Emily Webley-Smith
Encyclopedia
Emily Webley-Smith is an English professional tennis
player. She is coached by Jeremy Bates. She is currently the British no. 6 and ranked 242 in the world (as of 21 November 2011). So far in her career she has won two International Tennis Federation
singles titles, seven ITF doubles titles and reached a career-high singles ranking of world number 240 (achieved 7 November 2011). She has also reached the second round of her home Grand Slam
, Wimbledon
, on one occasion in 2004
.
, Avon
, which is now in South Gloucestershire
. Her mother, Jane, is a PE teacher and her father, Mike, an amateur footballer and cricketer. She also has a sister named Hannah. Her first introduction to tennis was playing swingball in her garden and in the cricket grounds where her father was the club captain. Were she not a tennis player, she would like to be traveling the world as a translator or playing hockey for England. Webley-Smith describes herself as "individual, deep, emotional, optimistic and resilient".
event in Cardiff
and underwent surgery to repair both the bone and the damaged caused to the ligaments. She was unable to compete on the tour for six months.
In November 2003 she needed a second operation on her ankle to remove cartilage which had come loose; an operation which was successful and enabled Emily to play injury-free tennis for almost two years and reach her career-high world ranking of no. 262 in June 2005.
However she had to take yet more time out later in 2005 when she began experiencing sharp pains in the same ankle while warming up for an ITF tournament in Puebla
, Mexico. She had treatment on the ankle again and returned, with limited success, to competitive tennis in Spring 2006 before having surgery for a third time to remove fluid from her ankle.
She began recovering well before septicaemia left her with an agonisingly swollen ankle and unable to walk for five whole weeks. Webley-Smith said of the time, "My ankle was the size of a football. I remember the doctor trying to take my sock off and I was screaming. I was taking what they call an 'elephant dose' of antibiotics and the strongest painkillers they could give me". She returned full time to the circuit in August 2006.
In 2009 she also began to have trouble with her wrist after injuring it during an ITF event in Tanjung Selor in Indonesia
, just a number of weeks before Wimbledon
. It recovered well enough in time for Webley-Smith to compete in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds however she reaggravated the injury later in the year and was unable to compete again until February 2010.
In doubles she won three tournaments, was a runner-up in another and also reached one semifinal and seven quarterfinals. Her doubles win-loss record was 22–27 and her career-high ranking was world no. 95 (achieved 30 July 2001).
tour in October 1999
, a match which she lost 0–6 0–6 against Melanie Schnell from Austria. It was her only professional match in 1999.
In 2000
she played a total of six tournaments. She lost in the qualifying rounds of four $10,000 events in Great Britain (Bournemouth
, Frinton, Hatfield
and Sunderland), lost in the first round of another (in Glasgow) and was also beaten in the first round of the $25,000 event in Felixstowe
by countywoman, Jane O'Donoghue, 4–6 3–6.
The 2001
season began well for Webley-Smith as in her very first tournament of the year she qualified and reached the quarterfinals of the $10,000 event in Jersey
before being beaten by Anne Keothavong
, 3–6 6–7(4). Unfortunately for Emily she was unable to continue this form for the rest of the year, losing in the qualifying stages in every other tournament she entered with the exception of the $10,000 Sunderland ITF where she was defeated again by Keothavong, 3–6 4–6. She also played in the main draw of her final ITF tournament of the year as a lucky loser
but was again beaten in round one. She ended the year ranked world no. 712.
