Tennis in 1994 | Britannica.com Tennis in 1994 Originally published in the Britannica Book of the Year. Presented as archival content. Britannica Stories Scientists Ponder Menopause in Killer Whales The major prizes in tennis were distributed more liberally in 1994 than had been anticipated. The most unexpected triumph was that of the unseeded Andre Agassi in the United States Open in September. While continuing to be one of the sport’s leading attractions with his designer-tramp appearance, confident gait, and potent ground strokes, Agassi had won only one Grand Slam title previously, his counterpunching style having succeeded on Wimbledon’s grass in 1992. At the outset it appeared that 1994 would be dominated by the excellence of the two players at the head of the respective world rankings, the men’s events by Pete Sampras of the U.S. and the women’s by Steffi Graf of Germany. This view was strengthened by the performances of the two players in winning the singles titles at the Australian Open in January, prompting discussion of their prospects of accomplishing a Grand Slam (a sweep of the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and U.S.

singles championships within a calendar year). Surprisingly, however, Graf did not add to her Grand Slam titles during the remainder of the year, and the women’s game suddenly belonged to Spain. Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, emphatically beaten by Graf in the Australian final, went on to capture both the French and U.S. championships, and Conchita Martínez triumphed at Wimbledon; Martínez thus became the first Spanish woman to receive the singles trophy at the All-England Championships, winning a magnificent final against Martina Navratilova, who was marking her farewell to the grass courts. Sánchez Vicario and Martínez also made major contributions to Spain’s successful defense of the Federation Cup, the women’s premier international team competition, in Frankfurt, Germany, in July. Spain also featured prominently in the men’s game. Sergi Bruguera won the singles title at the French Open for the second consecutive year, on this occasion defeating a compatriot, Alberto Berasategui, in the final.

Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Sampras’ prospects of adding a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title to his 1993 victories at Wimbledon and the United States Open and his successful opening in 1994 in Australia were ended in Paris. He was defeated in the quarterfinals of the French Open by Jim Courier of the U.S., the champion in 1991 and 1992. Sampras recovered his confidence, making a successful defense of the Wimbledon championship little more than a month later. But physical problems beset him during the U.S. Open, the title slipping away from him when he lost to Jaime Yzaga of Peru in the fourth round. What Yzaga achieved by maneuvering a debilitated Sampras around the Stadium Court at Flushing Meadow, N.Y., an assertive young Russian had come close to accomplishing by driving impressive shots beyond Sampras in the second round of the Australian Open. Yevgeny Kafelnikov from the Black Sea resort of Sochi came within two points of eliminating Sampras before the American recovered to win 9-7 in the fifth set.

Australian Open Sampras, so thoroughly shaken by Kafelnikov that he dropped a set 6-1 to the unseeded Frenchman Stephane Simian, required two tiebreakers before defeating Ivan Lendl (who retired later in the year) in straight sets and two more tiebreakers to discourage Magnus Gustafsson, the 10th seed from Sweden, in four sets. In the semifinals, however, Sampras was in such irresistible form that he was able to dispatch Courier, the champion for the previous two years, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. In the final Sampras played another fellow American, Todd Martin, the ninth seed, who had recovered from losing the first set of his semifinal against Stefan Edberg, the fourth seed, and defeated the Swede in three tiebreakers. Martin’s prospects of causing an upset in his first Grand Slam final diminished after the opening set. Unable to convert any of six break points, he lost a tiebreaker in the first set 7-4, and Sampras took the title 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Animals Randomizer The most interesting feature of the women’s singles as Graf and Sánchez Vicario advanced to meet as seeded in the final was the progress of Kimiko Date, the 10th seed. By defeating the third-seeded Martínez, Date became only the second Japanese woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final. Her misfortune was to meet an overpowering Graf, who swept through Date’s deep, flat shots, winning 6-3, 6- 3. Sánchez Vicario’s retrieving style was also treated with disdain in the final, and Graf won 6-0, 6-2 in 57 minutes. French Open Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies At the French Open the chief issue was whether Sampras could successfully translate a smooth, attacking style, ideally suited to faster courts, to the slow clay of Paris, which favoured the ground stroke rallying of baseline players. The crux came in the quarterfinal match between Sampras and Courier. It was their first meeting on clay, and Courier’s potent backcourt style flourished, bringing him victory in four sets.

Bruguera, who had beaten Courier in five sets in the 1993 final, required only four to defeat him in the 1994 semifinals. From the lower half of the draw, which after three rounds was bereft of all seeded players except Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, Berasategui emerged to challenge Bruguera while their monarch, King Juan Carlos, waited to present the trophy. It went to Bruguera, who won the first-ever all-Spanish Grand Slam final 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. Sánchez Vicario had commanded the Centre Court less than four hours earlier, defeating Mary Pierce representing France 6- 4, 6-4 to win the women’s title. The match had begun under storm clouds the night before, and only 17 minutes of play were possible before rain intervened. Pierce, who had caused a sensation in the semifinals by bewildering Graf with the pace and accuracy of her strokes in winning 6-2, 6-2 in 77 minutes, was unable to reproduce her form against the scurrying Spaniard.

Wimbledon Graf was under pressure at Wimbledon the moment the draw put her in an opening-round match against Lori McNeil, an experienced American with an attacking style suited to grass. Never before had a defending Wimbledon champion been eliminated in the first round of the women’s singles, but the unseeded McNeil was the worthy winner 7-5, 7-6 of a contest that took an hour and 43 minutes spread over nearly five hours because of rain. Trending Topics Open Door policy The defeat of the top player immediately caused an upturn in the expectations of the other contenders, notably Martínez and Navratilova, the third and fourth seeds, respectively. Navratilova sought a memorable finale to her long and glorious association with the All-England Championships, especially after losing in the first round of the French Open. Martínez and Navratilova advanced to the final and produced a showpiece, neither player allowing her game to be overwhelmed by the emotion of the occasion. The contrast in styles enhanced the match, Martínez brilliantly anticipating Navratilova’s volleys and smashes and frequently bewildering the nine-time champion with the pace and variety of her passing shots.

