 Baltacha at the2010 US Open | |
| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Born | (1983-08-14)14 August 1983 |
| Died | 4 May 2014(2014-05-04) (aged 30) Ipswich, Suffolk, England |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Turned pro | 1997 |
| Retired | 2013 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $1,190,893 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 324–243 |
| Career titles | 11 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 49 (13 September 2010) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2005,2010) |
| French Open | 2R (2011) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2002) |
| US Open | 2R (2010,2011) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 59–59 |
| Career titles | 4 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 211 (17 January 2011) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2010) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2005,2010) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2002) |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | 33–16 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tennis | ||
Representing Scotland | ||
| Commonwealth Youth Games | ||
 | 2000 Edinburgh | Team |
Elena Sergeevna Baltacha (Ukrainian:Олена Сергіївна Балтача; 14 August 1983 – 4 May 2014) was a Ukrainian-born British professional tennis player. Being a four-time winner of theAEGON Awards, she was also a long-term British No. 1, a position she held intermittently from 2002 to 2012.[1] However, as a result of her absence from competition due to knee surgery,[2] she dropped down the world rankings and at the time of her retirement on 18 November 2013, she was ranked as the world No. 221 and British No. 6. Her career-high ranking of world No. 49 was achieved in September 2010.[3]
Over the course of her career, she won 11ITF singles titles (five $25k, two $50k, two $75k, and two $100k) and four ITF doubles titles (all $25k). She was also a runner-up in three ITF events in singles and four in doubles. In 2010, Baltacha had victories over top 10-players, including two victories overLi Na (the second of which came via retirement) and one againstFrancesca Schiavone, who at the time was the reigningFrench Open champion. In 2011, Baltacha won her highest ranked tournament on theITF Circuit, theNottingham Challenge.
Baltacha was diagnosed withliver cancer in January 2014, just a few weeks after her marriage to tennis coach Nino Severino. She died on 4 May 2014, aged 30.[4][5]
Born inKyiv, Ukraine, Baltacha moved with her family following a transfer of football clubs by her professional footballer father,Sergei. He represented theSoviet Union and from 1988 to 1995 played in the United Kingdom forIpswich Town,St Johnstone andInverness Caledonian Thistle. Her mother Olga was a sportswoman.[6] Her brotherSergei played football forSt Mirren andMillwall.[7]
After arriving atHeathrow Airport on 13 January 1989, Baltacha moved toIpswich where her father was to play football for the next year before moving toPerth, Scotland, where she grew up and spent some of her teenage years,[6] before moving toPaisley, Scotland, and attendingCastlehead High School.[8]
Living in Ipswich, on 8 December 2013, a month after her retirement from tennis, she married her coach Niño Severino,[9] a retired professional tennis coach turned multi-sports specialist in mental and movement training coach, who also works withIpswich Town F.C. and in coaching martial arts athletes.[10] In 2010, the couple formed the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, which is still run by Niño and based around the facilities at Ipswich Sports Club, where she trained during her career.[11]
At the age of 19, she was diagnosed with the liver conditionprimary sclerosing cholangitis and in June 2010, she became patron of theChildren's Liver Disease Foundation.[12] Baltacha was diagnosed withliver cancer in January 2014.[13] She died from the disease on 4 May 2014 at the age of 30.[5] Several players paid tribute to Baltacha on Twitter including Grand Slam champions Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Petra Kvitová, Marion Bartoli, Chris Evert, Sam Stosur and Svetlana Kuznetsova.[5][14] A host of ATP and WTA tennis players past and present came together on the centre court at the Madrid Open as a mark of respect for Baltacha.[15] Baltacha's funeral took place on 19 May and was attended byTim Henman,Annabel Croft,Laura Robson,Jo Durie andJudy Murray among others. Mourners were asked to wear bright colours instead of black and to donate toRally for Bally rather than buying flowers.[16][17] The money was to be split equally between theRoyal Marsden Cancer Charity and theElena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, which she set up to help disadvantaged children take up the sport.[16] Baltacha is interred in the Ipswich Millennium Cemetery.
In May 2015, it was announced that the trophy at the Nottingham Open was to be named the "Elena Baltacha trophy" in her honour.[18]
Baltacha played her first match on theITF Junior Circuit in February 1997 and her last at the2001 US Open junior tournament. She never won a title but reached the final of two junior tournaments, at the 14th Bahia Junior Cup and at the LTA International Junior Tournament, Bisham Abbey. Baltacha also reached the semifinals of three tournaments and the quarterfinals of six others. In 2001, she reached the semifinals of theWimbledon juniors championships where she was beaten by eventual champion,Angelique Widjaja. Over the course of her career as a junior, she gained wins over players such asSvetlana Kuznetsova,Gisela Dulko (twice) andAnne Keothavong. Her career-high singles ranking was world No. 77 and her final singles win–loss record was 40–40.[19] Aside from junior ITF events, Baltacha also competed in theCommonwealth Youth Games in 2000, representing Scotland, and won a silver medal alongsideKaren Paterson andMhairi Brown in the women's team event.