Webley-Smith had a varied year in 2002
, with limited success on the ITF tour but also her first appearance in a Grand Slam
at Wimbledon
where she lost in the first round of qualifying to Nina Duebbers, 1–6 2–6. She only reached one ITF quarterfinal in 2002, at the $10,000 London event in August. In October, Emily broke her ankle during a qualifying match for a $25,000 ITF event in Cardiff
and did not compete again that season. Nevertheless, her year-end world ranking rose to world no. 673.
tournament in Bournemouth
where she lost in the second round. In May she reached two consecutive quarterfinals of $10,000 events in Spain: Monzón
and Almeira. In June, for the first time in her career she was given a wild card
into the DFS Classic
qualifying draw, a tier III tournament in Birmingham
where she was beaten by Bethanie Mattek
in straight sets, 3–6 4–6. She then received another wild card into Wimbledon
qualfying and again lost her first round match, 2–6 1–6, to Sada Noorlander. Two more consecutive quarterfinal appearances in ITF tournaments immediately followed this, Waco
($10k) and Vancouver
($25k), and one more in August in a $10,000 event in London. She ended the year with a singles ranking of world no. 469.
started slowly for Webley-Smith; she won only two of her first ten matches on the ITF circuit. However in March she reached the quarterfinals of the $10,000 tournament in Patras before losing to Ekaterina Dzehalevich
, 2–6 0–6. In this same tournament, she reached the doubles final partnering compatriot, Chantal Coombs, and lost to Martina Müller and Vladimíra Uhlířová
, 6–7(7) 3–6. Two months later in May, she reached two more ITF quarterfinals consecutively in Mérida
and Surbiton
. In June she was given wildcards into the qualifying draws for the DFS Classic
(tier III) and the Hastings Direct International Championships
(tier II), where she lost in the first and second rounds of qualifying respectively.
This was immediately followed by another wildcard, this one into the main draw of Wimbledon
. In her first ever main draw Grand Slam
appearance she managed to survive rain delays and defeat Frenchwoman Séverine Beltrame in straight sets, 7–6(2) 6–4, to reach the second round where she faced the no. 31 seed, Amy Frazier
. The final result did not go Webley-Smith's way though as she was defeated with a final score of 2–6 6–3 6–8. Webley-Smith spent the rest of the year on the ITF tour but did not progress past the second round in any tournament she played. Her year-end ranking for 2004 was world no. 272.
tournament in Tipton
where she had to retire during her semifinal match against fellow Briton, Katie O'Brien
. She continued competing on the ITF circuit for the first half of the year and reached the quarterfinal stages in two more $10,000 tournaments, in Tampico and Ho Chi Minh City
. In June she was given a wild card
into the qualifying draw for the tier III WTA
tournament, the DFS Classic
where she lost in the first round of the qualifying event. This was followed by a wild card into the qualifying draw of Wimbledon
where she was also beaten in the first round, by Meilen Tu
, 5–7 3–6. She reached only one more ITF semifinal that year, in the $25,000 event in Lagos
where she lost, 2–6 4–6, to Anne Keothavong
. Her year-end ranking for 2005 was world no. 385.
tournament in London and the quarterfinals a $10,000 tournament in Istanbul
. She was beaten by compatriot Naomi Cavaday
in either the first or second round in three out of four consecutive $25,000 tournaments in September, October and November that year. As a result of her injury problems, Webley-Smith's final ranking of the year fell to world no. 713.
competing in $10,000 ITF
tournaments. In April she was a semifinalist in a $10,000 tournament in Obregón
in Mexico and in May she reached two $10,000 quarterfinals in Mazatlán
and Irapuato
, both also in Mexico. She was awarded a wild card
into the qualifying draw of Wimbledon
where she lost in the first round, 2–6 3–6, to Jenifer Widjaja. She reached only one more quarterfinal that year; in Wrexham
($10,000). Her year-end ranking was world no. 595.
started slowly for Webley-Smith as she began the season with four consecutive losses. However in July she reached the quarterfinals of a $10,000 ITF
tournament in Atlanta, Georgia
and then immediately went on to reach two consecutive $10,000 ITF finals in Evansville, Indiana
and Saint Joseph, Missouri
. In late September and early October she reached two more $25,000 ITF quarterfinals and just a few weeks later she reached two consecutive ITF semifinals: in Port Pirie ($25,000) where she was beaten by Melanie South
, 1–6 4–6, and in Muzaffarnagar
($10,000) where she lost to Sanaa Bhambri
, 0–6 0–6. She reached the quarterfinals of the $50,000 ITF event in Kolkata
in November and finished the season ranked world no. 475.
