997. He was well-noted for his service motion and his habit of smoking during changeovers.
Braasch competed in a 'Battle of the Sexes' contest against Venus Williams and Serena Williams at the 1998 Australian Open when he was ranked 203. A decade and a half older than the sisters, Braasch "was a man whose training regime centred around a pack of cigarettes and more than a couple bottles of ice cold lager."[1] He nonetheless handily defeated the sisters in an individual set, 6–1 on Serena, 6–2 on Venus, while rubbing it in by smoking cigarettes during the changeover.[2][3]
Career finals
Singles: 1 (0 titles – 1 runner-up)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (1) |
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 12 June 1994 | Rosmalen | Grass |  Richard Krajicek
|
3-6, 4-6 |
Doubles: 9 (6 titles – 3 runner-ups)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 15 June 1997 | Gerry Weber Open | Grass | Michael Stich
|
 David Adams Marius Barnard
|
7-6, 6-3 |
| Winner | 2. | 15 July 2001 | Catella Swedish Open | Clay | Jens Knippschild
|
 Simon Aspelin Andrew Kratzmann
|
7-6(7-3), 4-6, 7-6(7-5) |
| Winner | 3. | 30 September 2001 | Salem Open | Hardcourt |  André Sá
|
 Petr Luxa Radek Štepánek
|
6-0, 7-5 |
| Winner | 4. | 3 February 2002 | Milan Indoor | Carpet |  Andrei Olhovskiy
|
 Julien Boutter Max Mirnyi
|
3-6, 7-6(7-5), [12-10] |
| Winner | 5. | 14 April 2002 | Estoril Open | Clay | Andrei Olhovskiy
|
Simon Aspelin Andrew Kratzmann
|
6-3, 6-3 |
| Winner | 6. | 14 September 2003 | BCR Open Romania | Clay |  Sargis Sargsian
|
Simon Aspelin Jeff Coetzee
|
7-6(9-7), 6-2 |
| Runner-up | 1. | 13 April 1997 | Salem Open | Hardcourt |  Jeff Tarango
|
Martin Damm Daniel Vacek
|
3-6, 4-6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 4 May 1997 | BMW Open | Clay | Jens Knippschild
|
 Pablo Albano Àlex Corretja
|
6-3, 5-7, 2-6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 5 October 1997 | Basel | Carpet (i) | Jim Grabb
|
 Tim Henman Marc Rosset
|
6-7, 7-6, 6-7 |
External links
References
- ^ "Serena Williams still savouring Andy Roddick 'win' 16 years on", TimesOnline, January 22, 2009
- ^ Cigarettes, beating the Williams sisters, and life according to Karsten Braasch, buzzle.com [dead link]
- ^ Williams sisters discover men are better players, dispatch.co.za [dead link]
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