As a doubles competitor, Baltacha won four tournaments and lost in the final of four more. She also lost in the semifinal stages of tournaments four times and the quarterfinals eight times. Her final doubles win–loss record was 37–30 and her career-high doubles ranking was world No. 60.[19]
In November1997, Baltacha made her debut on the ITF Circuit in Edinburgh where she was beaten in the first round of the qualifying stages in three sets by Danica Kovakova. She did however reach the quarterfinals of the doubles tournament.[20] She played only three adult ITF tournaments in1998 (Birmingham, Southsea and Glasgow, all $10k events) and lost in the qualifying stages for each of them.[20]1999 saw her first ITF main draw appearances. She competed in four tournaments in total and reached the quarterfinals of the $10k tournament in Glasgow.[20]
In April2000, she reached the quarterfinals of the $10k tournament in Bournemouth as a qualifier. Baltacha was given awildcard into the qualifying draw of her homeGrand Slam,Wimbledon, whereFlavia Pennetta beat her in three sets. In October, she received another wildcard, this one into theSwisscom Challenge, aTier-I event held in Zürich. The very next week, she was a quarterfinalist at the $50k tournament in Cardiff. Her season ending singles ranking was 397.[20]
Baltacha reached the quarterfinals of her first tournament of the year in January, a $10k tournament in Jersey, when she was forced to retire early in the second set. She was out of action until late April when she reached the quarterfinals of the $10k tournament in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Two weeks later she reached the quarterfinals of the $25k tournament in Edinburgh as a qualifier. She followed this up with a run to the semifinals of the $25k event in Surbiton. She was then given a wildcard into the qualifying draw for theTier-II Eastbourne International where she beatVirginie Razzano, in the final round of qualifying to reach the main draw.Conchita Martínez beat her in the first round. Just a week later she was given a wildcard into the main draw ofWimbledon to give her the first appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam championship. She was beaten byNathalie Dechy in round one. Following Wimbledon she reached yet another ITF quarterfinal; this one in a $25k tournament in Felixstowe. She lost in round one of the qualifying tournament for the US Open in August and competed in four more ITF tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals of two of them (both $25k). She ended the year with a singles ranking of world No. 248.[20]
In February 2002, Baltacha reached the quarterfinals of the $25k tournament in Sutton, London. She played forGreat Britain in theFed Cup in April and won her singles rubber against Norway's Annette Aksdal. She then beatLina Stančiūtė from Lithuania in the relegation play-offs in three sets. Following this she attempted to qualify for theTier IIICroatian Bol Ladies Open where she was beaten in round one of the qualifying draw. This was the first of a string of five consecutive losses, the last of which was in the first round of the qualifying draw for theBirmingham Classic, a Tier III event. She broke this string of losses with a win overAlina Jidkova in round one of the qualifying draw for the Tier-II Eastbourne International. She was beaten byElena Likhovtseva in the second round of qualifying. She was then given a wildcard into the main draw ofWimbledon where she beatMaría Vento-Kabchi in the first round[21] andAmanda Coetzer in the second[22] before losing to Likhovtseva (for the second time in two consecutive tournaments) in the third round.[23]
Her next tournament was the $25k event in Felixstowe which she won by beating IrishwomanKelly Liggan in the final to give her the first ITF Circuit singles title of her career.[24] Two weeks later, she won her second title in Pamplona, again $25k, when she defeated Virginie Pichet in the final. After this, she attempted to qualify for the US Open but lost in the first round of the qualifying for the second consecutive year. She played two more $25k tournaments after the US Open, Glasgow and Southampton, where she reached the semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively. Her season ending ranking for 2002 was world No. 157.[20]
Baltacha's2003 season started slowly; she lost in round one of the qualifying tournament for the first Grand Slam of the year, theAustralian Open. In April she was again part of the Great Britain Fed Cup team but lost her only match against Hungary'sPetra Mandula. She spent May failing to qualify for the Tier-III tournament, theInternationaux de Strasbourg andFrench Open. In June she was given a wildcard into the main draw of the Birmingham Classic but was forced to retire during her first round match against fellow BritJane O'Donoghue after the first game of the final set.[25] She was then awarded another wild card; this one into the qualifying draw of the Tier II Eastbourne International where she was beaten by Virginie Razzano. For the third year running, she received a wildcard into the main draw ofWimbledon where she forced the former world No. 5,Jelena Dokić, to fight for her eventual three-set victory.[26] This was Baltacha's final match of the year as she underwent invasive surgery after Wimbledon (to determine the cause of her persistent liver troubles) which put her out of action until 2004. As a result, her year-end singles ranking fell to world number 373.[20]
Baltacha returned to action in January2004, reaching the semifinals of her first two ITF tournaments of the year. These were the $10k event in Kingston upon Hull and the $25k event in Sunderland. She played in theFed Cup for theGreat Britain Fed Cup team where she won her two singles rubbers againstTurkey andRomania by beatingCigdem Duru andMonica Niculescu, respectively. She also beat IrishwomanYvonne Doyle in the Europe/Africa Group II Play-offs. In June,Samantha Stosur beat her in the first round of the Birmingham andCara Black beat her in the final round of the qualifying tournament for the Eastbourne International one week later.[27] Baltacha then headed toWimbledon main draw courtesy of another wildcard. She demolished world No. 61,Marta Marrero, in round one[28] before falling to three-time Grand Slam champion,Jennifer Capriati, in the second round.[29]
Between Wimbledon and theUS Open qualifying tournament (where she reached the second round before being beaten byAngelique Widjaja), she suffered three consecutive first-round losses in $50k tournaments in the United States. After the US Open, she reached the final of a $25k event in Jersey where she was beaten byEmma Laine. She spent the remainder of her year competing on the ITF Circuit and her year-end singles ranking rose to world No. 202.[20]
In the2005 Australian Open qualifying tournament, she won three matches in straight sets to qualify; she beatEls Callens,Jaslyn Hewitt andTeryn Ashley in rounds one, two and three, respectively. In the first round of the main draw, she beatKatarina Srebotnik who later remarked that the Brit was "on fire" and that "if [Elena] plays like today, she can beat anyone. Some of the shots she was hitting were unbelievable."[30] She continued her winning streak with another three-set victory in round two, this one over FrenchwomanStéphanie Cohen-Aloro.[31] Unfortunately for Baltacha, she ran out of steam in the third round, losing to No. 15 seed,Silvia Farina Elia.[32] She used her momentum from her good performance in the first Grand Slam event of the year to carry her to the semifinals of her next tournament, a $25k event in Sunderland where she lost toSofia Arvidsson. She then immediately reached the final of another $25k event (this one in Redbridge, London) before being beaten byNika Ožegović. She again played for Great Britain in theFed Cup. She lost her singles rubber againstAna Timotić fromSerbia, won her singles rubber against Karina-Ildor Jacobsgaard and was demolished in her third singles rubber againstKatarina Srebotnik in retribution for her first round Australian Open exit. In the Europe/Africa Group I Play-off, Baltacha was defeated byUkrainianAlona Bondarenko.