There was not the slightest indication that this was Martínez’s first experience in a Grand Slam singles final as she dominated the final set to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 and become the first Spanish woman to gain the trophy. Sampras performed at Wimbledon as if the Courier match in Paris had never happened. The defending champion conceded only one set in his seven matches and was two sets ahead when that occurred, against Martin in the semifinals. The final matched Sampras and Ivanisivec, two of the world’s finest servers, and so it was inevitable that power would dominate at the expense of rallying. Sampras prevailed 7-6, 7-6, 6-0, with the concluding set requiring only 20 minutes. U.S. Open Doubts concerning the fitness of Sampras and Graf preceded the U.S. Open. Sampras was able to advance apparently stress-free to the third round, at which stage not a single seeded player remained in his quarter of the draw. He lost one set in the third round and then seemed to be on the verge of a physical collapse when taxed by Yzaga’s ground strokes over five sets in the fourth round.

With Sampras gone, Michael Stich, the number four seed, took charge of the top half of the draw, but the German was unable to resist Agassi’s inspired form in the final with any more conviction than had four other seeded players, Wayne Ferreira, Michael Chang, Thomas Muster, and Martin. Agassi defeated Stich 6-1, 7-6, 7-5 to become the first unseeded champion since Fred Stolle of Australia in 1966. In an exciting women’s final, Sánchez Vicario gave a characteristically spirited performance to defeat Graf 1-6, 7- 6, 6-4. Graf began to experience problems with her lower back in the eighth game of the second set but did not offer the injury as an excuse. Davis Cup Kafelnikov, aided by compatriot Aleksandr Volkov, led Russia into and through the Davis Cup final for the first time, defeating Australia, the Czech Republic, and then defending champion Germany in the semifinals. Sweden traveled to Moscow in December to play the closely contested final.

Volkov lost to Stefan Edberg and Kafelnikov to Magnus Larsson in the singles, both in five-set matches. Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman and Jan Apell beat Kafelnikov and Andrey Olkhovsky in the doubles, also in five sets. Kafelnikov’s reverse singles victory over Edberg provided the Russians’ only win. John Roberts Article Contributors Bio | Conchita Martinez Media Bio Inmaculada Concepción (“Conchita”) Martínez Bernat (born 16 April 1972) is a former professional tennis player from Monzón, Aragón, Spain. She is the only Spanish woman to have won the singles title at Wimbledon, when she beat Martina Navrátilová in the 1994 Women’s Singles. She also was the singles runner-up at the 1998 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open. Martinez is currently the tournament director at the Andalucia Tennis Experience. Playing style Martínez used extreme topspin on her forehand and slower topspin and slice on her backhand.

She was a patient baseliner who won matches by disrupting her opponents’ rhythm through changes of spin, pace, depth, height, and angle. Career Born in Monzón, Martínez turned professional in 1988. At the age of just 16, she reached the fourth round at the French Open in her third professional tournament. She upset Lori McNeil en route. In 1989, her breakthrough year, Martínez beat Gabriela Sabatini to win the title at Tampa and won two other tournaments. She also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, losing to Steffi Graf. She finished the year World No. 7. In 1990 and 1991, Martínez won a further six titles and again reached the quarterfinals at the French Open both years (losing to Graf in 1990 and Monica Seles in 1991). The following year, Martínez was a silver medalist in doubles at the Olympic Games in Barcelona (partnering Arantxa Sánchez Vicario) and the runner-up in women’s doubles at the French Open.

Once again, she was a quarterfinalist at the French Open, losing a tight match with Sabatini. In 1992 she was runner up in Indian Wells and San Diego. In 1993, Martínez became the first Spanish woman since Lilí de Álvarez in 1928 to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Graf 7–6, 6–3. Martínez beat Graf for the first & only time in her career, at a tournament in Philadelphia in the final. At the Italian Open, Martínez became the first Spaniard to win the tournament since de Álvarez in 1930. She again reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the fifth year in a row, losing a 2 hour, 45 minute battle with Anke Huber 6–7, 6–4, 6–4. Martínez reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1994 already beating Lindsay Davenport in the quarter final and Lori McNeil in the semi final where the third set went to 10–8, where she faced nine-time former Wimbledon champion Martina Navrátilová.

Navrátilová’s last Wimbledon triumph had come four years earlier, but many observers felt that the 37 year-old Czech-born American was the favourite going into the match given her long track record of success on grass courts, whereas Martínez’s most significant tournament victories up to that time had been on slower-playing surfaces, particularly on clay courts. Martínez, however, won the match 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 and became the first Spanish woman ever to win Wimbledon. In 1995, Martínez was a semifinalist at all four Grand Slam tournaments and reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. In the Australian Open she beat Lindsay Davenport in the semi-final before losing to Mary Pierce in the semi-final. At Wimbledon, she beat Sabatini in the quarterfinals before losing to Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. She also had a new coach that year, Carlos Kimayer. In 1996, Martínez became the only player to win the Italian Open singles title four consecutive years. She also partnered Sánchez Vicario to claim a women’s doubles Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta, Georgia.

Two years later, Martínez reached her second career Grand Slam singles final. She beat Lindsay Davenport in the semi-final in the Australian Open in 1998. She was defeated in the final of the Australian Open by Martina Hingis 6–3, 6–3. She also helped Spain win the Fed Cup that year, beating Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6–3, 2–6, 9–7 in 3 hours, 19 minutes in the final. In January 2000 in the Australian Open Conchita Martinez beat Elena Likhovsteva in the quarter final after Likhovsteva twice failed to serve for the match to reach the semi-final where she was beaten by Martina Hingis. Martínez reached the final of the French Open in 2000, where she lost to Mary Pierce 6–2, 7–5 after beating Sánchez Vicario in a semifinal. She also won the German Open, beating Hingis in a semifinal and Amanda Coetzer in the final.

