Paul Dogger

Paul Dogger (born 4 July 1971) is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands.

Paul Dogger
Dogger (left) as a junior in 1986, playing Krajicek
Full namePaul Dogger
Country (sports) Netherlands
Born (1971-07-04) 4 July 1971
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prize money$28,240
Singles
Career record1–6
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 191 (1 August 1988)
Doubles
Highest rankingNo. 493 (17 October 1988)

Biography

Career

Dogger, who was born in Amsterdam, was a highly ranked junior, the national champion in multiple age levels growing up.[1] He often outperformed close friend Richard Krajicek, who went on to win Wimbledon.[2] Most notably, Dogger beat Brice Karsh to win the Under 16s title at the Orange Bowl in 1987.[3] At the age of 16 he played in an exhibition tournament in Ede which included a match against Ivan Lendl where he was competitive in a 4–6, 4–6 loss.[4] Only days after turning 17 in 1988, he became one of the youngest players to win a Challenger tournament when he claimed the title at Oporto.[1] In the same month he represented the Netherlands in a 1988 Davis Cup tie against the USSR in the Latvian resort town of Jūrmala.[1] Featuring in two singles rubbers, he lost both to his Soviet opponents, Andrei Cherkasov and Andrei Chesnokov, as the Netherlands were whitewashed in the tie.[5] He was a boys' singles quarter-finalist at the 1988 French Open and bettered that performance at the 1989 French Open by making the semi-finals.

Unable to replicate his junior success on the professional tour, he peaked at 191 in the world while still only 17 and his best result on the Grand Prix/ATP Tour was a second round appearance at the 1988 Dutch Open. He struggled with injuries and illness, including hernia problems and pneumonia, before retiring at the age of 22 in 1993.[4]

Personal life

Dogger has battled with alcohol and cocaine addition.[1][4] His father Fred, a former top three player in the Netherlands, suffered from multiple sclerosis and in 1996 chose euthanasia to end his life.[1] This experience was one of the catalysts for Dogger to undergo rehabilitation after emigrating to the United States in 1999.[4] He married an American and has since returned to the Netherlands where he works as a tennis coach.

Challenger titles

Singles: (1)
No. Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
1. 1988 Porto, Portugal Clay Michiel Schapers 6–2, 3–6, 6–3

See also

References
  1. "Vergeten sporters: Paul Dogger". FOK! (in Dutch). 1 May 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  2. Canfield, Owen. "Trick Is Knowing Who To Count On In Tough Times". Hartford Courant. 13 August 1991. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  3. Gardner, Darlene H. (27 December 1987). "Artful Dogger, Labat Claim Orange Bowl Tennis Titles - tribunedigital-sunsentinel". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  4. "Rust na een verloren carrière". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 11 January 2003. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  5. "Scoreboard". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 25 July 1988. p. 30. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
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