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Bethanie Lynn Mattek-Sands (born March 23, 1985, in Rochester, Minnesota) is an American professional tennis player who competes on the WTA Tour. She lives in Miami, Florida but trains in Phoenix, Arizona. Mattek has won five singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit, and her best results on the WTA Tour to date are reaching the semifinals of the tournaments in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2005 and Birmingham, United Kingdom in 2008 and the finals of the Bell Challenge in 2008. In doubles, she has won four WTA Tour titles. Mattek also plays for the New York Sportimes for World Team Tennis.
[edit] Tennis careerIn 1999, Mattek played her first WTA Tour event in Philadelphia where she received a wildcard into the qualifying. She fell in the first round of qualifying to Nana Miyagi 6–3, 6–2. It was the only match of the year for Mattek. Then in 2000, Mattek received a wildcard into qualifying at the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida but fell in the first round to Anca Barna 6–1, 6–2. Later in the year, Mattek played in her first Grand Slam event at the US Open. She was gifted a wildcard into the qualification rounds and fell in the first round to 28th-seeded Gisela Riera 5–7, 6–2, 6–2. In 2001, Mattek again received a wildcard into the qualifying at the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. She won her first match against 12th-seeded Catalina Castaño 6–4, 7–6(3) but fell in the next round to 14th-seeded Sandra Cacic 7–5, 6–4. Mattek received direct entry into the ITF event Boynton Beach due to a wildcard. She defeated top-seeded Elena Likhovtseva 6–3, 1–6, 6–2 in the first round and Jennifer Hopkins 6–2, 6–0 in the second round. She lost in the quarterfinals against Asa Carlsson 6–1, 6–1. With these successes, she rose to World No. 343 in the rankings. Mattek received direct entry to the tournament in Amelia Island, Florida thanks to a wildcard. She lost first round to lucky loser Jill Craybas 4–6, 6–1, 6–3. Mattek played another ITF event Bronx as a wildcard and lost first round to Sylvia Plischke 6–1, 6–4. Mattek played her first main draw as a wildcard at a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open and lost to Australia's Alicia Molik 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. Mattek ended the year ranked World No. 338. Mattek reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 38 on November 3, 2008 and career-high ranking of World No. 24 in doubles. At Grand Slam tournaments, she has reached the second round of the 2008 French Open, extending World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, who had beaten her on their only meeting till that day 6–0, 6–0 on green clay, to three sets, and the second round of the 2007 US Open; her best result was at Wimbledon in 2008 where she reached the fourth round, claiming her first top 10 win over 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli. She reached the last sixteen, losing to Serena Williams 6–3, 6–3. At the East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles, Mattek defeated Abigail Spears in the first round 6–2, 6–4 and 11th-seeded Nicole Vaidišová in the second round 6–4, 6–0. In both victories over Vaidišová this year, Mattek managed to take a love set. She went on to defeat Olga Govortsova 7–5, 6–2 in the third round and Meng Yuan in the quarterfinals 6–2, 7–5 having recovered from a 2–5 deficit in the second set. In the semifinals, Mattek was defeated by tenth-seeded Flavia Pennetta 3–6, 6–2, 7–5. Mattek reached her first ever WTA tour final in November 2008 at the Bell Challenge in Canada losing to the top seed Nadia Petrova 4–6, 6–4, 6–1. She pulled out of the Australian Open in January 2009 with a hip injury. She made her season debut at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA reaching the second round, defeating Tathiana Garbin in the first, before losing to Gisela Dulko. She also entered the doubles event with Mashona Washington, where she reached the third round. At the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, she lost in the first round to the 18th seed from Australia, Samantha Stosur. [edit] FashionMattek has achieved extensive publicity as a result of her eccentric fashion sense on the court. Notable outfits include leopard print outfits at the 2004 US Open and 2007 US Open, a striped cowboy hat that garnered her a fine at the 2005 US Open, a "soccer theme" at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships that included £10 football socks, chandelier earrings, a boob-tube worn over a strappy vest top, tiny running shorts and a headband[1], pink knee-high socks at the 2006 JPMorgan Chase Open [2], and a loosely draped beige top, with a crocheted waist and split sleeves that resembled a toga and beige knee-high socks at the 2006 US Open [3][4]. [edit] Personal lifeOn November 29, 2008 she married insurance executive Justin Sands in Naples, Florida; she will use the name Bethanie Mattek-Sands professionally.[5] [edit] Notable results Bethanie Mattek playing for the New York Sportimes during a World Team Tennis match in Mamaroneck on July 10, 2008 [edit] Singles
[edit] WTA Tour Singles[edit] Runner-ups (1)
[edit] WTA Tour doubles titles (7)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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