In 2001, Martínez was a runner-up in the women’s doubles at the French Open (partnering Jelena Dokić). Martínez also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time in six years but lost to Justine Henin of Belgium. In 2003 Conchita reached her last grand slam quarter-final in the French Open losing to Kim Clijsters. Also that year she reached the final at Eastbourne losing to Chanda Rubin. Martínez won her second Olympic silver medal in the women’s doubles in 2004 in Athens, Greece (partnering Virginia Ruano Pascual). In 2005, Martínez won her first singles title in five years at Pattaya, Thailand, bringing her career total to 33 top-level singles titles, 9 of which were Tier I events, and 13 doubles titles. On 15 April 2006, aged 33 and after 18 years of playing professionally, she announced her retirement, having won more professional singles tournaments than any other Spanish female tennis player.

In 2008 Conchita expressed her delight on seeing Rafael Nadal win the Men’s singles at Wimbledon saying It is a big boost for Spanish grass court tennis again with a Spanish player winning Wimbledon like after her win in Wimbledon in 1994 In 2008, 2009 and 2010 Conchita played at Wimbledon in the Ladies Invitations Doubles. In 2010 her partner in doubles was Nathalie Tauziat. Career Stats Conchita Martinez | Tennis Celebrities Tennis Celebrities Conchita Martinez, Conchita Martinez images, Conchita Martinez photos, Conchita Martinez tennis player, Conchita Martinez wallpaper, tennis celebrities, tennis women player, wellknown famous tennis celebrity, {[[' ']]} Inmaculada Concepción Martínez Bernat (born 16 April 1972), professionally known as Conchita Martínez, is a former professional tennis player born in the town of Monzón, Aragón, Spain. Martínez is currently the Captain of the Spain Fed Cup team.

She is the only Spanish player to have won the women's singles title at Wimbledon, where she beat Martina Navrátilová to win the 1994 Women's Singles. She also was the singles runner-up at the 1998 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open. Born in Monzón, Conchita Martínez turned professional in 1988. At the age of just 16, she reached the fourth round at the French Open in her third professional tournament. She upset Lori McNeil en route. In 1989, her breakthrough year, Conchita Martínez beat Sabatini to win the title at Tampa and won two other tournaments. She also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, losing to Steffi Graf. She finished the year World No. 7. In 1990 and 1991, Martínez won a further six titles and again reached the quarterfinals at the French Open both years (losing to Graf in 1990 and Monica Seles in 1991).

The following year, Martínez was a silver medalist in doubles at the Olympic Games in Barcelona (partnering Arantxa Sánchez Vicario) and the runner-up in women's doubles at the French Open. Once again, Conchita was a quarterfinalist at the French Open, losing a tight match with Sabatini. In 1992 she was runner up in Indian Wells and San Diego. In 1993, Martínez became the first Spanish woman since Lilí de Álvarez in 1928 to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Steffi Graf 7–6, 6–3. Conchita beat Steffi for the first & only time in her career, at a tournament in Philadelphia in the final. At the Italian Open, Martínez became the first Spaniard to win the tournament since de Álvarez in 1930. She again reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the fifth year in a row, losing a 2 hour, 45 minute battle with Anke Huber 6–7, 6–4, 6–4.

Martínez reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1994 already beating Lindsay Davenport in the quarter final and Lori McNeil in the semifinals where the third set went to 10–8, where she faced nine-time former Wimbledon champion Martina Navrátilová. Navrátilová's last Wimbledon triumph had come four years earlier, but many observers felt that the 37 year-old Czech-born American was the favourite going into the match given her long track record of success on grass courts, whereas Martínez's most significant tournament victories up to that time had been on slower-playing surfaces, particularly on clay courts. Martínez, however, won the match 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 and became the first Spanish woman ever to win Wimbledon. In 1995, Martínez was a semifinalist at all four Grand Slam tournaments and reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. In the Australian Open she beat Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals before losing to Mary Pierce in the semifinals. At Wimbledon, Conchita beat Sabatini in the quarterfinals before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals.

She also had a new coach that year, Carlos Kirmayr. In 1996, Martínez became the only player to win the Italian Open singles title four consecutive years. She also partnered Sánchez Vicario to claim a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1998, Martínez reached her second career Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open. She beat Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals before losing to Martina Hingis in the final 6–3, 6–3. She also helped Spain win the Fed Cup that year, beating Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6–3, 2–6, 9–7 in 3 hours, 19 minutes in the final. In January 2000 in the Australian Open Conchita Martinez beat Elena Likhovsteva in the quarterfinals after Likhovsteva twice failed to serve for the match to reach the semifinals where she was beaten by Martina Hingis.

Martínez reached the final of the French Open in 2000, where she lost to Mary Pierce 6–2, 7–5 after beating Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. She also won the German Open, beating Hingis in a semifinal and Amanda Coetzer in the final. In 2001, Martínez was a runner-up in the women's doubles at the French Open (partnering Jelena Dokić). Martínez also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time in six years but lost to Justine Henin of Belgium. In 2003 Conchita reached her last grand slam quarterfinal in the French Open losing to Kim Clijsters. Also that year she reached the final at Eastbourne losing to Chanda Rubin. Martínez won her second Olympic silver medal in the women's doubles in 2004 in Athens, Greece (partnering Virginia Ruano Pascual).

In 2005, Martínez won her first singles title in five years at Pattaya, Thailand, bringing her career total to 33 top-level singles titles, 9 of which were Tier I events, and 13 doubles titles. On 15 April 2006, aged 33 and after 18 years of playing professionally, she announced her retirement, having won more professional singles tournaments than any other Spanish female tennis player. In 2008 Conchita expressed her delight on seeing Rafael Nadal win the Men's singles at Wimbledon saying It is a big boost for Spanish grass court tennis again with a Spanish player winning Wimbledon like after her win in Wimbledon in 1994 In 2008, 2009 and 2010 Conchita played at Wimbledon in the Ladies Invitations Doubles. In 2010 her partner in doubles was Nathalie Tauziat. Share this article : Muguruza becomes first Spanish woman to reach final since 1994 | TODAYonline Muguruza becomes first Spanish woman to reach final since 1994 Garbine Muguruza of Spain.