Baltacha then failed to qualify for two consecutiveTier-I events before losing in the first round of qualifying for theFrench Open when she lost toElise Tamaëla. In June, three consecutive wildcards granted her entry into the main draws of the DFS Classic, the Aegon International andWimbledon where she was beaten byMilagros Sequera in the second round (having beaten Alona Bondarenko in the first), Conchita Martínez in round one[33] andSabine Klaschka in the first round, respectively. Following Wimbledon, Baltacha travelled to the ITF Circuit in the United States without much success; she won only one of five matches she played in the run-up to theUS Open qualifying draw where she also lost in the first round of qualifying. She then returned to the ITF Circuit and reached the quarterfinals of the $25k event in Glasgow, the semifinals of the $25k event in Bolton and won the $25k tournament in Jersey. Her year-end singles ranking for the 2005 season was world No. 122.[20]
For Baltacha,2006 was a year much shortened by injury. Her first tournament of the year was the qualifying event for theAustralian Open where she lost toYuan Meng at the second stage of qualifying. In February she played one $25kITF event (where she lost toMelanie South in the first round) and attempted to qualify for three consecutive Tier-II tournaments:Antwerp,Dubai (beaten in final round by Kateryna Bondarenko)[34][35] andQatar. This was then followed by two first round losses in $25k tournaments and a run to the semifinals of another. In May, she again represented Great Britain in theFed Cup and again won all three of her singles matches. She beat:HungarianKyra Nagy,Bulgaria'sDimana Krastevitch, andValeria Bondarenko from Ukraine. In the Europe/Africa Play-off however, she lost toSlovakia'sMagdaléna Rybáriková. After the Fed Cup, Elena played only one more tournament in 2006. This tournament was theFrench Open where she lost in round one of qualifying toYevgenia Savransky. She underwent keyhole surgery on aprolapsed disc on 7 June and spent the rest of the season out-of-action recovering[36] and as a result, her season-ending ranking was world No. 347.[20]
By the time Baltacha returned to action in March2007 after surgery, her singles ranking had fallen to 660 in the world and as such, she had to qualify for her first $25kITF tournament of the year inLas Palmas de Gran Canaria. She qualified before losing to Sorana Cîrstea in the first round. She then competed in two more $25k events in March (reaching the quarterfinals of one) before heading to Bulgaria to compete in theFed Cup for Britain. She played two singles matches (winning one) and four doubles matches (winning two). Following this, she reached two consecutive $25k semifinals in Incheon and Gimcheon, one as a qualifier and the other as a lucky loser. She consolidated these results with a run to the quarterfinals of another $25k in Changwon. In June, she received a wildcard into the main draw of theBirmingham Classic where she showed "fighting spirit" in her first round loss to Milagros Sequera.[37] She then received a wildcard into the qualifying draw for theHastings Direct International and proved she deserved it by dropping only nine games in the three matches she won to qualify. She then went on to beat the British number one, Anne Keothavong, in round one of the main draw in a tense three set match and join fellow Britons,Melanie South andKatie O'Brien in the second round, making this the first year since 1991 that three British women reached the second round.[38] She could not quite match up to world No. 14,Nicole Vaidišová, in the second round though and was beaten in straight sets.[39] She then received another wildcard into the main draw ofWimbledon but wasn't able to overcome the 19th seed,Katarina Srebotnik.[40]
After Wimbledon, Baltacha headed to the United States to compete again on the ITF Circuit where she reached the quarterfinals of the $50k event in Lexington, Kentucky. After being beaten in the first round of qualifying for theUS Open byEvgeniya Rodina, Baltacha headed to Japan to attempt to qualify for theJapan Open. She beatMaría Emilia Salerni,Ágnes Szatmári andNatalie Grandin to qualify and then continued winning by defeatingYan Zi in the first round. She was defeated by No. 5 seed and eventual champion,Virginie Razzano, in round two. This was followed by an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for a Tier-III event in Bangkok and then a return to the ITF Circuit where she reached the semifinals in Makinohara and the quarterfinals in Hamanako (both $25k), losing both times toSeiko Okamoto. Her final singles ranking of 2007 was world No. 187.[20]
Baltacha began her2008 season by qualifying for theAuckland Open, beating compatriot,Melanie South, along the way. She faced two-time Auckland champion and No. 7 seed,Eleni Daniilidou, in the opening round and was beaten. She then progressed to round two of the qualifying tournament for theAustralian Open when her first round opponent,Virginie Pichet, retired when down one set.[41] She was beaten in the second round of qualifying byZhang Shuai.[42] In February, she tried to qualify forDoha (Tier I) andDubai (Tier II) but was unsuccessful in both. She then returned to action on theITF Circuit and won her next two consecutive tournaments: Jersey ($25k) and Torhout ($75k). In May, she again lost in the first round of the qualifying tournament for theFrench Open and in June she again received a wildcard into the main draw of theBirmingham Classic where she was beaten in round one byEkaterina Makarova. Another wildcard granted her entry into the qualifying rounds of theInternational Women's Open where she won her first match againstNaomi Cavaday before retiring at one set down in her second match againstTsvetana Pironkova. She then played in the main draw ofWimbledon (again courtesy of a wildcard) where she beatAngelique Kerber in the first round.[43] She was defeated in the second round by eventual semifinalistZheng Jie, in straight sets.[44]
Baltacha then lost three consecutive matches before defeatingAnna Korzeniak andCarly Gullickson in the first two rounds of qualifying for theUS Open. She fell just short of reaching the main draw when she lost toJulie Coin in the final round of qualifying. She played seven more higher-level ITF tournaments over the rest of the year and reached the quarterfinals in one of them: the $50k event in Ismaning where she lost toJulia Görges. Her year-end ranking was world No. 136.[20]
Baltacha began2009 by falling in the first round of qualifying for theAuckland Open before winning three matches to qualify for theAustralian Open. She joined compatriotsKatie O'Brien (also a qualifier),Anne Keothavong andMelanie South in the main draw; the first time that four British women had competed in the main draw of a Grand Slam other than Wimbledon since the1992 US Open.[45][46] Baltacha came up against GermanAnna-Lena Grönefeld in the first round and defeated her comfortably to set up a clash with formerworld No. 1,Amélie Mauresmo. Despite surprising many by taking the first set, Baltacha eventually lost in three sets.
