Shirli-Ann Valentine (born 20 June 1974), formerly Shirli-Ann Siddall, is a British former professional tennis player.

Shirli-Ann Siddall
Full nameShirli-Ann Valentine
(nee Siddall)
Country (sports) United Kingdom
Born (1974-06-20) 20 June 1974 (age 49)
Liverpool, England
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Prize money$138,509
Singles
Career record139–132
Career titles7 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 181 (8 December 1997)
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon2R (1992, 1994)
Doubles
Career record110–82
Career titles14 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 108 (13 October 1997)
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon2R (1997)
US Open1R (1997)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon3R (1996, 1997)
Team competitions
Fed Cup0–2

Biography edit

Siddall, who was born in Liverpool, had a promising junior career.[1] In 1990 she won seven out of eight national titles in the under-16 and under-18 divisions.[2]

Based in Dorset, Siddall played professionally in the 1990s. In 1995 she featured in Fed Cup ties for Great Britain against both Poland and the Czech Republic, in Murcia, Spain. She competed regularly in the main draw of the Wimbledon Championships and once at the US Open in 1997, partnering Barbara Schett in the women's doubles.

She made the second round of Wimbledon in both 1992 and 1994. Her most famous match came against Jennifer Capriati in the first round of the 1993 Wimbledon Championships. Playing as a wildcard, Siddall took the first set off the seventh seeded Capriati, but was unable to secure the upset, as the young American came back to win in three.[3] She was most successful in the mixed doubles draw at Wimbledon, with two appearances in the round of 16, both times with Danny Sapsford. The only other occasion she partnered Sapsford at Wimbledon was in 1995 when she had to be carried off the court in a stretcher after fainting from heat exhaustion during their first round match, played in record temperatures.[4]

Siddall retired from professional tennis in 1998.[2] She had been suffering from a persistent back injury.[2]

In 2002, she married Nick Valentine at All Saints Church in Bournemouth. Their wedding took place on the same day as the Wimbledon ladies final.[5]

She lives with her family in the town of Poole in Dorset.[2]

ITF Circuit finals edit

$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 11 (7-4) edit

Result No. Date Location Surface Opponent Score
Win 1. 22 April 1991 Bracknell, Great Britain Hard   Diana Gardner 7–5, 6–4
Loss 2. 15 November 1993 Swansea, Great Britain Hard   Gaby Coorengel 3–6, 7–6(7–3), 6–7(5–7)
Loss 3. 3 April 1994 Gaborone, Botswana Hard   Magüi Serna 3–6, 4–6
Loss 4. 10 April 1994 Harare, Zimbabwe Hard   Magüi Serna 4–6, 2–6
Win 5. 11 July 1994 Frinton, Great Britain Grass   Vanessa Webb 6–4, 7–6(7–5)
Loss 6. 18 July 1994 Ilkley, Great Britain Grass   Kirrily Sharpe 5–7, 1–6
Win 7. 27 April 1996 Edinburgh, Great Britain Clay   Karin Baleková 6–4, 2–6, 6–0
Win 8. 14 July 1996 Felixstowe, Great Britain Grass   Anita Kurimay 6–2, 6–4
Win 9. 16 February 1997 Birmingham, Great Britain Hard   Claire Taylor 6–4, 6–4
Win 10. 3 March 1997 Warrnambool, Australia Grass   Lucie Ahl 6–3, 6–3
Win 11. 4 May 1997 Hatfield, Great Britain Clay   Lucie Ahl 6–2, 6–0

Doubles: 23 (14-9) edit

Result No. Date Location Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1. 20 September 1993 Sheffield, Great Britain Hard   Caroline Hunt   Natalia Egorova
  Svetlana Parkhomenko
6–4, 7–5
Win 2. 27 September 1993 Bracknell, Great Britain Hard   Caroline Hunt   Caroline Stassen
  Alison Smith
6–2, 6–1
Win 3. 18 July 1994 Ilkley, Great Britain Grass   Jo Durie   Justine Hodder
  Kirrily Sharpe
5–7, 6–4, 6–4
Loss 4. 14 November 1994 Eastbourne, Great Britain Carpet   Amanda Wainwright   Natalia Egorova
  Svetlana Parkhomenko
6–7(8–10), 6–7(6–8)
Win 5. 8 May 1995 Szczecin, Poland Clay   Catherine Barclay   Kristin Godridge
  Kirrily Sharpe
5–7, 7–5, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 6. 13 November 1995 Edinburgh, Great Britain Carpet (i)   Amanda Wainwright   Julia Lutrova
  Jane Wood
6–7(7–9), 4–6
Loss 7. 4 May 1996 Hatfield, Great Britain Clay   Amanda Wainwright   Robyn Mawdsley
  Jane Wood
6–4, 6–7(4–7), 5–7
Win 8. 12 May 1996 Lee-on-Solent, Great Britain Clay   Amanda Wainwright   Lucie Ahl
  Joanne Ward
7–5, 6–1
Loss 9. 14 July 1996 Felixstowe, Great Britain Clay   Lucie Ahl   Surina De Beer
  Katia Roubanova
2–6, 4–6
Win 10. 21 July 1996 Frinton, Great Britain Grass   Lucie Ahl   Amy Jensen
  Anita Kurimay
6–1, 6–4
Loss 11. 4 August 1996 Ilkley, Great Britain Grass   Lucie Ahl   Surina De Beer
  Katia Roubanova
1–6, 7–6, 3–6
Win 12. 11 August 1996 Southsea, Great Britain Grass   Lucie Ahl   Louise Latimer
  Lorna Woodroffe
6–2, 7–6
Loss 13. 20 October 1996 Cardiff, Great Britain Hard (i)   Amanda Wainwright   Maria Strandlund
  Anne-Gaëlle Sidot
3–6, 3–6
Win 14. 8 February 1997 Sunderland, Great Britain Hard (i)   Amanda Wainwright   Megan Miller
  Rachel Viollet
7–6(7–2), 6–4
Loss 15. 16 February 1997 Birmingham, Great Britain Hard (i)   Amanda Wainwright   Julie Pullin
  Lorna Woodroffe
2–6, 4–6
Win 16. 24 March 1997 Warrnambool, Australia Grass   Nannie de Villiers   Joanne Limmer
  Lisa McShea
6–4, 4–6, 7–6
Win 17. 30 March 1997 Warrnambool, Australia Grass   Nannie de Villiers   Joanne Ward
  Lorna Woodroffe
3–6, 6–2, 6–3
Loss 18. 4 April 1997 Corowa, Australia Grass   Nannie de Villiers   Trudi Musgrave
  Jane Taylor
4–6, 7–6, 4–6
Win 19. 27 April 1997 Bournemouth, Great Britain Clay   Amanda Wainwright   Lorna Woodroffe
  Julie Pullin
6–3, 7–5
Win 20. 4 May 1997 Hatfield, Great Britain Clay   Joanne Ward   Lucie Ahl
  Jessica Steck
3–6, 6–4, 7–5
Win 21. 11 May 1997 Lee-on-Solent, Great Britain Clay   Joanne Ward   Natalia Egorova
  Rebecca Jensen
6–2, 7–5
Loss 22. 17 August 1997 The Bronx, United States Hard   Lorna Woodroffe   Lisa McShea
  Rachel McQuillan
2–6, 1–6
Win 23. 1 March 1998 Bushey, Great Britain Carpet (i)   Trudi Musgrave   Noëlle van Lottum
  Kirstin Freye
7–6, 4–6, 6–2

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Wimbledon 1997: Best of the rest of British: The six-packs who aim to keep the home fires burning". The Independent. 21 June 1997. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Chard, Phil (26 June 2007). "Siddall singles out one that got away". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  3. ^ Howard, Johnette (23 June 1993). "Hecker Targets Graf, Mars Wimbledon Win". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  4. ^ Finn, Robin (1 July 1995). "Wimbledon Competitors And Grass Wilt in Heat". New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  5. ^ Baker, Andrew. "Finalists hit heights but miss shops". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

External links edit