Photo: Getty Images Tweet Published: 4:17 AM, July 10, 2015 LONDON — Garbine Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to reach the Wimbledon final since 1996 when she beat Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 3-6 6-3 in an engrossing Centre Court duel yesterday. Muguruza will face either world No 1 and five-time champion Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final. World No 1 Williams of the United States, and Russian fourth seed Sharapova were scheduled to be in action in the other semi-final at press time last night. Muguruza is now just one more win away to becoming the first Spanish woman to win the singles title at Wimbledon since Conchita Martinez beat Martina Navratilova in 1994. “I don’t have words to explain it,” Muguruza told BBC Sport. “I worked all my life to achieve this moment. I think I was playing really well so I had to stay calm and keep a poker face. “I knew it was going to be tough. I was nervous in second set.

She has a lot of experience and I had to fight.” The 20th-seeded Muguruza, whose previous best finish in a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the quarter-finals of this year’s French Open, showed no early nerves in the biggest match of her career and seemed to be on course for a quickfire victory when she powered through the first set and moved 3-1 ahead in the second. But wily 13th seed Radwanska, playing her third Wimbledon semi-final, dug her heels in and the momentum shifted her way with a run of six successive games. Muguruza, the youngest of the semi-finalists, never lost heart though despite going down an early break in the decider, and after winning a tense service game at 2-2 she broke Radwanska and then held her own serve for a 5-2 ahead. There were understandable nerves as Muguruza, 21, served for the match at 5-3, not helped by a foot-fault and a double-fault, but she clinched victory on her first match point with a swinging forehand volley after a powerful first serve forced Radwanska into a desperate high return.

AGENCIES BBC SPORT | Tennis | Wimbledon | Martinez bows out quietly Sunday, 30 June, 2002, 07:57 GMT 08:57 UK Martinez bows out quietly Martinez won the Wimbledon title in 1994 By Sophie Brown BBC Sport Online While there have been umpteen column inches about the exit of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, one former singles champion has departed Wimbledon with barely a mention. Conchita Martinez, winner of the women's title back in 1994, was beaten in the third round by Lisa Raymond on Saturday. The tournament had begun promisingly for the out-of-form Martinez - she dropped just five games in her first two matches and ousted 17th seed Patty Schnyder. Conchita Martinez factfile US Open Semi-finalist 1995, 1996 But then she ran into Raymond - and it was a case of deja-vu for the Spaniard, who has twice previously been knocked out of Wimbledon by the American. And if there are doubts over whether Agassi and Sampras will return, it is surely a better bet that Martinez will not be back.

The veteran Spaniard, who turned 30 earlier this year, has been on the tour for 14 years and has been a mainstay in the top 20 for most of that time. This year has seen a dramatic slide in Martinez' ranking. She was once number two in the world. Now she is 66. But, in truth, Martinez has not been a genuine force in the game for most of the second half of her career, despite reaching two of her three Grand Slam finals in the past four years. When she won the title as a 22-year-old, she became the first Spanish woman to win Wimbledon. But typically for a player who has been overlooked for much of her career, that victory is better remembered because it denied Martina Navratilova a 10th Wimbledon singles title. Martinez may have been seeded three that year while Navratilova was a 37-year-old on her way out of the singles game. But the Spaniard was a confirmed clay-courter while the Centre Court was a second home for the nine-time Wimbledon champion.

Martinez' backhand is one of her strengths Despite needing treatment for an injury, Martinez eventually prevailed in three sets, causing Navratilova endless problems with her devastating one-handed backhand. It was expected that having won the Grand Slam least suited to her game, Martinez would add to her tally of major titles. But, with Steffi Graf dominating the women's game, Martinez did not reach another Grand Slam final until the Australian Open in 1998. By that time, Martina Hingis was winning everything in sight and dismissed the Spaniard in straight sets. Even before that defeat, it seemed that Martinez was already firmly on the down slope. But over four years later, she is still clinging on. It is a journey that mirrors many of her matches, where she has ground out marathon three-set victories by waiting for her opponent to commit the error. This tactic has not always endured the queen of the moonball to spectators, but she does also have a stylish range of shots, whipping up incredible top spin on both wings. Her doubles experience means she can come to the net and volley, albeit reluctantly.

But she lacks the power to cope with the hard-hitting new generation of the likes of the Williams sisters, her own serve involving perhaps the lowest toss in the game. Martinez' ranking will slump further as a result of her Wimbledon campaign - and the ex-champion may be saying adios to SW19 for the final time. Men's singles The Esurance Tennis Classic - Player Profiles - Conchita Martinez Conchita Martínez - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Born in Monzón, Huesca, Martínez turned professional in 1988. In 1992, she was a silver medalist in doubles at the Olympic Games in Barcelona (partnering Arantxa Sánchez Vicario) and the runner-up in women's doubles at the French Open. In 1993, Martínez became the first Spanish woman since Lili de Alvarez in 1928 to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Steffi Graf 7-6, 6-3. Martinez beat Graf for the first and only time in her career, at a tournament in Philadelphia.

At the Italian Open, Martinez became the first Spaniard to win the tournament since de Alvarez in 1930. In 1994, Martínez reached the Wimbledon singles final, where she faced 9-time former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova. Navratilova's last Wimbledon triumph had come four years earlier, but many observers felt that the 37 year-old Czech-born American was the favourite going into the match given her long track record of success on grass courts, whereas Martínez's most significant tournament victories up to that time had been on slower-playing surfaces, particularly clay courts. Martínez, however, won the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. In 1995, Martínez was a semifinalist at all four Grand Slam tournaments and reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. In 1996, Martínez became the only player to win the Italian Open singles title four consecutive years. She also partnered Sánchez Vicario to claim a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1998, Martínez reached her second career Grand Slam singles final.

She was defeated in the final of the Australian Open by Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-3. She also helped Spain win the Fed Cup that year, beating Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 in three hours and 19 minutes in the final. Martínez reached the final of the French Open in 2000, where she lost to Mary Pierce 6-2, 7-5 after beating Sanchez-Vicario in a semifinal. She also won the German Open, beating Hingis in a semifinal and Amanda Coetzer in the final. In 2001, Martínez was a runner-up in the women's doubles at the French Open (partnering Jelena Dokic). Martinez also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time in six years but lost to Justine Henin of Belgium. Martínez won her second Olympic silver medal in the women's doubles in 2004 in Athens, Greece (partnering Virginia Ruano Pascual).

