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Barbara Potter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbara Potter
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceHarlem, Georgia, USA
Born (1961-10-22) October 22, 1961 (age 62)
Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro1978
Retired1989
PlaysLeft-handed
Prize moneyUS$ 1,313,808
Singles
Career record320–191
Career titles6
Highest rankingNo. 7 (December 6, 1982)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1984)
French Open1R (1985)
WimbledonQF (1982, 1983, 1985)
US OpenSF (1981)
Doubles
Career record200–74
Career titles19
Highest rankingNo. 3
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenSF (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988)
WimbledonSF (1983, 1984)
US OpenF (1982)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
US OpenF (1982, 1983)

Barbara Potter (born October 22, 1961) is a former tennis player from the United States, who competed professionally on the WTA Tour between 1978 and 1989, winning six singles titles and 19 doubles titles. Her highest singles ranking was No. 7 in December 1982.

Career

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Potter started playing tennis when she was eight years old.[1] After graduating from Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut in 1978 Potter elected to turn professional instead of accepting an offer of admission at Princeton.[1][2][3][4] A left-hander, she reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open in 1981[4] as well as the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 1984, and Wimbledon in 1982, 1983 and 1985. At the WTA Tour Championships, she reached the semifinals in singles in 1984 and was a runner-up in doubles with Sharon Walsh in 1981.

Potter reached a career high ranking of No. 7 in 1982 and that year won the singles titles at the Avon Championships of Cincinnati and the US Indoor Championships.[4][3] She also played in three Grand Slam doubles finals, the 1982 US Open women's doubles with Sharon Walsh as well as the 1982 and 1983 US Open mixed doubles with Ferdi Taygan.

In 1986, Potter suffered two herniated disks in her back at a tournament in England and was forced off the tour several times. After a grueling exercise and fitness program, she successfully returned to the tour.

She was a member of the 1982 and 1984 U.S. Wightman Cup teams and the 1988 United States Fed Cup team. In 1989, she re-aggravated a persistent back condition at the beginning season when she was involved in an automobile accident. She retired in November 1989 due to deteriorating hip cartilage.

Potter currently resides in Harlem, Georgia.

Major finals

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Grand Slam finals

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Women's doubles (1 runner–up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1982 US Open Hard United States Sharon Walsh United States Kathy Jordan
United States Anne Smith
6–4, 6–4

Mixed doubles (2 runners-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1982 US Open Hard United States Ferdi Taygan United States Anne Smith
South Africa Kevin Curren
6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5)
Loss 1983 US Open Hard United States Ferdi Taygan Australia Elizabeth Sayers
Australia John Fitzgerald
3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Year-End Championships finals

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Doubles: (1 runner–up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1981 New York City Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh Czechoslovakia Martina Navrátilová
United States Pam Shriver
6–0, 7–6(8–6)

WTA career finals

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Singles: 14 (6–8)

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Winner — Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
WTA Tour Championships (0–0)
Tier I (0–0)
Tier II (0–0)
Tier III (1–0)
Tier IV (0–1)
Tier V (0–1)
Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (5–6)
Titles by surface
Hard (2–2)
Grass (0–1)
Clay (0–0)
Carpet (4–5)
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1. Jan 1979 Toronto Carpet (i) West Germany Bettina Bunge 6–1, 6–4
Loss 1. Jan 1980 Las Vegas Hard (i) United States Andrea Jaeger 6–7, 6–4, 1–6
Loss 2. Feb 1981 Seattle Carpet (i) West Germany Sylvia Hanika 2–6, 4–6
Win 2. Jan 1982 Cincinnati Carpet (i) West Germany Bettina Bunge 6–2, 7–6(7–3)
Loss 3. Feb 1982 Kansas City Carpet (i) United States Martina Navratilova 2–6, 2–6
Loss 4. Sep 1982 Tokyo Carpet (i) West Germany Bettina Bunge 6–7(4–7), 2–6
Win 3. Sep 1982 Philadelphia Carpet (i) United States Pam Shriver 6–4, 6–2
Loss 5. Feb 1984 Chicago Carpet (i) United States Pam Shriver 6–7(4–7), 6–2, 3–6
Win 4. Aug 1985 Monticello Hard Canada Helen Kelesi 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Win 5. Feb 1987 Wichita Carpet (i) Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5)
Loss 6. Mar 1987 Washington Carpet (i) Czechoslovakia Hana Mandlíková 4–6, 2–6
Loss 7. Jul 1988 Newport Grass United States Lori McNeil 4–6, 6–4, 3–6
Win 6. Aug 1988 Cincinnati Hard Canada Helen Kelesi 6–2, 6–2
Loss 8. Feb 1989 Wichita Hard (i) United States Amy Frazier 6–4, 4–6, 0–6

