 | Born: 8/9/76 Nationality: Dutch Seeded: 16 World ranking: 16 Australian Open best:
2nd round Recent record:
2003: 2nd round
2002: 1st round
2001: 1st round |
Schalken arrives at the Australian Open hoping to win two matches at the very least. The Dutch number one has never progressed beyond the second round in Melbourne, and his record makes dismal reading.
His lack of progress is surprising, given the effectiveness of his game on hard courts.
His best ever performance at a Grand Slam came at the US Open when he reached the last four in 2002, the first Dutchman to do so since 1971.
That run at the US Open, followed by a final in Moscow, helped Schalken to finish that year ranked 20th in the world.
And he continued to progress last season, reaching a career-high 11th in the rankings in April and winning two tournaments - on grass at home in Holland and on the hard courts of Brazil.
He also reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, losing only to eventual champion Roger Federer.
Schalken may not be the most elegant of players - few look as awkward from the back of the court - but he is strong off both sides and has a huge serve.
MMIX
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