Samantha SMITH

Sam Smith was an excellent swimmer, and hockey and netball player, but chose tennis as her preferred sport as a youngster and in 1989 she won both the under-18 hard and grass court championships. At the 1993 Summer Universiade in Buffalo she won the singles bronze medal, and at Fukuoka two years later won a silver in the mixed doubles with Paul Robinson. She followed that by capturing the senior British singles title in 1997.

After two years on the WTA Tour from 1990-92, Smith took a three-year break to study at Exeter University, from where she obtained a degree in history. She returned to the Tour in 1995, and stayed until her retirement in 2000 following operations on a damaged ankle. She won the singles at three ITF tournaments during her career: at Nottingham in 1995 (also won the doubles with Jane Wood), Rockford, USA in 1996, and her last win was at Frinton-on-Sea in 2000, when she beat fellow Briton Helen Crook to take the title.

Smith was British number one from 1996-99 and enjoyed her finest moment at Wimbledon in 1998. On that occasion she beat the 1994 champion Conchita Martinez to become the first British woman to beat a seeded a player in the singles at Wimbledon since 1990 (when both Sara Gomer and Sarah Loosemore performed the feat), and the first British woman to reach the fourth round since Jo Durie in 1985. Additionally Smith was the first British woman to beat a former champion since Virginia Wade beat Chris Evert in 1977. Smith’s achievement at Wimbledon helped elevate her to 55th in the WTA singles rankings.