In 2005, Martínez won her first singles title in five years at Pattaya, Thailand, bringing her career total to 33 top-level singles titles, 9 of which were Tier I events, and 13 doubles titles. On April 15, 2006, at the age of 33 and after 18 years of playing professionally, she announced her retirement, having won more professional singles tournaments than any other Spanish female tennis player. History - 1990s - The Championships, Wimbledon 2017 - Official Site by IBM READ MORE 1990: A record for Navratilova On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Martina Navratilova produced a near-flawless performance to win her ninth Wimbledon singles title, a record that will take some topping in today's day and age. Competing against fellow American Zina Garrison, Navratilova served and volleyed her way around Centre Court in emphatic fashion, dropping just five games as she took the title 6-1, 6-4.

The 33-year-old Navratilova won six consecutive championships from 1982 to 1987 but was made to wait before surpassing Helen Wills Moody's record of eight titles, losing the previous two years in the final to Steffi Graf. But, with Graf disposed of by Garrison in the semi-finals, Navratilova got there eventually, straddling the net to acknowledge her beaten opponent and then, her courtside courtesies complete, sinking down on her knees for an instant of silent communion with the tennis court she loves best. "There were no glitches this time; everything came up nines," she said. "This tops it all, absolutely, because I've worked so hard." 1990: Boris Becker v Stefan Edberg The most defining aspect of the rivalry between Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg was the three successive Wimbledon finals they contested between 1988 and 1990. Having split the titles in '88 and '89, their 1990 encounter was undoubtedly the most riveting. Edberg, who had been routed by Boris the year before, swept ahead, crunching through the first two sets 6-2, 6-2.

But, as was his wont, Becker rallied in typical fashion to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-3, and send the match into a fifth. Becker broke Edberg early in the fifth set, on course for a fourth Wimbledon title, and setting up the possibility of being the first Wimbledon champion to win the last three sets in a five-set match since Henri Cochetin 1927. But, it was not to be. Edberg regained the break and then broke Becker in the ninth game of the set with a topspin lob winner, eventually serving it out for his second Wimbledon title. The Swede went on to win the US Open in 1991 and 1992. 1991: Steffi Graf v Gabriela Sabatini One of SW19's greatest champions arrived at Wimbledon in 1991 having suffered rather a seesaw period, registering one of the worst defeats of her career against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the French Open semi-finals, losing her first 6-0 set since 1984.

But, as is so often the case, the green grass of the All England Club gave the formerly indomitable German a boost, powering her way to the final. Coming up against friend and rival Gabriela Sabatini, the odds on form were in the Argentine's favour, having beaten Graf in four tournaments in the spring. But Graf was always capable of something special at Wimbledon, and so it proved, the German rallying back from dropping the second set, and holding her nerve to win an epic Centre Court final 6-4 3-6 8-6, the longest final for 15 years. 1991: Middle Sunday One of the wettest first weeks in the tournament's history - just 52 out of about 240 matches were completed by Thursday evening - prompted the decision to stage play on the traditional day off, the Middle Sunday. Gabriela Sabatini and Andrea Strnadova emerged from their dressing room on to Centre Court for their third-round noon showdown. They were greeted by a packed stadium, a seemingly unending roar and enough Mexican waves to fill an ocean. The spectators had raced from the gates for prime, £10-a-head unreserved seats.

They had formed part of a queue snaking almost two miles that produced an attendance of 24,894. On No.1 Court, John McEnroe, a three-time champion, did not disappoint his adoring fans with a victory against Frenchman Jean-Philippe Fleurian, while victories for eventual Swedish semi-finalist Stefan Edberg and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario warmed up the effervescent crowd on the main court for the top of the bill: Jimmy Connors. Despite thriving on the atmosphere, Connors was eventually upstaged by fellow American Derrick Rostango, but the atmosphere overtook the results that day. 1992: Andre Agassi v Goran Ivanisevic They said that he couldn't win Wimbledon, and certainly not by playing resolutely pinned to the baseline. But Andre Agassi wasn't having that.

Defeating Goran Ivanisevic 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 for the Wimbledon title, the Las Vegan erased the stigma of his previous Grand Slam failures, becoming the first back-of-the-court player to win the title since Bjorn Borg, and the first American to win Wimbledon since John McEnroe in 1984. Illustrating that thundering groundstrokes can be just as important as booming serves, the flamboyant American stood firm throughout a Wimbledon final record onslaught of 37 aces from the 6’4” Croatian, waiting for his chances, and eventually breaking Ivanisevic three times in the match. One of the remarkable statistics was the fact that Ivanisevic came to the net 91 times, not uncommon on grass, but was passed by Agassi an astounding 26 times. "So many things were going through my mind - Wimbledon champion, Grand Slam winner, a lot of months and years of people doubting me," he said.

1992: John McEnroe v Michael Stich John McEnroe collected his fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title as he and Michael Stich beat Americans Jim Grabb and Richie Reneberg 5-7, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(5), 19-17 in a record-breaking final. McEnroe had been dumped out of the singles by the sprightly Andre Agassi in the semi-finals, and so his and Stich's performance, in the longest men's doubles final since the 1968 Roche and Newcombe victory over Rosewall and Stolle, certainly made amends. Held over from Saturday because of fading light, the match was moved to Court 1 on the final Sunday, the All England Club allowing 7,500 fans into the Grounds for free. After 34 games in the final set had gone with serve, McEnroe produced a stunningly disguised lob to bring up match point, followed by Reneberg dumping Super Brat's serve into the net. Stich grabbing McEnroe around the waist and lifting him into the air, the unseeded pair triumphed after five hours and one minute.