February saw Baltacha represent her country in theFed Cup where she won all three of her singles rubbers in straight sets. In April, Baltacha was the top seed in the $75kITF tournament in Monzón where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to former world No. 4,Kimiko Date-Krumm in a close three-set match. Later that month she reached the final of a $25k where she faced the No. 6 seed,Junri Namigata, and won to give her the sixth ITF singles title of her career.[47] In May, she reached the semifinals of a $50k in Fukuoka before going on to reach the final round of qualifying for theFrench Open, where she lost toYaroslava Shvedova. Between the French Open and Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals of another $50k and reached the second round of theEastbourne Classic. She beatGeorgie Stoop in the first round before falling in an epic three-set battle with the then world No. 27,Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She received a wildcard into the main draw ofWimbledon where she came up against world No. 33,Alona Bondarenko, in the first round. Baltacha managed to come back from a set down to win in three sets. She then went on to lose toKirsten Flipkens in round two.[48]
This was followed by three consecutive losses in the first round of qualifying for WTA events before Baltacha won two matches to qualify for theRogers Cup, aPremier tournament. She faced former world No. 1,Kim Clijsters, in the second tournament of her comeback and lost to the Belgian in straight sets. Following this, she reached the final round of qualifying for theUS Open before going on to win the $75k in Shrewsbury. She beat fellow Brit,Katie O'Brien, in the final. This result was enough to put both finalists into the top 100 for the first time in each of their careers.[49] After this, Baltacha reached the semifinals of one more $50k, the second round of a $100k (where she had to withdraw due to food poisoning) and the quarterfinals of a $75k tournament. These showings helped her accumulate enough points to catapult her back to the British number-one spot. Her year-end ranking was world No. 87.[20]
Baltacha began her2010 season by winning three matches to qualify for theAuckland Open in New Zealand. In the first round of the main draw, she was beaten byRaluca Olaru, in straight sets. She then went on to win another three matches to qualify for theHobart International before again losing in the first round, this time to resurgent former world No. 4, Jelena Dokić. Her next tournament was the first Grand Slam of the year, theAustralian Open. For the first time in her career she was able to gain direct entry into the main draw of the tournament due to her improved ranking. She defeatedPauline Parmentier in the first round. As Baltacha's compatriot, Katie O'Brien, also reached the second round, 2010 marked the first time since 1991 that more than one British woman had reached the second round of the Australian Open. In round two, Elena defeated the 30th seed from Ukraine, Kateryna Bondarenko, but she was beaten in the round of 32 byDinara Safina, the world No. 2. In the doubles tournament she partneredLīga Dekmeijere to reach the second round. In February, Baltacha participated in theFed Cup where the British team was competing in theEurope/Africa Zone. She played two singles matches, losing againstSybille Bammer and defeating Sandra Martinović from theAustria team and theBosnia and Herzegovina team, respectively. She also partneredSarah Borwell in two doubles matches, winning both.
Following this performance in the Fed Cup, Elena competed in a $100k tournament in Midland, Michigan where she reached the final and defeatedLucie Hradecká to win the biggest title of her career. Baltacha then went on to compete in theCellular South Cup as the eighth seed. She reached the quarterfinals before losing to the top seed and eventual champion,Maria Sharapova. March saw Baltacha qualify for theIndian Wells Open. After defeatingAlexa Glatch in the first round, she faced world No. 10, Li Na, in round two and went on to win the match. This gave Elena the first victory of her career over a player ranked in the top 10.Alicia Molik defeated Baltacha in the third round. In her only other tournament during March, Baltacha had to win two matches to qualify for theMiami Open before going on to lose toYanina Wickmayer in the second round of the main tournament. After this, she went on to reach the quarterfinals of a $100k tournament in Johannesberg before beginning her clay court season with a loss toGréta Arn in the first round of theItalian Open, aPremier-5 event. In her final event before theFrench Open, Baltacha participated in theInternationaux de Strasbourg as the eighth seed but was forced to retire in the second round due to a back injury. In her first round match at the French Open, she was beaten byAgnieszka Radwańska, in straight sets.
Her grass-court season then began and theNottingham Trophy, a $50k event, gave Baltacha the second title of the year. She didn't drop a set throughout the tournament, including in the final when she facedCarly Gullickson. Baltacha stayed on grass for her next tournament, theBirmingham Classic, where she was the number 12 seed. She was forced to retire after losing the first set in her first round match againstKaia Kanepi. Her next event was theEastbourne International where during her first-round match withLi Na, the Chinese player had to retire with a leg injury after winning the first set on a tie-break. After a second-round win over another Chinese player,Zheng Jie, she lost to Sam Stosur in three sets in the quarterfinals. Nevertheless, this was the first time since 1983 that a British woman had progressed to the quarterfinals of this tournament. Baltacha then suffered a disappointing first-round loss atWimbledon. She lost in three sets toPetra Martić, after leading by a set and 5–2.
