Mike Green (racquetball)

Mike Green

Green at 2006 Worlds
Personal information
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1973-08-22) August 22, 1973 Burlington, Ontario
Residence	Burlington, Ontario
Sport
Sport	Racquetball
Achievements and titles
National finals	1st 2002-04, 2006, 2008, 2010-13, 2016 (singles) 1st 2000, 2004-07, 2010-2011, 2013, 2015 (doubles)
Highest world ranking	6th
Medal record World Championships 2002 San Juan Doubles 2006 Santo Domingo Doubles 2010 Seoul Doubles 2012 Santo Domingo Team 2014 Burlington Doubles Pan American Games 2003 Santo Domingo Singles 2015 Toronto Team Pan Am Championships 1999 Rosarito Singles 2006 Guatemala City Doubles 2007 Santiago Singles 2010 San Pedro Sula Doubles 2011 Managua Doubles 2012 Temuco Singles

Mike Green (born August 22, 1973) is a Canadian racquetball player from Burlington, Ontario. Green is the current Canadian Champion in Men's Singles, winning his 11th title in 2017, which broke a tie he had with Sherman Greenfeld for most Men's Singles titles. Overall, Green has 21 Canadian Championships in Men's Singles and Doubles, which is more than any other player.^[1]

Professional career

Green's career high professional ranking was 8th at the end of the 2003-04 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season. Green's ranking is the highest ever by a Canadian player except for Kane Waselenchuk and fourth best for a non-American behind Waselenchuk and Mexicans Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa.

Green has reached the semi-finals of IRT Tier 1 or Grand Slam events seven times, and those all occurred over the four season period from 2000-01 to 2003-04, when he was playing most of the IRT tournaments. Since then he has only played a few tournaments each season and not gotten past the Round of 16.^[2]

International career

Green has made 28 appearances on Team Canada beginning in 1996, and that's the most appearances by a Canadian men's player. He's won gold medals thrice: in singles at the 2012 and 1999 Pan American Racquetball Championships and in doubles with Tim Landeryou at the 2010 Pan American Championships.^[3] Green was also part of Team Canada that won the overall team title at the 2000 World Championships, which is the only time the USA has not won that title.

In addition, Green earned medals on eight other occasions. Most recently Green and Vincent Gagnon won silver at the 2014 World Championships,^[4] which was his second silver at Worlds as he and Landeryou won silver at the 2010 World Championships. Green also got silver at the 2003 Pan American Games^[5] in singles and at the 2002^[6] World Championships in doubles with Mike Ceresia.

Green finished with bronze medals from the Pan American Racquetball Championships in doubles in 2006^[7] with Brian Istace and in 2011 with Kris Odegard and in singles in 2007.^[8] Green also came home with bronze in doubles from both the 2002 World Championships (with Tom O'Brien) and 2006 World Championships (with Brian Istace).^[9]

Green also represented Canada at the 2009 World Games.

Canadian career

Green has been Canadian Men's Singles Champion 11 times, and is the current champion, as he defeated Samuel Murray in Brossard, Québec, 12-15, 15-12, 12-10, in the final.^[10] Green also won Men's Doubles in 2017, as he partnered with Trevor Webb. They beat Nicolas Bousquet and Tommy Murray in the final, 10-15, 16-14, 13-11.^[11] In 2016, Green defeated Tim Landeryou 15-6, 15-8, in the final.^[12] His previous titles came in 2002, 2003,^[13] 2004, 2006, 2008,^[14] 2010, 2011,^[15] 2012,^[16] and 2013^[17] - and Doubles Champion eight times - in 2000 with Mike Ceresia, 2004 with Tom O'Brien, 2005-2007^[18] with Brian Istace and 2010 and 2011^[19] with Kris Odegard, and 2013 with Coby Iwaasa.^[20] Green's 21 combined Canadian titles is one ahead of Jennifer Saunders's 20.^[1]

Personal life

Green has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University.

References