Susan Barker

Country	United Kingdom
Residence
Date of birth	19 April 1956 (1956-04-19) (age 53)
Place of birth	Paignton, England
Height	5' 3"
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
Last updated on: N/A.

Susan Barker, MBE (born 19 April 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.^[1] She is now one of the main sports presenters at the BBC.

Contents 1 Tennis career 2 Grand Slam singles final 2.1 Win 3 Grand Slam singles tournament timeline 4 Broadcasting career 5 Personal life 6 See also 7 Notes and references 8 External links

[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 first reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament in 1975 at the Australian Open.

In 1976, Barker won the German Open, beating Renáta Tomanová of Czechoslovakia in the final 6–3, 6–1. She then won the French Open, again defeating Tomanová in the final.^[2]

In 1977, Barker 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 in 1979 won four singles titles and reached five other finals. She was named the tour's "Comeback Player of the Year" by her fellow professionals.^[3]

Barker reached two finals in 1980 and won the last singles title of her career at Brighton in 1981, finishing the year ranked World 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, with her coach Arthur Roberts describing it as "especially potent".^[4]

Barker posted wins over Evert, Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Tracy Austin, Virginia Wade, Maria Bueno, Rosemary Casals, and Pam Shriver. Barker won 15 singles titles and 16 doubles titles.

[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
US 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 January 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.^[5] 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 sports quiz show A Question Of Sport.^[4]

In 2009, Barker already has hosted BBC Sport's coverage of the Australian Open, the French Open, Queens Club Championships, Eastbourne, and Wimbledon. For the remainder of the year, the tennis events she will host include Davis Cup, the Summer Olympic Games, and the Albert Hall Masters. Other sporting events she has hosted have included the Grand National (1996-2006), The Derby (2001-2007), Racing at Ascot and Longchamp (1995-1999), Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, rugby league Challenge Cup, The Great North Run, World Athletics Championships and European Athletics Championships (both since 1999), Commonwealth Games(since 1994), Winter Olympics (since 1994), and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year from Liverpool.

In June 1999, she co-presented coverage of HRH Prince Edward's wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones at Windsor alongside Michael Buerk. Barker had introduced Rhys-Jones to Queen Elizabeth II's youngest son at a charity function a few years earlier.

In 2008, Barker and the BBC extended her contract to cover the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is estimated to be worth £375,000 a year.^[6]

[edit] Personal life

Barker is married to policeman Lance Tankard and lives in the Cotswolds.^[7]

[edit] See also

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

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Sue Barker profile on the WTA Tour's official website
• Sue Barker at the Internet Movie Database

Media offices
Preceded by David Coleman	Regular Host of A Question of Sport 1997 – present	Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Mark Nicholas	RTS Television Sport Awards Best Sports Presenter 2001	Succeeded by Gary Lineker

v • d • e Australian Open girls’ singles champions 2009 Ksenia Pervak  • 2008 Arantxa Rus  • 2007 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova  • 2006 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova  • 2005 Victoria Azarenka  • 2004 Shahar Pe'er  • 2003 Barbora Strýcová  • 2002 Barbora Strýcová  • 2001 Jelena Janković  • 2000 Anikó Kapros  • 1999 Virginie Razzano  • 1998 Jelena Kostanić  • 1997 Mirjana Lučić  • 1996 Magdalena Grzybowska  • 1995 Siobhan Drake-Brockman  • 1994 Trudi Musgrave  • 1993 Heike Rusch  • 1992 Joanne Limmer  • 1991 Nicole Pratt  • 1990 Magdalena Maleeva  • 1989 Kim Kessaris  • 1988 Jo-Anne Faull  • 1987 Michelle Jaggard  • 1985 Jenny Byrne  • 1984 Annabel Croft  • 1983 Amanda Brown  • 1982 Amanda Brown  • 1981 Anne Minter  • 1980 Anne Minter  • 1979 Anne Minter  • 1978 Elizabeth Little  • 1977 (Jan) Pamela Baily  • 1977 (Dec) Amanda Tobin  • 1976 Sue Saliba  • 1975 Sue Barker  • 1974 Jennifer Walker  • 1973 Chris O’Neil  • 1972 Pat Coleman  • 1971 Pat Coleman  • 1970 Evonne Goolagong  • 1969 Lesley Hunt

v • d • e French Open women's singles champions (1968) Nancy Richey · (1969) Margaret Court · (1970) Margaret Court · (1971) Evonne Goolagong · (1972) Billie Jean King · (1973) Margaret Court · (1974) Chris Evert · (1975) Chris Evert · (1976) Sue Barker · (1977) Mima Jaušovec · (1978) Virginia Ruzici · (1979) Chris Evert · (1980) Chris Evert · (1981) Hana Mandlíková · (1982) Martina Navrátilová · (1983) Chris Evert · (1984) Martina Navrátilová · (1985) Chris Evert · (1986) Chris Evert · (1987) Steffi Graf · (1988) Steffi Graf · (1989) Arantxa Sánchez · (1990) Monica Seles · (1991) Monica Seles · (1992) Monica Seles · (1993) Steffi Graf · (1994) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · (1995) Steffi Graf · (1996) Steffi Graf · (1997) Iva Majoli · (1998) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario · (1999) Steffi Graf · (2000) Mary Pierce · (2001) Jennifer Capriati · (2002) Serena Williams · (2003) Justine Henin · (2004) Anastasia Myskina · (2005) Justine Henin · (2006) Justine Henin · (2007) Justine Henin · (2008) Ana Ivanović · (2009) Svetlana Kuznetsova

Persondata
NAME	Barker, Sue
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Professional Tennis Player, television presenter
DATE OF BIRTH	19 April 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH	Paignton, Devon, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH