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Anna Smith (tennis)
Encyclopedia
Anna Smith is a professional tennis
player who represents the United Kingdom. She has won three International Tennis Federation
(ITF) singles titles, 12 ITF doubles titles and reached a career high singles ranking of world no. 262 on 9 August 2010. Smith is currently the British number 9 with a ranking of no. 303 as of 8 November 2010.
, in 1988 to Robert and Gunilla Smith and started playing tennis at the age of 10 years old. Aside from tennis, her other passions are shopping and football. She is coached by Rob Antoun.
) and did not reach the quarterfinals in any other tournament she played.
She had significantly more success as a junior doubles competitor, winning three titles at the Donnybrook Junior International, the Wrexham ITF Tournament and the Nottingham ITF. She also reached two more finals, four semifinals and one quarterfinal.
Over the three years of her junior career she reached a career-high combined ranking of world no. 665 and accumulated win-loss records of 8–13 in singles and 24–10 in doubles.
, United Kingdom. She lost in the final round to Lena Keothavong, the younger sister of top-100 player Anne Keothavong
, 6–4 6–4. She then lost in the qualifying stages of the $10,000 ITF tournament in Manchester
before going to Bolton
and winning two matches to qualify for the $10,000 ITF tournament held there. In her first main draw match of her career, she lost to a fellow Brit Elizabeth Thomas in straight sets. She finished 2004 without a world ranking.
In April 2005, Smith lost in the final round of qualifying for the $10,000 ITF in Porto Santo, Portugal, but was given a chance in the main draw as a lucky loser. She played well in this tournament before having to withdraw in the quarterfinals. August brought two more quarterfinal losses for Smith, the first in the $10,000 Wrexham
ITF tournament and the second in the $10,000 Nottingham
ITF tournament. Her final tournament of the year was the $10,000 ITF event in Sunderland, where she also reached the quarterfinals. She finished 2005 ranked world no. 660.
April and May 2006 saw good form from Smith; in April she reached the first ITF
semifinal of her career in Bath and the following month she reached yet another quarterfinal, this one in Bournemouth
. In August, she cruised her way to the first final of her career, not dropping a single set before falling in the final to Anna Fitzpatrick
of the United Kingdom. She managed to reach the quarterfinals as a qualifier in her very next tournament (ITF $10,000 Wrexham) before losing to Natasha Khan from the United Kingdom in three sets. In September, she won her first professional title at the $10,000 ITF event in Nottingham beating fellow Brit, Georgie Stoop
, in the final. The rest of the year saw limited success for Smith and she finished the season with a ranking of world no. 516.
where she lost to Japan's Erika Sema
in two sets. She got no more notable results until August that year when she hit another good patch. She managed to reach the semifinal of the $10,000 ITF event in London before making a run to the final of the $10,000 event in Nottingham where she lost to Pauline Wong. She then immediately followed this up by qualifying for and reaching the quarterfinals of the $25,000 event in Nottingham. The rest of the year was spent on the ITF tour but she lost before the quarterfinals in every tournament. Her end-of-year ranking was world no. 449.
2008 started disappointingly for Smith as she only managed to reach one ITF quarterfinal before entering the qualifying event for Wimbledon where she won one match (against Julie Coin
of France) before losing in the second round. Later that year she won the second ITF title of her career, this time at the $10,000 event in London. She beat Rebecca Marino
in the final. She then reached the semifinals in Limoges
, France – another $10,000 event. In October, she reached the quarterfinals of a $50,000 home event in Barnstaple
, losing to Lina Stančiūtė
6–2 6–7(8) 7–6(1). Her year-end ranking was world no. 373.
in the semifinals and Tímea Babos
in the final, 7–5 3–6 6–4. In her next tournament, a $10,000 ITF in Frinton, she again came up against Watson in the semifinals but was defeated in straight sets. After this she reached only one more quarterfinal for the rest of the year where she lost to Sofia Shapatava
as a lucky loser
, 2–6 7–6(0) 6–7(5). By the end of 2009 her singles ranking had fallen to world no. 441.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player who represents the United Kingdom. She has won three International Tennis Federation
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
(ITF) singles titles, 12 ITF doubles titles and reached a career high singles ranking of world no. 262 on 9 August 2010. Smith is currently the British number 9 with a ranking of no. 303 as of 8 November 2010.
Personal life
Smith was born in Redhill, SurreyRedhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
, in 1988 to Robert and Gunilla Smith and started playing tennis at the age of 10 years old. Aside from tennis, her other passions are shopping and football. She is coached by Rob Antoun.
Junior (2003–2006)
Smith first competed as a junior in February 2003 and her last junior tournament was in June 2006 in the qualifying draw for the Wimbledon juniors. She had limited success as a singles player; she reached only one final (in April 2006 at the Sutton ITF Junior Tournament where she was beaten by Naomi BroadyNaomi Broady
Naomi Broady is an English tennis player who is coached by Suzi Riley. She began playing tennis at the age of 7 and was the 2007 British under 18 girls' champion. She is currently the British no. 5 with a career-high world ranking of no. 194 . So far in her career she has won four ITF titles in...
