| Country (sports) |  Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Residence | Lathom,England |
| Born | (1974-08-25)25 August 1974 (age 50) Southport, England |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Turned pro | 1991 |
| Retired | 2002 |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Coach | David Sammel |
| Prize money | $315,856 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 5–21 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 162 (11 September 2000) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | Q2 (1999,2000) |
| French Open | Q1 (1994,2000,2001,2002) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2001,2002) |
| US Open | 1R (2000) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 11-26 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 136 (9 August 1999) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1999) |
| US Open | Q2 (1999) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1999,2000,2001,2002) |
Barry Cowan (born 25 August 1974)[1] is a British formertennis player, best known for takingPete Sampras to five sets atWimbledon in 2001.
Born inSouthport,Merseyside, Cowan attended theLTA Rover School atBisham Abbey. He was also a member of Aughton Tennis Club.[2]
A left-hander, Cowan was a versatile sportsman in his junior years; he represented the North of England at under-15 levelhockey and is also a member ofOrmskirk Golf Club. After success in junior tournaments, Cowan first competed at the All England Club in 1994 as a wild card, losing in the first round to that year'sFrench Open championSergi Bruguera in four sets.
Cowan was only to appear regularly in Grand Slams as a Wimbledon wild card. However he was successful in qualifying for theU.S. Open atFlushing Meadows in 2000, though he lost in straight sets toJens Knippschild. Cowan later represented Britain at theSydney Olympics taking the first set but eventually losing toDaniel Nestor in round one.
In 2001, Cowan received a wild card entry into Wimbledon, and won his first ever SW19 singles match againstMark Hilton in straight sets. His second round match was won by World No. 1, Pete Sampras, in five sets, Cowan winning the third and fourth.
In September 2001, Cowan played in his onlyDavis Cup singles match representing Britain in a World Group Qualifier against Ecuador, he lost in straight sets toLuis Adrijan Moreon 6–1, 6–4, although the result did not affect Britain's performance, as they beat Ecuador 4–1 overall.
In 2002 Cowan reach the second round at Wimbledon, losing in four sets to Ecuador'sNicolás Lapentti. He subsequently announced his retirement from professional tennis.
Since retiring, Cowan has commentated on tennis forSky Sports. He is a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club.