1993: The Long Term Plan In March 1993, The All England Lawn Tennis Club unveiled its Long Term Plan, the blueprint to take Wimbledon into the 21st Century by providing the finest facilities for all those involved with the event — spectators, players, media, officials — and consistent with our aspiration for The Championships to be embraced as the world’s premier tennis tournament, and still played on grass. 1993: Steffi Graf v Jana Novotna Steffi Graf's fifth Wimbledon title was almost overshadowed by her opponent, Jana Novotna, conspiring to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after leading by a double break of serve in the third set. Graf looked down and out as Novotna went for broke on a second serve while leading 4-1 in the third set, having romped through the second set 6-1. But whether it was nerves or simply getting ahead of herself, she missed, and the whole match changed.

The German storming back to win 7-6, 1-6, 6-4, Novotna cried her eyes out on the Duchess of Kent's shoulder during the trophy presentation, in what has become one of Wimbledon's most iconic images. "Don't worry Jana, I know you can do it," said the Duchess to Novotna. And she was right, the Czech player triumphing in her third Wimbledon final in 1998. "With the way Jana was playing and the way I was playing, yes, I'd kind of lost it," said Graf, who yelped for joy after pulling off a remarkable turnaround. "I didn't give up but I didn't have a very positive feeling." 1994: Steffi Graf v Lori McNeil In a timely reminder, 1994 proved no champion is safe at Wimbledon. The first Tuesday dawned with an ill wind that blasted through Wimbledon's elite like a bull in a china shop, rattling nerves, stealing the strawberries, flipping the table with a glorious smash.

And there was no greater fall than the world No.1 and five-time champion Steffi Graf, a victim of what the legendary Fred Perry described as "wet, greasy and slippery" gusts. Graf and the wind proved no match for the contrasting cool intensity of her first round opponent, the unseeded Lori McNeil of the US. The German, winner of the last three Wimbledon’s and five of the past six, was blown out of the draw faster than any other defending women's champ in 101 years, and after she cracked nobody was safe. Triumphing 7-5, 7-6, it was the best showing by African-Americans at a Grand Slam event since Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon in 1975, and was received with a huge ovation from the rather wet Centre Court crowd. It was, McNeil said, the best moment she had ever known. "It seemed very short, but at the same time—if this makes any sense—it seemed very long and very loud," she said.

"It was a great feeling, a great moment for me." 1994: Conchita Martinez v Martina Navratilova Even in Wimbledon’s rich history, Conchita Martinez’s triumph in the 1994 Ladies’ Singles has to be one of The Championships’ most fascinating stories. She beat a whole host of top names, including nine-time Champion Martina Navratilova in the final. By doing so, Martinez became the first – and to date only – Spanish woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish, and the only Champion between 1982 and 1996 other than Navratilova or Steffi Graf. Despite her excellent run, few gave Martinez a chance in the final against Navratilova. Even at 37, the legendary left-hander was a huge favourite, hunting what would have been her 10th singles crown. But it was not to be, as Martinez produced a stunning upset. The Spaniard admits she was actually more anxious about the prospect of meeting Princess Diana on Centre Court that day.

"When they told me she would be at the final and I would have to curtsy for her, I was more nervous about having to do that and meeting her than playing the match! So maybe that was a good thing." 1995: Tim Henman and the ball girl Always considered to be the epitome of British etiquette, it comes as some surprise that Tim Henman, who shouldered British hopes admirably for so long, became the first player ever to be disqualified from Wimbledon. Playing a doubles match alongside Jeremy Bates, the British pair were leading Jeff Tarango and Henrik Holm by two sets to one. Deep into the fourth set, Henman missed a net cord during the tie-break, and, being an impressionable young thing at that time, lashed out with his racket in frustration, hitting the ball he was holding. But it was his and her misfortune that as he did so, a ball girl was crossing the net, and received the full force of the ball on the side of her head. Referee Alan Mills and Wayne McKewan were summoned to the court, and defaulted the pair for ball abuse. At a late-night press conference at the All England Club, Henman described the incident.

"I was not happy at losing the point and was angry. I went to hit the ball hard. I'd looked to see if the linespeople were out of the way." Clearly on the verge of tears, he said: "It's a complete accident, but I'm responsible for my actions." 1995: Arantxa Sanchez Vicario v Steffi Graf Steffi Graf won her sixth Wimbledon title but was forced to work hard in the final by her erstwhile rival Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, eventually triumphing 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. The Spaniard, a clear underdog on grass, dropped only five points on her own serve to take the first set with some exquisite tennis. But Graf battled back, running through the second set before sealing the win with a break in a titanic 20-minute 11th game in the third set, which featured a boggling 13 deuces and 18 game points. Sanchez Vicario attacked Graf's backhand with such consistency that the German spent much of the game camped in the tramlines on the edge of the court.

On her sixth game point, Graf at last found a powerful backhand drive to seal the break of serve and effectively the match. The Centre Court crowd applauded for the entire changeover, the euphoria continuing as Graf served out for the title. Graf let out an enormous sigh of relief and a cry of joy. She won seven Wimbledons among her 22 Grand Slams but never was she forced to fight harder for victory. 1995: Jeff Tarango’s tantrum If John McEnroe, for all his explosions and mutterings, was a master at delivering a line and working the crowd, fellow American Jeff Tarango was the complete opposite. His meltdown at Wimbledon in 1995, was the perfect lesson in how to alienate an entire crowd with a pathetic, childish outburst. Trailing Alexander Mronz in his third-round match, Tarango became increasingly annoyed with chair umpire Bruno Rebeuh, screaming ‘That’s it, I’m not playing….you are one of the most corrupt officials in the game’. After his request to have Rebeuh removed from the match was denied, Tarango walked off the court, defaulting the match.

He then made matters worse by yelling at the crowd to ‘shut up’ when they jeered him off. Even more bizarrely, a few minutes later, Tarango's wife, Benedicte, slapped Rebeuh twice in the face when they encountered one another in the corridor. Tarango was subsequently banned for two Grand Slam tournaments and fined $63,000. 1996: The streaker The 1996 final between Richard Krajicek and MaliVai Washington was the subject of several headlines, not necessarily because it was the first Sampras-less final in four years, or Washington being the first black man in the final since Arthur Ashe, but because 23-year-old Melissa Johnson became the first female streaker to get on to Centre Court. As the players were preparing to warm up, Johnson ran on to the court with an apron on, disrobed, and ran around the hallowed turf. Six years later, a streaker got on to Centre Court during the men’s final at Wimbledon.

