# Belinda Cordwell

Belinda Jane Cordwell (born 21 September 1965) is a sports commentator and a former professional tennis player from New Zealand, who represented her native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. A former world top 20 player, her best result in the Grand Slam events was reaching the semifinals of the 1989 Australian Open. Cordwell remains the highest ever ranked New Zealand singles player, either male or female in the open era.

## Biography

During her career Cordwell won one WTA singles title (at Singapore) and two WTA doubles titles (at Singapore & Tokyo). Cordwell reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on 4 December 1989, when she became No. 17 in the world. Her most notable result was reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open in 1989, where she lost to Helena Suková. She represented New Zealand at the 1988 Summer Olympics, losing in the first round to Great Britain's Sara Gomer. After retiring Cordwell has worked as a television tennis commentator for One Sport and Sky Sport.

## WTA career finals
### Singles (1 title, 1 runner-up)

| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 0–1 | Feb 1989 | Auckland Open, New Zealand | Hard | Patty Fendick | 2–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Apr 1989 | Singapore Open | Hard | Akiko Kijimuta | 6–1, 6–0 |

### Doubles (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)

| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 1–0 | Oct 1985 | Japan Open | Hard | Julie Richardson | Laura Gildemeister Beth Herr | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1–1 | Feb 1988 | Wellington Classic, New Zealand | Hard | Julie Richardson | Patty Fendick Jill Hetherington | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Apr 1988 | Taipei Championships, Taiwan | Carpet (i) | Julie Richardson | Patty Fendick Ann Henricksson | 2–6, 6–2, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1–3 | Jun 1988 | Eastbourne Championships, England | Grass | Dinky Van Rensburg | Eva Pfaff Elizabeth Smylie | 4–6, 6–7 |
| Win | 2–3 | Apr 1989 | Singapore Open | Hard | Elizabeth Smylie | Ann Henricksson Beth Herr | 6–7$^{(6–8)}$, 6–2, 6–1 |

## ITF finals

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

### Singles: 6 (5–1)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Winner | 1. | 10 October 1983 | ITF Newcastle, Australia | Grass | Deeann Hansel | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Winner | 2. | 25 February 1985 | ITF Tasmania, Australia | Hard | Rebecca Bryant | 4–6, 6–3, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 11 March 1985 | ITF Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Louise Field | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 4. | 29 April 1985 | ITF Canberra, Australia | Grass | Rebecca Bryant | 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 5. | 16 March 1987 | ITF Canberra, Australia | Hard | Amy Jönsson Raaholt | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 6. | 30 March 1987 | ITF Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Louise Field | 6–0, 4–6, 6–4 |

### Doubles: 17 (11–6)

| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents | Score |
| Winner | 1. | 28 May 1984 | ITF Flemington, United States | Hard | Julie Richardson | Beverly Bowes Becky Callan | 6–0, 6–1 |
| Winner | 2. | 25 June 1984 | ITF Chatham, United States | Hard | Julie Richardson | Rebecca Bryant Aschara Maranon | 6–2, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 2 July 1984 | ITF Detroit, United States | Hard | Rebecca Bryant | Patty Fendick Linda Howell | 4–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 4. | 9 July 1984 | ITF West Palm Beach, United States | Clay | Julie Richardson | Patty Fendick Linda Howell | 7–6, 6–7, 6–3 |
| Winner | 5. | 30 July 1984 | ITF Delray Beach, United States | Hard | Julie Richardson | Linda Gates Cynthia MacGregor | 7–5, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 8 October 1984 | ITF Wyong, Australia | Grass | Colleen Carney | Stina Almgren Helena Olsson | 5–7, 5–7 |
| Winner | 7. | 15 October 1984 | ITF Newcastle, United States | Grass | Julie Richardson | Amanda Tobin Annette Gulley | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 8. | 22 October 1984 | ITF Sydney, Australia | Clay | Julie Richardson | Jackie Masters Michelle Parun | 6–0, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 22 October 1984 | ITF Sydney, Australia | Grass | Julie Richardson | Diane Farrell Annette Gulley | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 10. | 11 March 1985 | ITF Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Julie Richardson | Louise Field Janine Thompson | 6–2, 2–6, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 11. | 30 September 1985 | ITF Chiba, Japan | Hard | Julie Richardson | Niege Dias Patricia Medrado | 6–4, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 12. | 6 October 1986 | ITF Chiba, Japan | Hard | Michelle Jaggard-Lai | Kumiko Okamoto Naoko Sato | 6–2, 7–6$^{(3)}$ |
| Runner-up | 13. | 3 November 1986 | ITF Matsuyama, Japan | Hard | Wendy Wood | Yayuk Basuki Suzanna Wibowo | 6–0, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 14. | 23 March 1987 | ITF Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Louise Field | Colleen Carney Anna-Karin Olsson | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 15. | 30 March 1987 | ITF Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Louise Field | Colleen Carney Alison Scott | 6–1, 1–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 16. | 8 August 1988 | ITF York, United States | Hard | Kristine Kunce | Allyson Ingram Jennifer Young | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 17. | 25 September 1989 | ITF Chiba, Japan | Hard | Julie Richardson | Ei Iida Maya Kidowaki | 6–7, 4–6 |