Michiel Schapers


Michiel Schapers is a former tennis player from the Netherlands.

Tennis career

Turning professional in 1982, Schapers represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where he was defeated in quarterfinals by eventual winner Miloslav Mečíř of Czechoslovakia.
In 1987 at Wimbledon, he was the only player to take a set against eventual champion Pat Cash in their third-round match. His most famous victory was over reigning Wimbledon champion Boris Becker in the second round of the 1985 Australian Open. Schapers went on to reach the quarterfinals, his best singles result at a Grand Slam, and later equaled that result at the 1988 Australian Open. In 1988, he reached the final of the mixed-doubles draw at the French Open together with Brenda Schultz-McCarthy in which they lost to Lori McNeil and Jorge Lozano.
The right-hander Schapers reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on 25 April 1988, when he became world No. 25. After his playing career, he became a coach. From 1998 until 2000 he was the captain of the Dutch Davis Cup team.

Career finals

Singles (0–4)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1.Jan 1987Auckland, New ZealandHard Miloslav Mečíř2–6, 3–6, 4–6
Loss2.Feb 1988Metz, FranceCarpet Jonas Svensson2–6, 4–6
Loss3.Mar 1989Nancy, FranceHard Guy Forget3–6, 6–7
Loss4.Jun 1991Rosmalen, NetherlandsGrass Christian Saceanu1–6, 6–3, 5–7

Doubles (3–6)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1.Apr 1985Marbella, SpainClay Loïc Courteau Andrés Gómez
Cássio Motta
1–6, 1–6
Win1.Oct 1985Cologne, GermanyCarpet Alex Antonitsch Jan Gunnarsson
Peter Lundgren
6–4, 7–5
Loss2.Mar 1986Metz, FranceCarpet Francisco González Wojtek Fibak
Guy Forget
6–2, 2–6, 4–6
Win2.Oct 1987Toulouse, FranceCarpet Wojtek Fibak Kelly Jones
Patrik Kühnen
6–2, 6–4
Loss3.Jan 1990Adelaide, AustraliaHard Alexander Mronz Andrew Castle
Nduka Odizor
6–7, 2–6
Loss4.Oct 1990Toulouse, FranceCarpet Michael Mortensen Neil Broad
Gary Muller
6–7, 4–6
Loss5.Feb 1991Brussels, BelgiumCarpet Libor Pimek Mark Woodforde
Todd Woodbridge
3–6, 0–6
Win3.Oct 1991Tel Aviv, IsraelHard David Rikl Javier Frana
Leonardo Lavalle
6–2, 6–7, 6–3
Loss6.Jan 1992Wellington, New ZealandHard Daniel Vacek Jared Palmer
Jonathan Stark
3–6, 3–6