During a rain break, with Lleyton Hewitt leading David Nalbandian 6-1, 1-0 in 2002, 37-year-old Mark Roberts jumped on to the court, shed his clothes and gave spectators quite a show. He pirouetted, bowed, somersaulted over the net and flexed his muscles before he was finally caught and escorted away with a red sheet covering his modesty. 1996: Sir Cliff Richard In one of the most famous and clichéd of all Wimbledon rain delays, play was interrupted extensively in 1996, and so Sir Cliff Richard was invited to give an impromptu concert on Centre Court. The ageing popstar delighted the sodden crowd with a rendition of ‘Singing in the Rain,’ backed by the implausible choir of Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Gigi Fernandez and Conchita Martinez. "I started with Summer Holiday, almost as a joke," Sir Cliff said. "It was totally a capella, which has its advantages - it's impossible to sing out of key for a start. And the crowd see the vulnerability of someone singing without any help. They were magnificent, from the first moment.

The reaction was stunning." 1997: Middle Sunday After two days of the 1997 Championships were washed out by rain, the club took the decision to play on the middle Sunday for only the second time in Wimbledon history. This was made particularly thrilling thanks to one match where sporting theatre reached its absolute peak – a third-round clash between Tim Henman, the No.14 seed, and Dutchman Paul Haarhuis, regarded as a doubles expert. For the first time in nearly 20 years, a Brit had a chance of Wimbledon glory and the local public, along with genuine tennis enthusiasts from all over the world, camped all night to pick up one of 14,000 cut-price £15 Centre Court tickets. As Tim Henman recalled, he would never experience a crowd like that "Super Sunday" one again in the 10 remaining years of his career. "From the word go, it was something I'd never experienced before," he admitted. "The noise was at a different level. Every time I won a point it felt like the roof was going to come off.

I’ve never played at Wembley, but I can say that’s as good as it gets in tennis." 1997: Tim Henman v Paul Haarhuis On the 1997 Middle Sunday, Tim Henman and Paul Haarhuis met on Centre Court to contest the sought-after fourth round place against defending champion Richard Krajicek. Neither Henman nor Haarhuis were on top form - there were far too many unforced errors and double faults for the purists, but you would struggle to find any tennis match that could beat it for sheer drama. Henman carved out six first-set points in the opener and squandered them all, three on double faults, and went down 9-7 in the tiebreaker. Haarhuis then got the jitters, a double fault of his own handing the British No.1 the second set and two more giving him the third. There then followed an absolutely exhilarating fourth set. Haarhuis broke early then held strong when Henman twice had golden opportunities to break back, to the groans of the crowd. The underdog was putting up a tremendous fight, but it now became all about who had the bravest of brave hearts.

The subsequent fifth and final set went on and on, each game and each point feeling like a lifetime for the predominately British crowd, who cheered every Henman winner with a roar to put soccer fans to shame. Tiger Tim eventually prevailed 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 14-12, Haarhuis dropping serve to bring the titanic 93-minute decider to an end. Henman went on to beat Krajicek in a four-set, three tie-break thriller before losing to Michael Stich in the quarter-finals. 1997: Martina Hingis Martina Hingis produced the tennis version of rope-a-dope to exhaust Jana Novotna, and become, at 16, the youngest player to win the Wimbledon singles title since 1887. Floating around the court, the young Swiss dismantled the experienced Novotna 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 with a poise and savvy far beyond her years. Despite a slightly timid start, the teenager rallied to hand out an all-court attack that the increasingly weary Novotna was too tired to handle.

"It might be that maybe I'm too young to win this title," said Hingis, who had lost in the French Open final the month before. "But at the French Open I just knew I wasn't in great shape. This time it's like I could do it." It was another blow for Novotna, who had surrendered the title to Steffi Graf four years earlier, but she went on to triumph against Nathalie Tauziat the following year. 1997: The new No. 1 Court Some of Wimbledon's greatest champions, including Rod Laver, John Newcombe, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Louise Brough, Maria Bueno, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova gathered at the All England Club in 1997, invited for the opening ceremony of the new No.1 Court at Wimbledon. Officially opened by the Duke of Kent, the new No.1 Court seats 11,000, an increase of 4,500 on the original No.1 Court, which has been demolished.

The building incorporates a food village, a merchandising shop, 11 hospitality suites and a debenture holders' lounge overlooking courts 14-17. In addition to the new No.1 Court, a broadcast centre, new courts 18 and 19, and a road tunnel linking Somerset Road and Church Road came into operation for the first time. As part of the continuation of the Long Term Plan, the site where the original No.1 Court stood, adjacent to the Centre Court, was turned into what is the Millennium Building today - the new player and press facilities, which were completed in 2000. 1998: Martina Hingis v Jelena Dokic Even Jelena Dokic's volatile father was left speechless after the 16-year-old Australian qualifier knocked out world No.1 Martina Hingis in the first round in 1999 in one of the biggest shocks in Wimbledon history. Bobbing up and down like a boxer on the baseline as she swept past Hingis 6-2, 6-0, Dokic summed it up with the understatement so beloved of teengagers - "I think I played quite well today.

There was no pressure on me to win. I didn't feel nervous. I just went for it," Dokic said. "It's tough to beat her, whether you practise with her or not ... I tried to play my own game." Somewhat ironically, Hingis had taken Dokic under her wing as a training partner, practising together before the French Open, and even taking a holiday together. "Martina and her mum made us feel part of the family for a whole week. We never stopped talking and it was such good fun," Dokic said then. "I hope we are friends forever." 1999: Steffi Graf v Venus Williams Old met new in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, as 19-year-old Venus Williams came up against Steffi Graf, on a high after claiming the French Open. It was a second quarter-final in a row at SW19 for Venus, who hussled and tussled to beat Anna Kournikova in the fourth round. But Graf had not won seven Wimbledon titles by just ambling about.

