Sue Barker
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| Country |  United Kingdom |
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| Residence | ? | |
| Date of birth | April 19, 1956 | |
| Place of birth | Paignton, England | |
| Height | 5' 3" | |
| Weight | ? | |
| Turned pro | 1973 | |
| Retired | 1984 | |
| Plays | Right-handed | |
| Career prize money | £455,272 | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 365-208 | |
| Career titles: | 15 | |
| Highest ranking: | No.3 | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | SF (1975, 1977) | |
| French Open | W (1976) | |
| Wimbledon | SF (1977) | |
| US Open | 4R (1976) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 33-38 | |
| Career titles: | 16 | |
| Highest ranking: | ? | |
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Infobox last updated on: N/A. |
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Sue Barker MBE (born April 19, 1956, in Paignton, Devon, England) is a television presenter and former professional tennis player. During her tennis career, she won the women's singles title at the French Open and reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3. She is now one of the top sports presenters at the BBC.
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[edit] Tennis career
Barker's tennis career began in 1973, when she won her first top-level singles title at Eastbourne. She won three additional titles in 1974. Barker made her first significant breakthrough at a Grand Slam tournament in 1975 at the Australian Open, where she reached the semifinals.
In 1976, Barker won the German Open, beating Renata Tomanova of Czechoslovakia in the final 6–3, 6–1. She then won the French Open, again defeating Tomanova in the final 6–2, 0–6, 6–2.[1]
Barker's good form continued in 1977. She won three singles titles, reached the semifinals at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open, and upset Martina Navratilova to reach the Virginia Slims Tour Championships final, where she lost in three sets to Chris Evert.
After an injury-plagued 1978, during which her ranking dropped to World No. 24, Barker returned to form in 1979, winning four singles titles and reaching five other finals. She was named the tour's "Comeback Player of the Year" by her fellow professionals.[2]
Barker reached two finals in 1980 and won the last singles title of her career at Brighton in 1981, finishing the year ranked No. 16. She won her last doubles title in 1982 at Cincinnati. Barker played her last professional match in 1984.
Barker's forehand was her strongest weapon, her coach Arthur Roberts describing it as "especially potent".[3]
Barker posted wins over the greats of the game, including Evert, Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Tracy Austin, Virginia Wade, Maria Bueno, Rosemary Casals, and Pam Shriver. Barker won a total of 15 singles titles and 16 doubles titles.
In her private life, Barker was romantically linked with both the singer Cliff Richard and the golfer Greg Norman. She is now married to policeman Lance Tankard.
[edit] Grand Slam singles final
[edit] Win
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1976 | French Open |  Renáta Tomanová |
6–2, 0–6, 6–2 |
[edit] Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
| Tournament | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | Career SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | 3R | SF | 2R | A | SF | QF | A | 3R | 3R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 8 |
| French Open | A | A | 3R | W | A | A | 2R | A | 1R | A | A | 1R | 1 / 5 | |
| Wimbledon | 2R | 1R | 3R | QF | SF | 4R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 0 / 12 | |
| U.S. Open | A | A | 2R | 4R | 3R | A | 2R | A | 2R | A | A | 1R | 0 / 6 | |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 31 | |
A = did not participate in the tournament.
SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December. Barker played in only the December tournament.
[edit] Broadcasting career
Upon retiring from tennis Barker became a commentator and sports reporter for Australia's Channel 7 in 1985 before going on to anchor tennis coverage for British Sky Broadcasting in 1990. In 1993, Barker joined the Wimbledon coverage on the BBC and now anchors the two week long broadcast for the network.[4] One of the annual features of the coverage sees Barker reminiscing with former rivals Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Pam Shriver, and Tracy Austin during Wimbledon's rain delays.
Barker has branched out since joining the BBC, becoming one of their chief sports presenters and she is currently the presenter of the popular sports quiz show A Question Of Sport.[3]
Barker kicked off 2008 by hosting BBC Sport's coverage of the Australian Open. Other tennis events she will be hosting this year include the Davis Cup, French Open, Queens Club Championships, Eastbourne, Wimbledon, the Summer Olympic Games, and Albert Hall Masters. Other sporting events will include the Grand National, Racing at Ascot, and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Sue Barker (2004-05-21). Barker recalls her golden moment. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
- ^ Sue Barker (GBR). Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
- ^ a b Meet the Question of Sport regulars. BBC Sport (2003-09-12). Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
- ^ Sue Barker. BBC Sport (2000-06-30). Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by David Coleman |
Regular Host of A Question of Sport 1997-present |
Succeeded by present host |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mark Nicholas |
RTS Television Sport Awards Best Sports Presenter 2001 |
Succeeded by Gary Lineker |
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Barker, Sue |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Professional Tennis Player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 19, 1956 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Paignton, Devon, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