, Webley-Smith returned to the ITF circuit
and in March she won the first ITF singles title of her career in Spain by beating Elena Chalova in the final, 6–0 7–6(5). She then headed to Indonesia for a series of three tournaments but in the third of these she injured her wrist and was forced to retire in round one. Returning to the tour in mid-June, Webley-Smith was given a wild card into the qualifying tournament for the AEGON International
where she lost 0–6 6–7(6) to María José Martínez Sánchez
. A second consecutive wild card allowed her entry into qualifying for her home Grand Slam, Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round to Gréta Arn
. In August she reached two ITF finals, winning the first to give her the second ITF title of her career and losing the other. Webley-Smith spent the rest of the season competing in Australia and reached two $25,000 quarterfinals before reinjuring her wrist in November. Her year-end season ranking was world no. 332.
Japan, where she finished runner up to Sachie Ishizu
.
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. She is coached by Jeremy Bates. She is currently the British no. 6 and ranked 242 in the world (as of 21 November 2011). So far in her career she has won two 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...
singles titles, seven ITF doubles titles and reached a career-high singles ranking of world number 240 (achieved 7 November 2011). She has also reached the second round of her home Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
, on one occasion in 2004
2004 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles
Serena Williams was the two-time defending champion, but she was defeated by 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in the final, 6–1, 6–4. This victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory". With this win, Sharapova, who would later became a future World No. 1, entered the Top Ten...
.
Personal life
Webley-Smith was born in 1984 in ThornburyThornbury, South Gloucestershire
Thornbury is a market town in South Gloucestershire, England, approximately 12 miles north of the city of Bristol, with a population of 12,342 at the 2001 UK census. The town hosts South Gloucestershire Council headquarters and is twinned with Bockenem in Germany. Thornbury is a Britain in Bloom...
, Avon
Avon (county)
Avon was, from 1974 to 1996, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England.The county was named after the River Avon, which runs through the area. It was formed from parts of the historic counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, together with the City of Bristol...
, which is now in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
. Her mother, Jane, is a PE teacher and her father, Mike, an amateur footballer and cricketer. She also has a sister named Hannah. Her first introduction to tennis was playing swingball in her garden and in the cricket grounds where her father was the club captain. Were she not a tennis player, she would like to be traveling the world as a translator or playing hockey for England. Webley-Smith describes herself as "individual, deep, emotional, optimistic and resilient".
Injury problems
Problems with Webley-Smith's right ankle began in 2002 when she broke it whilst on court competing in the qualifying tournament for the $25,000 ITFInternational 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...
event in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and underwent surgery to repair both the bone and the damaged caused to the ligaments. She was unable to compete on the tour for six months.
In November 2003 she needed a second operation on her ankle to remove cartilage which had come loose; an operation which was successful and enabled Emily to play injury-free tennis for almost two years and reach her career-high world ranking of no. 262 in June 2005.
However she had to take yet more time out later in 2005 when she began experiencing sharp pains in the same ankle while warming up for an ITF tournament in Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
, Mexico. She had treatment on the ankle again and returned, with limited success, to competitive tennis in Spring 2006 before having surgery for a third time to remove fluid from her ankle.
She began recovering well before septicaemia left her with an agonisingly swollen ankle and unable to walk for five whole weeks. Webley-Smith said of the time, "My ankle was the size of a football. I remember the doctor trying to take my sock off and I was screaming. I was taking what they call an 'elephant dose' of antibiotics and the strongest painkillers they could give me". She returned full time to the circuit in August 2006.
In 2009 she also began to have trouble with her wrist after injuring it during an ITF event in Tanjung Selor in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, just a number of weeks before Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
. It recovered well enough in time for Webley-Smith to compete in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds however she reaggravated the injury later in the year and was unable to compete again until February 2010.