) and did not reach the quarterfinals in any other tournament she played.
She had significantly more success as a junior doubles competitor, winning three titles at the Donnybrook Junior International, the Wrexham ITF Tournament and the Nottingham ITF. She also reached two more finals, four semifinals and one quarterfinal.
Over the three years of her junior career she reached a career-high combined ranking of world no. 665 and accumulated win-loss records of 8–13 in singles and 24–10 in doubles.
2004–2006
Smith played her first professional match in July 2004, courtesy of a wild card into the qualifying draw of the $10,000 ITF tournament in FelixstoweFelixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
, United Kingdom. She lost in the final round to Lena Keothavong, the younger sister of top-100 player Anne Keothavong
Anne Keothavong
Anne Viensouk Keothavong is a British professional tennis player. She is a former long-standing British number 1, however she is the current British number 2, behind Elena Baltacha and is ranked 71st in the world...
, 6–4 6–4. She then lost in the qualifying stages of the $10,000 ITF tournament in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
before going to Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and winning two matches to qualify for the $10,000 ITF tournament held there. In her first main draw match of her career, she lost to a fellow Brit Elizabeth Thomas in straight sets. She finished 2004 without a world ranking.
In April 2005, Smith lost in the final round of qualifying for the $10,000 ITF in Porto Santo, Portugal, but was given a chance in the main draw as a lucky loser. She played well in this tournament before having to withdraw in the quarterfinals. August brought two more quarterfinal losses for Smith, the first in the $10,000 Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
ITF tournament and the second in the $10,000 Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
ITF tournament. Her final tournament of the year was the $10,000 ITF event in Sunderland, where she also reached the quarterfinals. She finished 2005 ranked world no. 660.
April and May 2006 saw good form from Smith; in April she reached the first ITF
2006 ITF Women's Circuit
The ITF Women's Circuit is the second tier tour for women's professional tennis organised by the International Tennis Federation, and is the tier below the WTA Tour...
semifinal of her career in Bath and the following month she reached yet another quarterfinal, this one in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. In August, she cruised her way to the first final of her career, not dropping a single set before falling in the final to Anna Fitzpatrick
Anna Fitzpatrick
Anna Fitzpatrick is a professional tennis player from the United Kingdom. She is the British number 12 with a world ranking of No.384 . She trains at Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club and plays right-handed. Her career-high ranking is world no. 318...
of the United Kingdom. She managed to reach the quarterfinals as a qualifier in her very next tournament (ITF $10,000 Wrexham) before losing to Natasha Khan from the United Kingdom in three sets. In September, she won her first professional title at the $10,000 ITF event in Nottingham beating fellow Brit, Georgie Stoop
Georgie Stoop
Georgina "Georgie" Gent is an English, AEGON Award winning professional tennis player coached by Damien Roberts. She is currently the British no. 10 and ranked at no. 299 in the world . She has won two ITF singles titles, two ITF doubles titles and reached a career-high singles ranking of world no...
, in the final. The rest of the year saw limited success for Smith and she finished the season with a ranking of world no. 516.
2007–2008
In March 2007, she reached the third final of her career at a $10,000 ITF event in HamiltonHamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
where she lost to Japan's Erika Sema
Erika Sema
is a professional Japanese tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit.On June 6, 2011, Sema reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 158. On August 23, 2010, she reached her highest WTA doubles ranking of 138. She is coached by Shunsuke Ogata. She is the younger sister of Yurika Sema...
in two sets. She got no more notable results until August that year when she hit another good patch. She managed to reach the semifinal of the $10,000 ITF event in London before making a run to the final of the $10,000 event in Nottingham where she lost to Pauline Wong. She then immediately followed this up by qualifying for and reaching the quarterfinals of the $25,000 event in Nottingham. The rest of the year was spent on the ITF tour but she lost before the quarterfinals in every tournament. Her end-of-year ranking was world no. 449.
2008 started disappointingly for Smith as she only managed to reach one ITF quarterfinal before entering the qualifying event for Wimbledon where she won one match (against Julie Coin
Julie Coin
Julie Coin is a professional French tennis player. Coin recorded the largest victory of her career by defeating the world's #1 ranked female singles player, and #1 seed, Ana Ivanović at the 2008 US Open. Her career high singles ranking is World No. 60, achieved on 27 July 2009. Her career high...
of France) before losing in the second round. Later that year she won the second ITF title of her career, this time at the $10,000 event in London. She beat Rebecca Marino
Rebecca Marino
Rebecca Marino is a Canadian professional tennis player. On July 11, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 38...
in the final. She then reached the semifinals in Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
, France – another $10,000 event. In October, she reached the quarterfinals of a $50,000 home event in Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
, losing to Lina Stančiūtė
Lina Stanciute
Lina Stančiūtė is a Lithuanian professional tennis player, who achieved her highest ranking on September 28, 2009 .-External links:...