In the lead up to theUS Open, Baltacha played in theİstanbul Cup, where she reached the quarterfinals. Along the way she defeated world No. 8 and reigning French Open champion,Francesca Schiavone, in straight sets, to give her the best win of her career. She was beaten byAndrea Petkovic in the quarterfinals. Baltacha then lost four of her next five matches before participating in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in her career. She managed to exact some revenge by beatingPetra Martić in round one however she lost to Petra Kvitová in the second round. Baltacha competed in four more tournaments that year, reaching the second round of theKorea Open and a $100k in Torhout but losing in the qualifying rounds of thePan Pacific Open and theKremlin Cup. She had also been selected to represent Scotland at theCommonwealth Games but chose not to participate due to the poor sanitation in the athletes' village, which, as a result of her chronic liver problem, may have left her susceptible to picking up infections. Her year-end singles ranking was world No. 54.[20]
Baltacha began the year at theHobart International, but lost toRoberta Vinci in the second round. Baltacha then entered theAustralian Open without having to qualify. In the first round, she defeated American qualifierJamie Hampton. In round two, however, she was defeated by former world number 1 and 2004 Australian Open ChampionJustine Henin. Her next tournament was thePattaya Open, where she lost to sixth seedPeng Shuai.
Baltacha lost in the first round of theDubai Tennis Championships toAlexandra Dulgheru. She then lost in the second round of qualifying at theQatar Ladies Open toKlára Zakopalová. In the first round of theIndian Wells Open, Baltacha saved four match points at 2–6, 4–5 in the first round against Roberta Vinci, finally winning in three sets. In the second round she was defeated by 12th seed Flavia Pennetta. In the first round of theMiami Open, Baltacha defeatedSybille Bammer. However, she was defeated in the second round byKlára Zakopalová, the 32nd seed. After direct acceptance into the main draw of theFrench Open, Baltacha defeated American qualifierSloane Stephens. Due to the previous win by fellow BritonHeather Watson, it was the first time since 1992 that two British women had cleared the first round of the French Open. In the second round, Baltacha drew another AmericanVania King, who defeated her in three sets. On 12 June, Baltacha won her first tournament of the season, winning theNottingham Challenge without dropping a single set throughout the tournament, defeatingPetra Cetkovská in the final.[50]
An improvement on the previous years disappointment, Baltacha reached the second round of Wimbledon by a victory overMona Barthel. She failed to progress, however, losing to the 20th seed, Peng Shuai. She went on to enter the qualifying draw of theCincinnati Open, but despite being seeded tenth, she lost in the first round againstOlga Govortsova. She then went on to the inauguralTexas Tennis Open. She managed first and second round wins overBarbora Záhlavová-Strýcová and third seed Julia Görges before a quarterfinal loss toAravane Rezaï.
Baltacha's next tournament was theUS Open, where in the first round she walked over American wildcardJamie Hampton. Hampton had to retire unexpectedly due to cramp and dehydration as she collapsed on the base line. She lost toSvetlana Kuznetsova in the second round. Her final tournament of the year was theInternationaux de la Vienne, where she got all the way to the final only to lose toKimiko Date-Krumm, in straight sets.
Baltacha began 2012 playing at theAuckland Open. She won her first-round match against wildcard and home favouriteSacha Jones in a hard-fought three set encounter but lost in the second round in straight sets toFlavia Pennetta. This was followed by a first-round loss in theAustralian Open toStéphanie Foretz Gacon.
Baltacha was selected for the British Fed Cup team to play in the Europe/Africa Group 1 match in Eilat, Israel on 1–4 February 2012. In the group stages she played singles, defeating opponents from Portugal,[51] the Netherlands[52] and Israel. The team qualified for a play-off against Austria in which Baltacha defeatedTamira Paszek. The team won 2–0, which qualified them for a place in the World Group II promotion play-off in April.[53]
At theFrench Open, Baltacha faced a tough first round match against US Open championSam Stosur on the first match atCourt Philippe Chatrier (Centre Court) of the Open. Stosur won without dropping a set. Baltacha did however have a better run atWimbledon, making the second round but lost to the previous year's championPetra Kvitová in straight sets. In the first round, she had come through a gruelling three setter againstKarin Knapp, despite carrying shin splints and picking up an injury during the match. Baltacha competed at theSummer Olympics in London for the first time in her career in both the singles and the doubles events (partneringAnne Keothavong). On 28 July 2012, Baltacha made her Olympics debut with a win againstÁgnes Szávay of Hungary, defeating her in straight sets.[54] She was then defeated by 11th seedAna Ivanovic in the second round in a very tight encounter. This was Baltacha's last professional match of 2012, taking time off to undergo foot surgery.
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Baltacha's first tournament back after surgery was a $25k tournament in Pelham, Alabama, where she was a direct entrant into the main draw. She withdrew againstSharon Fichman in round one.
An illness toHeather Watson meant that Baltacha made British Fed Cup World Group II play-off team to face Argentina. Baltacha replacedJohanna Konta to play one of the singles rubbers on the final day of the play-off.Laura Robson's defeat in the third rubber meant that Baltacha had to gain a victory overMaría Irigoyen. Baltacha lost in three sets, meaning that Great Britain would have to return to the Europe/Africa Group and attempt to qualify again next February.
Baltacha was handed a wildcard at theBrussels Open a week before Roland Garros. In the first round, she surprisingly defeatedStefanie Vögele but lost to the seventh seeded Varvara Lepchenko, in straight sets. At theFrench Open, Baltacha used her protected rankings points to earn a place in the first round. She was beaten in straight sets byMarina Erakovic. Following this defeat, Baltacha was handed a wildcard to play at theNottingham Trophy, an ITF event in Nottingham, but again lost in the first round to sixth seedVesna Dolonc.