Junior (1998–2002)
Webley-Smith played her first junior ITF tournament in February 1998 and her last in July 2002. Over her junior career in singles, she reached a total of four quarterfinals, two semifinals and the final of the Slazenger Appletise Winchester Junior Tournament. She competed at Wimbledon juniors a total of four times; in 1999, 2000 and 2001 she lost in the qualifying stages but in 2002 she reached the second round of the main draw. Her career-high singles ranking was world no. 119 (reached on 29 April 2002) and her win-loss record was 31–31.In doubles she won three tournaments, was a runner-up in another and also reached one semifinal and seven quarterfinals. Her doubles win-loss record was 22–27 and her career-high ranking was world no. 95 (achieved 30 July 2001).
1999–2002
Webley-Smith played her first match on the ITFInternational 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...
tour in October 1999
1999 WTA Tour
The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III and Tier IV events...
, a match which she lost 0–6 0–6 against Melanie Schnell from Austria. It was her only professional match in 1999.
In 2000
2000 WTA Tour
The 2000 Sanex WTA Tour was the 28th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 3, 2000, and concluded on November 13, 2000, after 58 events. For this season, a new event was added: the State Farm Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S...
she played a total of six tournaments. She lost in the qualifying rounds of four $10,000 events in Great Britain (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...
, Frinton, Hatfield
Hatfield
- Places :Hatfield is the name of several places around the world. It comes from O.E. Haeth field , meaning field of heather.In Australia*Hatfield, New South Wales, located in the Electoral district of Murray-DarlingIn England:...
and Sunderland), lost in the first round of another (in Glasgow) and was also beaten in the first round of the $25,000 event in Felixstowe
Felixstowe
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...
by countywoman, Jane O'Donoghue, 4–6 3–6.
The 2001
2001 WTA Tour
The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV and Tier V events...
season began well for Webley-Smith as in her very first tournament of the year she qualified and reached the quarterfinals of the $10,000 event in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
before being beaten by 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...
, 3–6 6–7(4). Unfortunately for Emily she was unable to continue this form for the rest of the year, losing in the qualifying stages in every other tournament she entered with the exception of the $10,000 Sunderland ITF where she was defeated again by Keothavong, 3–6 4–6. She also played in the main draw of her final ITF tournament of the year 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...
but was again beaten in round one. She ended the year ranked world no. 712.
Webley-Smith had a varied year in 2002
2002 WTA Tour
The 2002 Sanex WTA Tour was the 30th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on December 31, 2001, and concluded on November 11, 2002, after 64 events....
, with limited success on the ITF tour but also her first appearance in a Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
at Wimbledon
2002 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles
Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams 7-6 6-3 in the final to win the Ladies' Singles title at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships.See also:-Seeds:...
where she lost in the first round of qualifying to Nina Duebbers, 1–6 2–6. She only reached one ITF quarterfinal in 2002, at the $10,000 London event in August. In October, Emily broke her ankle during a qualifying match for a $25,000 ITF event in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and did not compete again that season. Nevertheless, her year-end world ranking rose to world no. 673.
2003
Webley-Smith played her first professional match since breaking her ankle in 2002, in April at the qualifying event for the $10,000 ITFInternational 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...
tournament 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...
where she lost in the second round. In May she reached two consecutive quarterfinals of $10,000 events in Spain: Monzón
Monzón
Monzón is a small town in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It has a population of 17,050. It is located in the northeast and adjoins the rivers Cinca and Sosa.-Historical overview:...
and Almeira. In June, for the first time in her career she was given a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
into the DFS Classic
DFS Classic
The AEGON Classic, formerly known as the DFS Classic, is an International series tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Held at this location since 1982, the tournament is played on outdoor grass courts...
qualifying draw, a tier III tournament in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
where she was beaten by Bethanie Mattek
Bethanie Mattek
Bethanie Lynn Mattek-Sands is an American professional tennis player who competes on the WTA Tour. She lives in Miami, Florida, but trains in Phoenix, Arizona...