6–2 6–7(8) 7–6(1). Her year-end ranking was world no. 373.
2009
Smith's 2009 season did not begin well. She won only one match out of her first eleven before going on to take the $10,000 ITF title in Felixstowe in July, beating Heather WatsonHeather Watson
Heather Miriam Watson is a British female tennis player. Born in Guernsey, she trains and resides at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, USA. Watson has won one major title at the 2009 US Open Juniors, two senior ITF titles and won gold at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. She has...
in the semifinals and Tímea Babos
Tímea Babos
Tímea Babos is a professional Hungarian tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 176, which she reached on 11 July 2011. Her career high in doubles is 175, which she achieved on 18 July 2011. To date, Babos has won nine singles and nine doubles professional tennis titles.Babos is a member...
in the final, 7–5 3–6 6–4. In her next tournament, a $10,000 ITF in Frinton, she again came up against Watson in the semifinals but was defeated in straight sets. After this she reached only one more quarterfinal for the rest of the year where she lost to Sofia Shapatava
Sofia Shapatava
Sofia Shapatava is a Georgian tennis player. Her career high singles ranking is no.238 and career high doubles is no.210 . Her current singles is 256 and current doubles is 211...
as a lucky loser
Lucky Loser
Lucky Loser is a 2006 Thai sports-comedy about a small, fictional Southeast Asian country's bid to play in the World Cup...
, 2–6 7–6(0) 6–7(5). By the end of 2009 her singles ranking had fallen to world no. 441.
Singles: 7 (3–4)
|
|
| Outcome | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Ilkley, Great Britain | Grass |  |
4–6, 3–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Nottingham, Great Britain (1) | Hard | |
6–1, 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Hamilton, New Zealand | Hard |  |
3–6, 5–7 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Nottingham, Great Britain (2) | Hard |  Pauline Wong |
5–7, 2–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Cumberland (London), Great Britain | Hard |  |
6–3, 3–6, 7–5 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Felixstowe, Great Britain | Grass |  |
7–5, 3–6, 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Jersey, Great Britain | Hard (i) |  |
2–6, 3–6 |
Doubles: 20 (12–8)
|
|
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | $10,000 Wrexham, Great Britain | Hard | |
  Paula Marama |
6–3, 7–5 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Bath, Great Britain | Hard (i) | Melissa Berry |
Lindsay Cox Anna Hawkins |
3–6, 2–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Redbridge, Great Britain | Hard (i) | Anna Hawkins |
Holly Richards Elizabeth Thomas |
6–3, 6–3 | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Attaleia (Antalya), Turkey | Hard |  |
 Korina Perkovic  |
6–7(1–7), 4–6 | |
| Winner | Hard |  Martina Babaková |
Anna Hawkins |
6–2, 6–3 | ||
| Winner | $10,000 Sunderland, Great Britain | Hard (i) | |
Martina Babaková  Iveta Gerlova |
6–1, 3–6, [10–3] | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Sutton, Great Britain (1) | Hard (i) | |
|
3–6, 3–6 | |
| Winner | $25,000 Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | |
 Neda Kozic  |
6–0, 7–5 | |
| Winner | $75,000 Shrewsbury, Great Britain (1) | Hard (i) | |
 |
7–6(8–6), 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Bari, Italy | Clay | |
 |
7–5, 2–6, [5–10] | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Koksijde, Belgium | Clay | |
 |
6–7(3–7), 2–6 | |
| Runner-up | $75,000 Shrewsbury, Great Britain (2) | Hard (i) | |
 |
6–3, 4–6, [7–10] | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Helsinki, Finland | Hard (i) | |
 |
3–6, 3–6 | |
| Winner | $50,000 Barnstaple, Great Britain | Hard (i) | |
 Kelly Anderson |
7–5, 6–4 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Glasgow, Great Britain | Hard (i) |  |
  |
6–4, 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Sutton, Great Britain (2) | Hard (i) | |
  |
5–7, 6–2, [8–10] | |
| Winner | $25,000 Jersey, Great Britain | Hard (i) |  |
|
7–5, 6–4 | |
| Winner | $25,000 Valladolid, Spain | Hard | |
 Yera Campos-Molina |
6–3, 2–6, [10–7] | |
| Winner | $25,000 Vigo, Spain | Hard | |
Sofia Kvatsabaia |
6–3, 6–1 | |
| Winner | $50,000+H Nantes, France | Hard (i) | |
 |
5–7, 6–1, [10–6] |
External links
- Anna Smith at the Lawn Tennis AssociationLawn Tennis AssociationThe Lawn Tennis Association is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.As the governing body, the LTA is responsible for the coaching and development of junior players, offering courses and qualifications on coaching, as well as the...