SUE BARKER

'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 chief sports presenters at the BBC.

Contents

Tennis career

Grand Slam singles final

Win

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Broadcasting career

See also

Notes and references

External links

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.

Grand Slam singles final

Win

'Year	'Championship	'Opponent in Final	'Score in Final
1976	French Open	Renáta Tomanová	6-2, 0-6, 6-2

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.

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 Navratilova, Evert, Shriver, and Austin during Wimbledon's famous 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''. As a superstition, she always presents the show in her bare feet.

See also

★ Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final

Notes and references

1.
Barker recalls her golden moment Sue Barker
2.
Sue Barker (GBR)
3.
Meet the Question of Sport regulars
4.
Sue Barker

External links

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