in straight sets, 3–6 4–6. She then received another wild card into Wimbledon
2004 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles
Serena Williams was the two-time defending champion, but she was defeated by 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in the final, 6–1, 6–4. This victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory". With this win, Sharapova, who would later became a future World No. 1, entered the Top Ten...
qualfying and again lost her first round match, 2–6 1–6, to Sada Noorlander. Two more consecutive quarterfinal appearances in ITF tournaments immediately followed this, Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
($10k) and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
($25k), and one more in August in a $10,000 event in London. She ended the year with a singles ranking of world no. 469.
2004
20042004 WTA Tour
The 2004 WTA Tour was the 32nd season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 5, 2004, and concluded on November 13, 2004, after 60 events....
started slowly for Webley-Smith; she won only two of her first ten matches on the ITF circuit. However in March she reached the quarterfinals of the $10,000 tournament in Patras before losing to Ekaterina Dzehalevich
Ekaterina Dzehalevich
Ekaterina Dzehalevich is a professional Belarusian tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 134th, which she reached on October 6, 2008. Her career high in doubles is 64th, which she reached on September 29, 2008. She has won four ITF and Satellite titles during her career...
, 2–6 0–6. In this same tournament, she reached the doubles final partnering compatriot, Chantal Coombs, and lost to Martina Müller and Vladimíra Uhlířová
Vladimíra Uhlírová
Vladimíra Uhlířová is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. Uhlířová reached her highest doubles ranking of World number 18 on October 1, 2007. Uhlířová has won 17 ITF doubles titles and 5 WTA doubles titles, but no singles titles of either type.-Doubles: 17 :-External links:...
, 6–7(7) 3–6. Two months later in May, she reached two more ITF quarterfinals consecutively in Mérida
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
and Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
. In June she was given wildcards into the qualifying draws for the DFS Classic
DFS Classic
The AEGON Classic, formerly known as the DFS Classic, is an International series tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Held at this location since 1982, the tournament is played on outdoor grass courts...
(tier III) and the Hastings Direct International Championships
The Hastings Direct International Championships
The Eastbourne International is a tennis tournament on the Women's Tennis Association Tour and the ATP World Tour held at the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club Eastbourne, United Kingdom. Held since 1974, it is classified as a WTA Premier tournament on the WTA Tour and as an ATP World Tour 250...
(tier II), where she lost in the first and second rounds of qualifying respectively.
This was immediately followed by another wildcard, this one into the main draw of Wimbledon
2004 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles
Serena Williams was the two-time defending champion, but she was defeated by 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in the final, 6–1, 6–4. This victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory". With this win, Sharapova, who would later became a future World No. 1, entered the Top Ten...
. In her first ever main draw Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
appearance she managed to survive rain delays and defeat Frenchwoman Séverine Beltrame in straight sets, 7–6(2) 6–4, to reach the second round where she faced the no. 31 seed, Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...
. The final result did not go Webley-Smith's way though as she was defeated with a final score of 2–6 6–3 6–8. Webley-Smith spent the rest of the year on the ITF tour but did not progress past the second round in any tournament she played. Her year-end ranking for 2004 was world no. 272.
2005
Webley-Smith began the 2005 season well on home ground by reaching the semifinals of the $10,000 ITFInternational 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...
tournament in Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
where she had to retire during her semifinal match against fellow Briton, Katie O'Brien
Katie O'Brien
Katie Jill O'Brien is an English former professional tennis player from Beverley, Yorkshire. She was briefly the British No. 1 tennis player...