Baltacha reached her first final of 2013 at the Nottingham Challenge following an impressive straight-sets victory over ItalianNastassja Burnett in the semifinals. She then beat the seventh seedTadeja Majerič in the final in straight sets coming from behind in the first 2–5 down to claim her third title at Nottingham.[55] Baltacha followed this success with a victory in the first round of the Birmingham Classic against Czech qualifierKristýna Plíšková. Baltacha was eliminated in the second round byMaria Kirilenko.
Baltacha retired from professional tennis in November 2013.[56]
|
|
| Outcome | Date | Tier | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 8 July 2002 | 25,000 | Felixstowe, United Kingdom | Grass |  Kelly Liggan | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 22 July 2002 | 25,000 | Pamplona, Spain | Hard (i) |  Virginie Pichet | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 20 September 2004 | 25,000 | Jersey, United Kingdom | Hard (i) |  Emma Laine | 6–3, 2–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 9 February 2005 | 25,000 | Redbridge, United Kingdom | Hard (i) |  Nika Ožegović | 0–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 12 October 2005 | 25,000 | Jersey, United Kingdom | Hard (i) |  Daniela Kix | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 26 March 2008 | 25,000 | Jersey, United Kingdom | Hard (i) | Ana Vrljić | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1 April 2008 | 75,000 | Torhout, Belgium | Hard (i) |  Iveta Benešová | 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–4 |
| Winner | 21 April 2009 | 25,000 | Changwon, Korea | Hard |  Junri Namigata | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Winner | 22 September 2009 | 75,000 | GB Pro-Series Shrewsbury, UK | Hard (i) | Katie O'Brien | 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 9 February 2010 | 100,000 | Midland Classic, United States | Hard (i) | Lucie Hradecká | 5–7, 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 31 May 2010 | 50,000 | Nottingham Trophy, UK | Grass |  Carly Gullickson | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 12 June 2011 | 100,000+H | Nottingham Challenge, UK | Grass | Petra Cetkovská | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 30 October 2011 | 100,000 | ITF Poitiers, France | Hard (i) | Kimiko Date-Krumm | 6–7(3), 4–6 |
| Winner | 16 June 2013 | 50,000 | Nottingham Challenge, UK | Grass |  Tadeja Majerič | 7–5, 7–6(7) |
|
|
| Outcome | Date | Tier | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 30 April 2001 | 10,000 | Hatfield, UK | Clay | Nicola Trinder |  Natalia EgorovaEkaterina Sysoeva | 3–6, 6–4, 1–6 |
| Winner | 15 July 2002 | 25,000 | Valladolid, Spain | Hard |  Natacha Randriantefy |  Leanne Baker Manisha Malhotra | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 22 July 2002 | 25,000 | Pamplona, Spain | Hard (i) | Kelly Liggan | Yvonne Doyle Susanne Trik | 6–7(6), 7–6(1), 6–3 |
| Winner | 11 October 2004 | 25,000 | Sunderland, UK | Hard (i) | Jane O'Donoghue |  Eva FislováStanislava Hrozenská | 6–1, 4–6, 6–2 |
| Winner | 22 September 2005 | 25,000 | GB Pro-Series Glasgow, UK | Hard (i) |  Margit Rüütel | Anne KeothavongKaren Paterson | 6–3, 6–7(2), 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 21 March 2006 | 25,000 | Redding, United States | Hard |  Yevgenia Savransky | Vasilisa BardinaAhsha Rolle | 7–5, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 4 June 2007 | 25,000 | Surbiton Trophy, UK | Grass | Naomi Cavaday | Karen PatersonMelanie South | 1–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 21 April 2009 | 25,000 | Changwon, Korea | Hard | Amanda Elliott |  Chang Kai-chenChen Yi | 4–6, 1–6 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | SR | W–L | Win % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | 1R | A | 3R | Q2 | A | Q2 | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | A | 0 / 6 | 6–6 | 50% | ||
| French Open | A | A | Q1 | A | Q1 | Q1 | A | Q1 | Q3 | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 4 | 1–4 | 20% | ||
| Wimbledon | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 0 / 12 | 7–12 | 37% | ||
| US Open | Q1 | Q1 | A | Q2 | Q1 | A | Q1 | Q3 | Q3 | 2R | 2R | A | Q3 | 0 / 2 | 2–2 | 50% | ||
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 4–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0 / 24 | 16–24 | 40% | ||
| Olympic Games | ||||||||||||||||||
| Summer Olympics | NH | A | NH | A | NH | 2R | NH | 0 / 1 | 1–1 | 50% | ||||||||
| Year-end championships | ||||||||||||||||||
| WTA Tour Championships | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | ||||||||||||||
| Premier Mandatory tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Wells | A | 3R | 2R | 2R | A | 0 / 3 | 4–3 | 57% | ||||||||||
| Miami | A | LQ | A | LQ | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | 0 / 3 | 2–3 | 40% | |||||||
| Madrid | NH | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | |||||||||||||
| Beijing | Not Tier I | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | |||||||||||||
| Premier 5 tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai | Not Tier I | A | 1R | NP5 | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% | |||||||||||
| Rome | A | LQ | A | LQ | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | ||||||||||
| Cincinnati | Not Tier I | LQ | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | ||||||||||||
| Canada | A | 1R | LQ | A | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% | |||||||||||
