Mashona Washington (born May 31, 1976) is a former tennis player from the United States.

Mashona Washington
Mashona at Stanford, 2010
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceHouston, Texas
Born (1976-05-31) May 31, 1976 (age 47)
Flint, Michigan
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Turned pro1995
Retired2012
PlaysRight (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$975,863
Singles
Career record373–353 (51.4%)
Career titles2 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 50 (November 8, 2004)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open2R (2005)
French Open1R (2005, 2006)
Wimbledon3R (2005)
US Open2R (2002)
Doubles
Career record213–207 (50.7%)
Career titles15 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 55 (July 18, 2005)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open2R (2005)
French Open2R (2004)
Wimbledon3R (2003)
US Open3R (1998, 2004)

Her career-high singles ranking is No. 50, achieved on November 8, 2004. On July 18, 2005, she peaked at No. 55 in the doubles rankings. Washington retired from professional tennis in 2012, aged 36.

Biography edit

Washington attended high school in Michigan, moved to Delray Beach, Florida in her sophomore year, graduating from Lake Worth Christian School, Boynton Beach, Florida in 1994, and moved to Houston, Texas, in 1997.[1]

She is the younger sister of Mashiska and of MaliVai Washington, who reached the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.

Tennis career edit

As a junior player, Washington won the U.S. Indoor National 18s in 1992, and was a finalist at the U.S. National Hardcourt 16s and U.S. Indoor National 16s in 1991. She turned professional in 1995.

After a slow start to her professional career, Washington's breakthrough year came in 2004 when she broke into the world's top 100 for the first time and then finished the year ranked in the top 50. She recorded her first win against a top-10 player when she defeated Maria Sharapova at New Haven, and reached her first top-level singles final in Tokyo where she lost to Sharapova.

She also came within a hair's breadth of beating Sharapova in the first round of the 2006 French Open. She served for the match at 5–2 but could not hold serve. At 5–4 in the third set, she held match points before the then world No. 4 broke back and won the final set 7–5.

In 2005, she reached the third round at Wimbledon, where Elena Dementieva beat her 7–5, 6–1.

She was a member of the Washington Kastles World TeamTennis squad from 2008–09 and the Boston Lobsters from 2010-12.

Mashona Washington has since retired.

WTA career finals edit

Singles: 1 (runner-up) edit

Result Date Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss October 10, 2004 Japan Open Hard   Maria Sharapova 0–6, 1–6

Doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups) edit

Result Date Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss October 9, 2004 Japan Open Hard   Jennifer Hopkins   Shinobu Asagoe
  Katarina Srebotnik
1–6, 4–6
Loss February 28, 2008 U.S. National Indoors Hard   Angela Haynes   Lindsay Davenport
  Lisa Raymond
3–6, 1–6

ITF finals edit

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 12 (2–10) edit

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. July 4, 1994 ITF Indianapolis, U.S. Hard   Kristina Brandi 1–6, 3–6
Runner-up 2. June 24, 1995 ITF Hilton Head, U.S. Hard   Kori Davidson 1–6, 4–6
Runner-up 3. January 11, 1998 ITF San Antonio, U.S. Hard   Andrea Šebová 5–7, 1–6
Runner-up 4. January 26, 1998 ITF Clearwater, U.S. Hard   Kristina Brandi 2–6, 1–6
Runner-up 5. April 15, 2001 ITF Columbus, U.S. Hard (i)   Lea Ghirardi 4–6, 3–6
Winner 1. September 30, 2001 ITF Albuquerque, U.S. Hard   Marissa Gould 7–5, 6–3
Runner-up 6. December 3, 2001 ITF Columbia, U.S. Hard   Samantha Reeves 1–6, 0–6
Runner-up 7. February 10, 2002 Midland Classic, U.S. Hard (i)   Li Na 1–6, 2–6
Runner-up 8. March 28, 2004 ITF Redding, U.S. Hard   Anne Keothavong 3–6, 6–2, 6–7(3)
Runner-up 9. May 9, 2004 ITF Raleigh, U.S. Clay   Marissa Gould 3–6, 3–6
Winner 2. June 1, 2008 ITF Carson, U.S. Hard   Alexa Glatch 7–5, 6–4
Runner-up 10. June 14, 2009 ITF El Paso, U.S. Hard   Valérie Tétreault 4–6, 3–6