. She continued competing on the ITF circuit for the first half of the year and reached the quarterfinal stages in two more $10,000 tournaments, in Tampico and Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. In June she was given a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
into the qualifying draw for the tier III WTA
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
tournament, the DFS Classic
DFS Classic
The AEGON Classic, formerly known as the DFS Classic, is an International series tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Held at this location since 1982, the tournament is played on outdoor grass courts...
where she lost in the first round of the qualifying event. This was followed by a wild card into the qualifying draw of Wimbledon
2005 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles
Maria Sharapova was the defending champion, but she was defeated by Venus Williams in the semifinals.Williams won the title, defeating compatriot and World No...
where she was also beaten in the first round, by Meilen Tu
Meilen Tu
Meilen Tu is a former American professional female tennis player...
, 5–7 3–6. She reached only one more ITF semifinal that year, in the $25,000 event in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
where she lost, 2–6 4–6, to 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...
. Her year-end ranking for 2005 was world no. 385.
2006
Webley-Smith spent much of the 2006 season out of action due to suffering from septicaemia as a result of her long-term ankle problems which began in 2002. She was forced to retire in only her second match of the year in February and was unable to compete again until August when she reached the semifinals of a $10,000 ITF2006 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...
tournament in London and the quarterfinals a $10,000 tournament in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. She was beaten by compatriot Naomi Cavaday
Naomi Cavaday
Naomi Kathleen Cavaday is an English former tennis player from Sidcup, Kent. She retired in April 2011 to take up a coaching role with the Lawn Tennis Association. At the time of her retirement she was the British No.6, with a world ranking of No. 231. Her career high ranking was No. 174,...
in either the first or second round in three out of four consecutive $25,000 tournaments in September, October and November that year. As a result of her injury problems, Webley-Smith's final ranking of the year fell to world no. 713.
2007
Webley-Smith spent the first three months of 20072007 WTA Tour
The 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 35th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 1, 2007, and concluded on November 11, 2007 after 61 events. Two new events were added to the schedule for the 2007 season: the Barcelona KIA and Gastein Ladies. It also...
competing in $10,000 ITF
2007 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...
tournaments. In April she was a semifinalist in a $10,000 tournament in Obregón
Ciudad Obregón
Ciudad Obregon is the second largest city in the northern Mexican state of Sonora and is situated south of the state's northern border with the U.S. state of Arizona. It is also the municipal seat of Cajeme municipality, located in the Yaqui Valley.- History :...
in Mexico and in May she reached two $10,000 quarterfinals in Mazatlán
Mazatlán
Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...
and Irapuato
Irapuato, Guanajuato
Irapuato is a Mexican city located at the foot of the Arandas mountain , in the south central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of the Lerma River, at 1,724 m above sea level. It is located at...
, both also in Mexico. She was awarded a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
into the qualifying draw of Wimbledon
2007 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles
Amélie Mauresmo was the defending champion but was knocked out in the fourth round by Nicole Vaidišová.23rd seed Venus Williams defeated Marion Bartoli in the final, 6–4, 6–1...
where she lost in the first round, 2–6 3–6, to Jenifer Widjaja. She reached only one more quarterfinal that year; in 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...
($10,000). Her year-end ranking was world no. 595.
2008
The 2008 tour2008 WTA Tour
The 2008 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 36th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on December 31, 2007, and concluded on November 9, 2008 after 59 events.The season was characterised by its frequent changes in the No...
started slowly for Webley-Smith as she began the season with four consecutive losses. However in July she reached the quarterfinals of a $10,000 ITF
2008 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 a tier below the WTA Tour...
tournament in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and then immediately went on to reach two consecutive $10,000 ITF finals in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
and Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
. In late September and early October she reached two more $25,000 ITF quarterfinals and just a few weeks later she reached two consecutive ITF semifinals: in Port Pirie ($25,000) where she was beaten by Melanie South
Melanie South
Melanie Jayne South is an English tennis player. She is currently the British number 7 and ranked 310 in the world...
, 1–6 4–6, and in Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar is a major city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was established in Mughal period by a Sayyid Jagirdar, Munawar Lashkar Ali, and so named in honour of his father, Muzaffar Ali Khan. It is the headquarters of the Muzaffarnagar district. It is a...
