Horst Skoff

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Horst Skoff
Country  Austria
Born (1968-08-22)22 August 1968
Klagenfurt, Austria
Died 7 June 2008(2008-06-07) (aged 39)
Hamburg, Germany
Height 5'9" (175 cm)
Turned pro 1985
Retired 1995
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach(es) Dumitru Hărădău
Prize money $1,651,858
Career record 228–203 (ATP, Grand Prix tour and Grand Slams, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles 4
Highest ranking No. 18 (1 January 1990)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 1R (1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995)
French Open 2R (1987, 1989, 1991)
Wimbledon 2R (1991)
US Open 2R (1991)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 1R (1988, 1992)
Career record 48–57 (ATP, Grand Prix tour and Grand Slams, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles 2
Highest ranking No. 70 (18 September 1989)
Other Doubles tournaments
Olympic Games 2R (1988)
Team competitions
Davis Cup SF (1990)

Horst Skoff (August 22, 1968 – June 7, 2008) was a professional tennis player from Austria, who won four tournaments at the top-level.

Skoff was born in Klagenfurt, Austria, and turned professional in 1985. He won his first top-level singles title in 1988 at Athens. Over the course of his career he won four top-level singles titles and two tour doubles titles. His career-high rankings were World Number 18 in singles and World Number 70 in doubles. His career prize money totalled US$1,651,858.

Skoff played on Austria's Davis Cup team for nine years, compiling a 22-17 record. He helped the team reach the World Group semi-finals in 1990. Memorable Davis Cup rubbers which Skoff was involved in include a 6–7(5), 7–6(7), 1–6, 6–4, 9–7 win over Mats Wilander in the 1989 quarter-final; and a 6–3, 7–6(4), 4–6, 4–6, 3–6 loss to Michael Chang in the 1990 semi-final.

Despite Skoff's relative success during his career of winning four top-level tournaments, his memorable Davis Cup moments, and reaching a career high world ranking of 18 in singles competition, he never managed to progress beyond the second round at any Grand Slam event.

Skoff retired from the professional tour in 1995. He died on June 7, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany, following a heart attack. He was 39.

Singles titles[edit]

No. Date Tournament Opponent in the final Score
1. 1988 Greece Athens Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bruno Orešar 6–3, 2–6, 6–2
2. 1988 Austria Vienna Austria Thomas Muster 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
3. 1990 Switzerland Geneva Spain Sergi Bruguera 7–6(8), 7–6(4)
4. 1993 Sweden Båstad Haiti Ronald Agénor 7–5, 1–6, 6–0

External links[edit]