Sue Barker
 |
|
| Country (sports) |
 Great Britain
|
|---|---|
| Born |
19 April 1956 Paignton, Devon, England |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Turned pro | 1973 |
| Retired | 1984 |
| Plays | Right-handed (1-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$ 878,701 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 365–208 |
| Career titles | 11 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (20 March 1977) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1975, 1977 – Dec) |
| French Open | W (1976) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1977) |
| US Open | 4R (1976) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (1977) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 33–38 |
| Career titles | 12 |
| Last updated on: 15 August 2012. | |
Susan Barker, OBE (born 19 April 1956 in Paignton, Devon) is an English television presenter and former professional tennis player. During her tennis career, she won eleven WTA Tour singles titles, including one Grand Slam singles title at the 1976 French Open. She reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3. She is now one of the main sports presenters at the BBC.
She was born and raised in Paignton, Devon. Educated at a convent school, aged 10 in 1966 she was picked out as the second of two girls who were to receive tennis coaching from Arthur Roberts, who had coached Angela Mortimer to three Grand Slam titles. Roberts continued her coaching beyond the selection prize commitment, charging only £1/session to allow her development to continue. Barker's forehand was her strongest and most admired weapon throughout her career, with Roberts describing it as "especially potent". Advised as a teenager by a visiting LTA coach to change her forehand, Roberts told her not to and he later resigned from the LTA Coaches Association in protest at the advice. Roberts later entered Barker into tournaments on the continent, providing her with a one-way ticket there and telling her to "earn your ticket home". Roberts remained Barker's mentor but not friend throughout her career.
Aged 16, and ranked 21st in the WTA rankings, Barker was advised by Roberts to relocate to the United States for her development. Subsequently signed by Mark McCormack's International Management Group (IMG) on her 17th birthday, she relocated that summer to an IMG provided town house in Newport Beach, California, where her neighbours included the newly retired Rod Laver, and was coached at the John Wayne Tennis Club.
The following year Barker won her first top-level singles title, and three additional titles in 1975. Barker reached her first Grand Slam semi-final in 1975 at the Australian Open. She won the German Open in 1976, beating Renáta Tomanová of Czechoslovakia in the final 6–3, 6–1.
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