($10,000) where she lost to Sanaa Bhambri
Sanaa Bhambri
Sanaa Bhambri is an Indian tennis player. She took part many WTA Qualifying Rounds. She has won numerous ITF titles. Her sisters Ankita Bhambri & Prerna Bhambri and brother Yuki Bhambri are all also tennis players....
, 0–6 0–6. She reached the quarterfinals of the $50,000 ITF event in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in November and finished the season ranked world no. 475.
2009
In February 20092009 WTA Tour
The 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 37th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 5, 2009, and concluded on November 8, 2009 after 56 events....
, Webley-Smith returned to the ITF circuit
2009 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 a tier below the WTA Tour. The ITF Women's Circuit includes tournaments with prize money ranging from $10,000 up to...
and in March she won the first ITF singles title of her career in Spain by beating Elena Chalova in the final, 6–0 7–6(5). She then headed to Indonesia for a series of three tournaments but in the third of these she injured her wrist and was forced to retire in round one. Returning to the tour in mid-June, Webley-Smith was given a wild card into the qualifying tournament for the AEGON International
2009 AEGON International
The 2009 AEGON International is a combined men's and women's tennis tournament to be played on outdoor grass courts. It will be the 34th edition of the event for the women and the 1st edition for the men. It is classified as a WTA Premier tournament on the 2009 WTA Tour and as an ATP World Tour 250...
where she lost 0–6 6–7(6) to María José Martínez Sánchez
María José Martínez Sánchez
María José Martínez Sánchez is a Spanish professional tennis player. In singles, she has won five WTA singles titles, the 2009 Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas, the 2009 Swedish Open, the Premier 5 event, 2010 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, the 2011 Gastein Ladies and the 2011 Hansol Korea Open. She...
. A second consecutive wild card allowed her entry into qualifying for her home Grand Slam, Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round to Gréta Arn
Gréta Arn
Gréta Arn is a professional tennis player from Hungary, and the current Hungarian No. 1. Arn turned professional in 1997....
. In August she reached two ITF finals, winning the first to give her the second ITF title of her career and losing the other. Webley-Smith spent the rest of the season competing in Australia and reached two $25,000 quarterfinals before reinjuring her wrist in November. Her year-end season ranking was world no. 332.
2011
In the spring, Webley-Smith made her first $50,000 ITF singles final in GifuGifu
Gifu may refer to:*Gifu Prefecture, located in the Chūbu region of central Japan*Gifu, Gifu, the capital city of Gifu Prefecture*Gifu , a region located in southcentral Gifu Prefecture*Gifu Castle atop Mt...
Japan, where she finished runner up to Sachie Ishizu
Sachie Ishizu
Sachie Ishizu is a professional Japanese tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit. On June 06, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 224. She is coached by her father, Yasuhiko Ishizu. Sachie was the runner-up in the girls' singles event of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships,...
.