Doubles: 41 (19–22)

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Winner — Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–1)
WTA Tour Championships (0–1)
Tier I (0–0)
Tier II (0–0)
Tier III (0–0)
Tier IV (1–0)
Tier V (0–0)
Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (18–20)
Titles by surface
Hard (3–5)
Grass (3–0)
Clay (1–1)
Carpet (12–16)
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. Aug 1978 Mahwah Hard Australia Pam Whytcross South Africa Ilana Kloss
South Africa Marise Kruger
3–6, 4–6
Win 1. Jan 1980 Las Vegas Hard (i) United States Kay McDaniel United States Diane Desfor
United States Barbara Jordan
4–5, 7–6, 6–4
Win 2. Sep 1980 Atlanta Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Kathy Jordan
United States Anne Smith
6–3, 6–1
Win 3. Dec 1980 Tucson Carpet (i) United States Leslie Allen United States Mary-Lou Piatek
United States Wendy White
7–6, 6–0
Win 4. Jan 1981 Kansas City Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Rosie Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 2. Jan 1981 Chicago Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh Czechoslovakia Martina Navrátilová
United States Pam Shriver
3–6, 4–6
Win 5. Mar 1981 Boston Carpet (Ii) United States Sharon Walsh United States JoAnne Russell
Romania Virginia Ruzici
6–7, 6–4, 6–3
Loss 3. Mar 1981 Avon Championships Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh Czechoslovakia Martina Navrátilová
United States Pam Shriver
0–6, 6–7(6–8)
Loss 4. May 1981 Tokyo Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United Kingdom Sue Barker
United States Ann Kiyomura
5–7, 2–6
Win 6. Oct 1981 Brighton Carpet (i) United States Anne Smith Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
United States Pam Shriver
6–7, 6–3, 6–4
Loss 5. Oct 1981 Filderstadt Carpet (i) United States Anne Smith Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
Czechoslovakia Martina Navrátilová
4–6, 1–6
Win 7. Nov 1981 Perth Grass United States Sharon Walsh United States Betsy Nagelsen
United States Candy Reynolds
6–4, 6–2
Win 8. Feb 1982 Kansas City Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Mary-Lou Piatek
United States Anne Smith
4–6, 6–2, 6–2
Win 9. Feb 1982 Oakland Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Kathy Jordan
United States Pam Shriver
6–1, 3–6, 7–6(7–5)
Loss 6. Mar 1982 Los Angeles Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Kathy Jordan
United States Anne Smith
3–6, 5–7
Loss 7. Apr 1982 Amelia Island Clay United States Sharon Walsh United States Leslie Allen
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
1–6, 5–7
Loss 8. Aug 1982 Montreal Hard United States Sharon Walsh United States Martina Navratilova
United States Candy Reynolds
4–6, 4–6
Win 10. Aug 1982 Mahwah Hard United States Sharon Walsh United States Rosie Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
6–1, 6–4
Loss 9. Aug 1982 US Open Hard United States Sharon Walsh United States Rosie Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
4–6, 4–6
Loss 10. Sep 1982 Philadelphia Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Rosie Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
6–3, 6–7(5–7), 4–6
Win 11. Oct 1982 Deerfield Beach Hard United States Sharon Walsh United States Rosie Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–3)
Loss 11. Oct 1982 Brighton Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver
6–2, 5–7, 4–6
Loss 12. Jan 1983 Houston Carpet (i) United Kingdom Jo Durie United States Martina Navratilova
United States Pam Shriver
4–6, 3–6
Win 12. Jan 1983 Palm Beach Garden Clay United States Sharon Walsh United States Kathy Jordan
United States Paula Smith
6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Win 13. Jul 1983 Newport Grass United States Sharon Walsh United States Barbara Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Sayers
6–3, 6–1
Loss 13. Sep 1983 Richmond Carpet (i) United States Kathy Jordan South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Candy Reynolds
7–6(7–3), 2–6, 1–6
Loss 14. Sep 1983 Hartford Carpet (i) United States Kathy Jordan United States Billie Jean King
United States Sharon Walsh
6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Win 14. Oct 1983 Detroit Carpet (i) United States Kathy Jordan United States Rosie Casals
Australia Wendy Turnbull
6–4, 6–1
Win 15. Jan 1984 Washington Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Leslie Allen
United States Anne White
6–1, 6–7(7–9), 6–2
Loss 15. Jan 1984 Houston Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mima Jaušovec
United States Anne White
4–6, 6–3, 6–7(4–7)
Loss 16. Feb 1984 Chicago Carpet (i) United States Pam Shriver United States Billie Jean King
United States Sharon Walsh
7–5, 3–6, 3–6
Win 16. Mar 1984 Boston Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Andrea Leand
United States Mary-Lou Piatek
7–6(7–4), 6–0
Loss 17. Sep 1984 Fort Lauderdale Hard United States Sharon Walsh United States Martina Navratilova
Australia Elizabeth Sayers
6–2, 2–6, 3–6
Loss 18. Oct 1984 Brighton Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Alycia Moulton
United States Paula Smith
7–6, 3–6, 5–7
Win 17. Mar 1985 Dallas Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh Netherlands Marcella Mesker
France Pascale Paradis
5–7, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 19. May 1985 Sydney Carpet (i) United States Sharon Walsh United States Pam Shriver
United States Elizabeth Smylie
5–7, 5–7
Loss 20. Oct 1985 Brighton Carpet (i) Czechoslovakia Helena Suková United States Lori McNeil
France Catherine Suire
6–4, 6–7(3–7), 4–6
Loss 21. Jan 1986 Key Biscayne Hard United States Betsy Nagelsen United States Kathy Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Smylie
6–7(5–7), 6–2, 2–6
Win 18. Mar 1986 Nashville Carpet (i) United States Pam Shriver United States Kathy Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Smylie
6–4, 6–3
Loss 22. Feb 1987 Wichita Carpet (i) United States Wendy White Soviet Union Svetlana Parkhomenko
Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko
2–6, 4–6
Win 19. Jul 1988 Newport Grass South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank United States Gigi Fernández
United States Lori McNeil
6–4, 6–3