| Tokyo | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | ||||||||||||||
| Titles/Finals | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||
| Year-end ranking | 242 | 157 | 373 | 202 | 122 | 347 | 187 | 136 | 89 | 55 | 50 | 172 | 220 | $1,190,893 | ||||
| Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Career W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | 1–1 |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–0 |
| Wimbledon | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | 2–10 |
| US Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–0 |
| Year-end ranking | 405 | 262 | 490 | 355 | 246 | 508 | 365 | 961 | 648 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Career W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–0 |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–0 |
| Wimbledon | 3R | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 5–7 |
| US Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–0 |
| Europe/Africa Group II | ||||||||
| Date | Venue | Surface | Round | Opponents | Final match score | Match | Opponent | Rubber score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09–13 April 2002 | Pretoria | Hard | RR |  Malta | 3–0 | Doubles(withJulie Pullin) | Dimech/Wetz | 6–0, 6–1 (W) |
 Norway | 3–0 | Singles | Annette Aksdal | 6–0, 6–1 (W) | ||||
| PO (Promotion) |  Lithuania | 2–0 | Singles | Lina Stančiūtė | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 (W) | |||
| Europe/Africa Group I | ||||||||
| 21–26 April 2003 | Estoril | Clay | RR | Ireland | 2–1 | Doubles(withJulie Pullin) | Curran/Liggan | 6–3, 6–2 (W) |
 Poland | 2–1 | Doubles(withJulie Pullin) | Domachowska/Bieleń-Żarska | 6–4, 7–6(7–5) (W) | ||||
 Hungary | 0–3 | Singles | Petra Mandula | 1–6, 3–6 (L) | ||||
| PO (Relegation) | Netherlands | 1–2 | Doubles(withJulie Pullin) | Boogert/Oremans | 3–6, 4–6 (L) | |||
| Europe/Africa Group II | ||||||||
| 26 Apr – 1 May 2004 | Marsa | Hard | RR |  Egypt | 3–0 | Doubles(withJane O'Donoghue) | Farid/Mohsen | 6–0, 6–3 (W) |
 Turkey | 3–0 | Singles | Cigdem Duru | 6–1, 6–0 (W) | ||||
| Doubles(withJane O'Donoghue) | Büyükakçay/Özgen | 6–0, 6–3 (W) | ||||||
 Romania | 2–1 | Singles | Monica Niculescu | 6–1, 6–4 (W) | ||||
| PO (Promotion) | Ireland | 2–0 | Singles | Yvonne Doyle | 6–1, 7–5 (W) | |||
| Europe/Africa Group I | ||||||||
| 20–23 April 2005 | Antalya | Clay | RR | Slovenia | 0–3 | Singles | Katarina Srebotnik | 1–6, 1–6 (L) |
| Doubles(withJane O'Donoghue) | Klepač/Križan | 1–6, 4–6 (L) | ||||||
 Denmark | 2–1 | Singles | Karina Ildor Jacobsgaard | 6–3, 7–5 (W) | ||||
 Serbia and Montenegro | 1–2 | Singles | Ana Timotić | 7–5, 3–6, 0–6 (L) | ||||
| PO (9th–12th) |  Ukraine | 1–2 | Singles | Alona Bondarenko | 1–6, 3–6 (L) | |||
| 18–22 April 2006 | Plovdiv | Clay | RR | Ukraine | 3–0 | Singles | Valeria Bondarenko | 6–3, 6–0 (W) |
| Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Antypina/V.Bondarenko | 6–4, 6–4 (W) | ||||||
 Bulgaria | 2–1 | Singles | Dimana Krastevitch | 6–3, 6–1 (W) | ||||
| Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Krastevitch/Pironkova | 6–1, 1–6, 6–2 (W) | ||||||
| Hungary | 2–1 | Singles | Kyra Nagy | 6–1, 6–2 (W) | ||||
| Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Nagy/Németh | 6–1, 7–6(7–5) (W) | ||||||
| PO (1st–4th) | Slovakia | 1–2 | Singles | Magdaléna Rybáriková | 5–7, 3–6 (L) | |||
| Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Cibulková/Husárová | 6–4, 6–3 (W) | ||||||
| 18–21 April 2007 | Plovdiv | Clay | RR | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Singles | Dia Evtimova | 4–6, 6–4, 8–6 (W) |
| Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Alawi/Mladenova | 6–4, 6–2 (W) | ||||||
 Luxembourg | 1–2 | Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Kremer/Philippe | 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 (W) | ||||
| Poland | 0–3 | Singles | Marta Domachowska | 1–6, 4–6 (L) | ||||
| Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Domachowska/A.Radwańska | 3–6, 4–6 (L) | ||||||
| PO (9th–12th) |  Sweden | 0–3 | Doubles(withClaire Curran) | Andersson/Larsson | 0–6, 1–6 (L) | |||
| 30 Jan – 1 Feb 2008 | Budapest | Carpet (i) | RR |  Switzerland | 1–2 | Doubles(withMelanie South) | Gagliardi/Schnyder | 3–6, 3–6 (L) |
| Hungary | 1–2 | Doubles(withMelanie South) | Arn/Szávay | 2–6, 2–6 (L) | ||||
| Denmark | 1–2 | Doubles(withAnne Keothavong) | Dyrberg/Wozniacki | 3–6, 2–6 (L) | ||||
| 04–07 Feb 2009 | Tallinn | Carpet (i) | RR | Hungary | 3–0 | Singles | Gréta Arn | 7–5, 6–3 (W) |
| Netherlands | 3–0 | Singles | Michelle Gerards | 6–2, 6–4 (W) | ||||
| PO (Promotion) | Poland | 1–2 | Singles | Katarzyna Piter | 6–4, 6–1 (W) | |||
| 03–05 Feb 2010 | Lisbon | Hard (i) | RR |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3–0 | Singles | Sandra Martinović | 6–1, 6–1 (W) |
| Doubles(withSarah Borwell) | Husarić/Martinović | 6–2, 6–4 (W) | ||||||
| Austria | 0–3 | Singles | Sybille Bammer | 3–6, 3–6 (L) | ||||
 Belarus | 2–1 | Doubles(withSarah Borwell) | Govortsova/Poutchek | 3–6, 7–5, 6–2 (W) | ||||
| 5 Feb 2011 | Eilat | Hard | PO (5th–8th) | Croatia | 2–0 | Singles | Ajla Tomljanović | 6–1, 6–1 (W) |
| 01–04 Feb 2012 | Eilat | Hard | RR |  Portugal | 3–0 | Singles | Michelle Larcher de Brito | 6–2, 6–3 (W) |
| Netherlands | 2–1 | Singles | Michaëlla Krajicek | 6–3, 6–3 (W) | ||||
| Israel | 3–0 | Singles | Shahar Pe'er | 6–4, 6–3 (W) | ||||
| PO (Promotional) | Austria | 2–0 | Singles | Tamira Paszek | 6–1, 6–4 (W) | |||
| World Group II (Play Offs) | ||||||||
| 21–22 April 2012 | Borås | Hard (i) | PO (Promotional) | Sweden | 1–4 | Singles | Johanna Larsson | 1–6, 5–7 (L) |