Singles: 6 (2–4)
|
|
| Outcome | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Evansville, Indiana, United States | Hard |  |
3–6, 4–6 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 St Joseph, Missouri, United States | Hard | Amanda McDowell |
1–6, 0–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain | Hard |  |
6–0, 7–6(7–5) | |
| Winner | $10,000 New Delhi, India | Hard |  Alexandra Kolesnichenko |
6–1, 6–1 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 New Delhi, India | Hard |  |
6–7(8–10), 2–6 | |
| Runner-up | $50,000 Gifu, Japan | Hard |  |
1–6, 3–6 |
Doubles: 15 (7–8)
|
|
| Outcome | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Patras, Greece | Hard |  Chantal Coombs |
  |
6–7(7–9), 3–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Bolton, Great Britain | Hard (i) | |
Hannah Collin Anna Hawkins |
7–5, 1–6, 6–2 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Bucharest, Romania | Clay |  Antonia-Xenia Tout |
Corina-Claudia Corduneanu Lenore Lăzăroiu |
1–6, 2–6, | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Cumberland, London, Great Britain | Hard | Laura Peterzan |
|
3–6, 3–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Istanbul, Turkey | Hard | Ria Dörnemann |
 Irina Khatsko Mariya Malkhasyan |
W/O | |
| Winner | $10,000 Nottingham, Great Britain | Hard | |
Claire Peterzan |
3–6, 7–5, 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Sunderland, Great Britain | Hard (i) | Ria Dörnemann |
Anna Hawkins |
4–6, 7–6(7–5), 3–6 | |
| Runner-up | $10,000 Los Mochis, Mexico | Hard | Danielle Brown |
 Jennifer Elie |
3–6, 0–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Cumberland, London, Great Britain | Hard | |
 Martina Babakova  Manana Shapakidze |
6–1, 6–1 | |
| Runner-up | $50,000 Delhi, India | Hard | |
 Hwang I-hsuan  Zhang LingZhang Ling (tennis) Zhang Ling is a professional Hong Kong tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit. On July 25, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 186. On June 22, 2009, she also reached her highest WTA doubles ranking of 219.-External links:... |
3–6, 6–7(4–7) | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Balikpapan, Indonesia | Hard | Zhang Ling Zhang Ling (tennis) Zhang Ling is a professional Hong Kong tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit. On July 25, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 186. On June 22, 2009, she also reached her highest WTA doubles ranking of 219.-External links:... |
 |
3–6, 3–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 New Delhi, India | Hard | Alexandra Kolesnichenko |
Ashmitha Easwaramurthi  Dalila Jakupovic |
6–2, 6–4 | |
| Winner | $25,000 Mount Gambier, Australia | Hard |  |
|
6–1, 5–7, [10–7] | |
| Runner-up | $25,000 Almaty, Kazakhstan | Hard | |
 |
4–6, 4–6 | |
| Winner | $10,000 Madrid, Spain | Hard | |
Jennifer Ren |
6–2, 6–3 |
Grand Slam performance timeline
| Tournament | 2002 2002 WTA Tour The 2002 Sanex WTA Tour was the 30th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on December 31, 2001, and concluded on November 11, 2002, after 64 events.... | 2003 2003 WTA Tour The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV and Tier V events... | 2004 2004 WTA Tour The 2004 WTA Tour was the 32nd season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 5, 2004, and concluded on November 13, 2004, after 60 events.... | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 2007 WTA Tour The 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 35th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 1, 2007, and concluded on November 11, 2007 after 61 events. Two new events were added to the schedule for the 2007 season: the Barcelona KIA and Gastein Ladies. It also... | 2008 2008 WTA Tour The 2008 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 36th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on December 31, 2007, and concluded on November 9, 2008 after 59 events.The season was characterised by its frequent changes in the No... | 2009 2009 WTA Tour The 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 37th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 5, 2009, and concluded on November 8, 2009 after 56 events.... | 2010 2010 WTA Tour The Women's Tennis Association Tour is the elite professional tennis circuit organized by the WTA. The 2010 WTA Tour calendar comprises the Grand Slam tournaments , the WTA Premier tournaments , the WTA International tournaments, the Fed Cup , and the year-end... | 2011 2011 WTA Tour The WTA Tour is the elite tour for women's professional tennis organized by the Women's Tennis Association . The 2011 WTA Tour includes the Grand Slam tournaments , the WTA Premier tournaments, the WTA International tournaments, the Fed Cup , the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, and the WTA... | Career Win-Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
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 | Q1 | Q1 | 2R 2004 Wimbledon Championships - Women's Singles Serena Williams was the two-time defending champion, but she was defeated by 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in the final, 6–1, 6–4. This victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory". With this win, Sharapova, who would later became a future World No. 1, entered the Top Ten... |
Q1 | A | Q1 | A | Q1 | Q1 | 1R | 1–2 |
| US Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–0 |
- "A" stands for any tournament the player did not participate in.
- "Q" followed by a number 1-3 denotes which round of the qualifying tournament was reached.
- The career record is only for the player's main draw participation.