Grand Slam performance timelines

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

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Tournament 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Career SR
Australian Open A A A 2R 3R 3R QF 2R NH A 4R 1R 0 / 7
French Open A A A A A A A 1R A A A A 0 / 1
Wimbledon 2R 1R 3R 4R QF QF 4R QF A 2R 4R A 0 / 10
U.S. Open 2R 3R 3R SF 2R 2R 4R 2R A 1R 4R A 0 / 10
SR 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 0 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 28
Year End Ranking 62 47 25 10 8 25 12 17 26 12 10 105

Doubles

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Tournament 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Career SR
Australian Open A A A QF SF SF SF SF NH A SF 1R 0 / 7
French Open A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0
Wimbledon 2R 2R 1R QF 2R SF SF QF A A 2R 2R 0 / 10
U.S. Open A A A 1R F A QF QF A 2R 1R A 0 / 6
SR 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 23
Year End Ranking 3 9 25 26 51 356

References

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  1. ^ a b Thomas Rogers (March 25, 1981). "Miss Potter making a bid in title tennis". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Charles Friedman (March 21, 1982). "At 20, tennis star seeks to advance". The New York Times.
  3. ^ a b "Barbara Potter is facing the wall of the Charles..." UPI. March 31, 1984.
  4. ^ a b c Sarah Pileggi (March 8, 1982). "Young and old, wise and goofy". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 56, no. 10. pp. 36–39.
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