| Doubles(withHeather Watson) | Allgurin/Melander | 7–6(7–3), 6–1 (W) | ||||||
| 20–21 April 2013 | Buenos Aires | Clay | PO (Promotional) |  Argentina | 1–3 | Singles | María Irigoyen | 5–7, 6–3, 1–6 (L) |
| Player | Record | Win % | Hard | Clay | Grass | Carpet | Last match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number 1 ranked players | |||||||
 Angelique Kerber | 1–0 | 100% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | Won (6–3, 2–6, 7–5) at2008 Wimbledon Championships |
| Maria Sharapova | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (2–6, 5–7) at2010 Cellular South Cup |
| Simona Halep | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 7–5, 2–6) at 2010 $100k+H Torhout, Belgium |
/ Ana Ivanovic | 0–1 | 0% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 6–7(5–7)) at2012 Summer Olympics |
| Dinara Safina | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (1–6, 2–6) at2010 Australian Open |
| Amélie Mauresmo | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (6–4, 3–6, 2–6) at2009 Australian Open |
 Victoria Azarenka | 0–1 | 0% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (1–6, 6–7(0–7)) at2010 Eastbourne International |
 Kim Clijsters | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (3–6, 4–6) at2009 Canadian Open |
| /Jelena Janković | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (5–7, 1–6) at 2002 $25k Lawrenceville, GA |
| Jennifer Capriati | 0–1 | 0% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 4–6) at2004 Wimbledon Championships |
| Justine Henin | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (1–6, 3–6) at2011 Australian Open |
| Number 2 ranked players | |||||||
 Li Na | 2–2 | 50% | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | Lost (3–6, 2–6) at2010 Danish Open |
| Petra Kvitová | 1–3 | 25% | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (0–6, 4–6) at2012 Wimbledon Championships |
| Svetlana Kuznetsova | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 3–6) at2011 US Open |
 Conchita Martínez | 0–2 | 0% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | Lost (5–7, 6–2, 1–6) at2005 Eastbourne International |
| Agnieszka Radwańska | 0–3 | 0% | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (0–6, 6–7(4–7)) at2011 Southern California Open |
| Number 3 ranked players | |||||||
 Amanda Coetzer | 1–0 | 100% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | Won (5–7, 6–4, 6–2) at2002 Wimbledon Championships |
| Sloane Stephens | 1–0 | 100% | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Won (7–5, 6–2) at2011 French Open |
| Number 4 ranked players | |||||||
 Francesca Schiavone | 1–0 | 100% | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Won (6–4, 6–2) at2010 İstanbul Cup |
 Samantha Stosur | 1–3 | 25% | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 0–6) at2012 French Open |
| Dominika Cibulková | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (6–4, 6–7(3–7), 0–1 ret.) at2011 Linz Open |
| Caroline Garcia | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (5–7, 6–7(7–9)) at2013 Connecticut Open |
| /Jelena Dokić | 0–2 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 2–6) at2010 Hobart International |
| Kimiko Date | 0–2 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (6–7(3–7), 4–6) at2011 $100k Poitiers, France |
| Number 5 ranked players | |||||||
| Anna Chakvetadze | 1–0 | 100% | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Won (7–5, 7–6(7–3)) at2010 Auckland Open |
| Lucie Šafářová | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (3–6, 6–7(5–7)) at 2008 $100k Poitiers, France |
| Number 6 ranked players | |||||||
| Flavia Pennetta | 0–4 | 0% | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 1–6) at2013 Wimbledon Championships |
| Number 7 ranked players | |||||||
| Roberta Vinci | 1–1 | 50% | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Won (2–6, 7–5, 6–2) at2011 Indian Wells Open |
| Nicole Vaidišová | 0–1 | 0% | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (3–6, 2–6) at2007 Eastbourne International |
| Number 8 ranked players | |||||||
| Ekaterina Makarova | 2–1 | 67% | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (5–7, 6–7(1–7)) at2008 Birmingham Classic |
| Alicia Molik | 0–1 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (0–6, 2–6) at2010 Indian Wells Open |
| Number 9 ranked players | |||||||
| Julia Görges | 1–3 | 25% | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | Lost (3–6, 2–6) at2012 Indian Wells Open |
| Andrea Petkovic | 0–2 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | Lost (4–6, 0–6) at2010 İstanbul Cup |
| Number 10 ranked players | |||||||
| Maria Kirilenko | 0–3 | 0% | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | Lost (6–4, 4–6, 3–6) at2013 Eastbourne International |
| Total | 13–47 | 22% | 8–25 (24%) | 1–5 (17%) | 4–16 (20%) | 0–1 (0%) | |
| Season | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Total |
| Wins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| # | Player | Rank | Event | Surface | Rd. | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||||||
| 1. | Li Na | No. 10 | Indian Wells Open | Hard | 2R | 7–6(6), 2–6, 7–6(7) |
| 2. | Li Na | No. 10 | Eastbourne International | Grass | 1R | 6–7(6), ret. |
| 3. | Francesca Schiavone | No. 8 | İstanbul Cup | Hard | 2R | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Preceded by | British Tennis number one 23 September 2002 – 15 June 2003 17 January 2005 – 29 January 2006 30 November 2009 – 10 June 2012 | Succeeded by |