Doubles: 26 (15–11) edit

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. January 11, 1998 ITF San Antonio, U.S. Hard   Kim Grant   Andrea Šebová
  Silvia Uricková
4–6, 7–6(3), 6–2
Runner-up 1. September 27, 1998 ITF Seattle, United States Hard (i)   Lilia Osterloh   Els Callens
  Liezel Horn
2–6, 6–3, 3–6
Winner 2. May 7, 2000 ITF Virginia Beach, U.S. Clay   Dawn Buth   Lisa McShea
  Jessica Steck
1–6, 6–3, 7–6(2)
Runner-up 2. November 11, 2001 ITF Pittsburgh, U.S. Hard (i)   Karin Miller   Lilia Osterloh
  Katie Schlukebir
1–6, 4–6
Winner 3. October 20, 2002 ITF Sedona, U.S. Hard   Jennifer Russell   Milagros Sequera
  Christina Wheeler
7–6(3), 7–5
Runner-up 3. March 21, 2004 ITF Orange, U.S. Hard   Bryanne Stewart   Jennifer Hopkins
  Abigail Spears
3–6, 6–2, 0–6
Winner 4. March 28, 2004 ITF Redding, U.S. Hard   Jennifer Hopkins   Lilia Osterloh
  Riza Zalameda
6–2, 6–4
Winner 5. April 4, 2004 ITF Augusta, U.S. Hard   Francesca Lubiani   Julie Ditty
  Jessica Lehnhoff
6–1, 6–3
Runner-up 4. June 3, 2005 Surbiton Trophy, UK Grass   Jennifer Hopkins   Rika Fujiwara
  Saori Obata
6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Winner 6. October 7, 2007 ITF Troy, U.S. Hard   Angela Haynes   Eva Hrdinová
  Marie-Ève Pelletier
6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 5. November 18, 2007 ITF La Quinta, U.S. Hard   Angela Haynes   Christina Fusano
  Ashley Harkleroad
4–6, 6–2, [9–11]
Runner-up 6. January 27, 2008 Waikoloa Championships, U.S. Hard   Angela Haynes   Maria Fernanda Alves
  Betina Jozami
5–7, 4–6
Runner-up 7. November 16, 2008 ITF San Diego, U.S. Hard   Angela Haynes   Christina Fusano
  Alexa Glatch
3–6, 2–6
Runner-up 8. January 25, 2009 ITF Lutz, U.S. Clay   Story Tweedie-Yates   Kimberly Couts
  Sharon Fichman
4–6, 5–7
Winner 7. September 27, 2009 ITF Albuquerque, U.S. Hard   Riza Zalameda   Melinda Czink
  Lindsay Lee-Waters
6–3, 6–2
Winner 8. November 15, 2009 ITF Phoenix, U.S. Hard   Sharon Fichman   Marie-Ève Pelletier
  Anna Tatishvili
4–6, 6–4, [10–8]
Runner-up 9. November 22, 2009 ITF Toronto, Canada Hard (i)   Sharon Fichman   Maureen Drake
  Marianne Jodoin
3–2 ret.
Winner 9. December 20, 2009 ITF Veracruz, Mexico Hard   Dominika Diesková   Hsu Chieh-yu
  Nika Kukharchuk
7–5, 6–4
Winner 10. January 17, 2010 ITF Plantation, U.S. Clay   Aurélie Védy   Jorgelina Cravero
  María Irigoyen
6–0, 6–2
Winner 11. January 24, 2010 ITF Lutz, U.S. Clay   Aurélie Védy   Maria Fernanda Alves
  Florencia Molinero
6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 10. September 26, 2010 ITF Albuquerque, U.S. Hard   Abigail Spears   Lindsay Lee-Waters
  Megan Moulton-Levy
6–2, 3–6, [8–10]
Winner 12. November 7, 2010 ITF Grapevine, U.S. Hard   Ahsha Rolle   Julie Ditty
  Chanelle Scheepers
5–7, 6–2, [11–9]
Winner 13. January 15, 2011 ITF Plantation, U.S. Hard   Ahsha Rolle   Christina Fusano
  Yasmin Schnack
6–4, 6–2
Winner 14. January 22, 2011 ITF Lutz, U.S. Clay   Ahsha Rolle   Gabriela Dabrowski
  Sharon Fichman
6–4, 6–4
Winner 15. October 2, 2011 Las Vegas Open, U.S. Hard   Alexa Glatch   Varvara Lepchenko
  Melanie Oudin
6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 11. October 15, 2011 ITF Troy, U.S. Hard   Varvara Lepchenko   Elena Bovina
  Valeria Savinykh
6–7(6), 3–6

Grand Slam performance timelines edit

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 edit

Tournament 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 W–L
Australian Open A A A A A Q1 Q2 A Q1 1R Q3 2R A A A 1–2
French Open A A A A A Q1 Q2 Q1 Q1 Q1 Q2 1R 1R A A 0–2
Wimbledon A A A A Q1 Q2 1R Q2 Q1 Q1 2R 3R 2R A Q1 4–4
US Open Q2 Q1 Q1 Q3 1R 1R 1R Q2 2R Q2 1R 1R A A A 1–6

Doubles edit

Tournament 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 W–L
Australian Open A A A A 1R A A A A 1R 2R 1R A A A 1–4
French Open A A A A A A A A A 2R 1R 1R A A A 1–3
Wimbledon A A A A 1R A A A 3R 1R 2R 2R A 1R A 4–6
US Open A A A 3R 1R A A A 1R 3R 1R A A A 1R 4–6

References edit

  1. ^ "Getting to Know Mashona Washington". Newsroom. WTA. 2004-08-31. Retrieved 2009-03-19.

External links edit