The seven-time champion neutralised the young Venus's powerful hitting in typical athletic style, running down every groundstroke that her opponent pummelled over the net, and sending it back just as hard. Interrupted four times by rain, both players were forced to produce some of their best tennis, Graf in particular mixing it up with drop shots and net play to keep Williams guessing. Converting on her first match point, Graf hopped up and down, punching the air and screaming with delight. "It rarely happens in the quarter-final to play that kind of tennis," said Graf, remarking that it was the best she had ever had to play to get to the semi-finals at Wimbledon. 1999: Pete Sampras v Andre Agassi Sampras v Agassi was the classic duel of the 1990s. Pistol Pete was the quiet, unassuming fellow who kept to himself while going about the business of amassing a record haul of 14 Grand Slam titles, seven of them at Wimbledon. He served, volleyed and one-handed-backhanded his way into the record books, spent 286 weeks as world No.1 and was a model of consistency.

Agassi on the other hand was a veritable firecracker, up one day, down the next. World No.1, world No.141 – it all depended on where his focus was at the time. The two all-American heroes played each other 34 times between 1989 and 2002, with Sampras holding a 20-14 record and a 4-1 advantage in Grand Slam finals. Serving for the title at 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, Sampras fired down two service winners to make it 30-0. An Agassi backhand return clipped the baseline, then he sent a perfect cross-court forehand as Sampras came in behind a second service to level matters at 30-all. The prostrate Sampras, who had dived in vain to retrieve Agassi’s masterpiece, then picked himself up, dusted himself off and banged a second service right on the T for an ace. On match point, Sampras repeated the feat: two second-serve aces and the title, his sixth Wimbledon crown of seven – was his.

conchita martinez : definition of conchita martinez and synonyms of conchita martinez (English) 10 External links Playing style This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification . Please help by adding reliable sources . Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2009) Martínez used extreme topspin on her forehand and slower topspin and slice on her backhand. She was a patient baseliner who won matches by disrupting her opponents' rhythm through changes of spin, pace, depth, height, and angle. She was known for expending "plenty of time and energy securing the ball with which she had just won the previous point so she could serve it again," [1] a major irritant to her opponents. Career This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources . Please help by adding reliable sources . Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (October 2008) Born in Monzón, Martínez turned professional in 1988.

At the age of just 16, she reached the fourth round at the French Open in her third professional tournament. She upset Lori McNeil en route. In 1989, her breakthrough year, Martínez beat Gabriela Sabatini to win the title at Tampa and won two other tournaments. She also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, losing to Steffi Graf . She finished the year World No. 7. In 1990 and 1991, Martínez won a further six titles and again reached the quarterfinals at the French Open both years (losing to Graf in 1990 and Monica Seles in 1991). The following year, Martínez was a silver medalist in doubles at the Olympic Games in Barcelona (partnering Arantxa Sánchez Vicario ) and the runner-up in women's doubles at the French Open. Once again, she was a quarterfinalist at the French Open, losing a tight match with Sabatini. In 1992 she was runner up in Indian Wells and San Diego.

In 1993, Martínez became the first Spanish woman since Lilí de Álvarez in 1928 to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon , where she lost to Graf 7–6, 6–3. Martínez beat Graf for the first & only time in her career, at a tournament in Philadelphia in the final. At the Italian Open , Martínez became the first Spaniard to win the tournament since de Álvarez in 1930. She again reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the fifth year in a row, losing a 2 hour, 45 minute battle with Anke Huber 6–7, 6–4, 6–4. Martínez reached the Wimbledon singles final in 1994 already beating Lindsay Davenport in the quarter final and Lori McNeil in the semifinals where the third set went to 10–8, where she faced nine-time former Wimbledon champion Martina Navrátilová.

Navrátilová's last Wimbledon triumph had come four years earlier, but many observers felt that the 37 year-old Czech-born American was the favourite going into the match given her long track record of success on grass courts , whereas Martínez's most significant tournament victories up to that time had been on slower-playing surfaces, particularly on clay courts . Martínez, however, won the match 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 and became the first Spanish woman ever to win Wimbledon. In 1995, Martínez was a semifinalist at all four Grand Slam tournaments and reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. In the Australian Open she beat Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals before losing to Mary Pierce in the semifinals. At Wimbledon, she beat Sabatini in the quarterfinals before losing to Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. She also had a new coach that year, Carlos Kirmayr . In 1996, Martínez became the only player to win the Italian Open singles title four consecutive years. She also partnered Sánchez Vicario to claim a women's doubles Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta, Georgia .

In 1998, Martínez reached her second career Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open. She beat Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals before losing to Martina Hingis in the final 6–3, 6–3. She also helped Spain win the Fed Cup that year, beating Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6–3, 2–6, 9–7 in 3 hours, 19 minutes in the final. In January 2000 in the Australian Open Conchita Martinez beat Elena Likhovsteva in the quarterfinals after Likhovsteva twice failed to serve for the match to reach the semifinals where she was beaten by Martina Hingis. Martínez reached the final of the French Open in 2000, where she lost to Mary Pierce 6–2, 7–5 after beating Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. She also won the German Open , beating Hingis in a semifinal and Amanda Coetzer in the final. In 2001, Martínez was a runner-up in the women's doubles at the French Open (partnering Jelena Dokić ).

Martínez also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time in six years but lost to Justine Henin of Belgium. In 2003 Conchita reached her last grand slam quarterfinal in the French Open losing to Kim Clijsters . Also that year she reached the final at Eastbourne losing to Chanda Rubin . Martínez won her second Olympic silver medal in the women's doubles in 2004 in Athens, Greece (partnering Virginia Ruano Pascual ). In 2005, Martínez won her first singles title in five years at Pattaya , Thailand , bringing her career total to 33 top-level singles titles, 9 of which were Tier I events, and 13 doubles titles. On 15 April 2006, aged 33 and after 18 years of playing professionally, she announced her retirement, having won more professional singles tournaments than any other Spanish female tennis player.

In 2008 Conchita expressed her delight on seeing Rafael Nadal win the Men's singles at Wimbledon saying It is a big boost for Spanish grass court tennis again with a Spanish player winning Wimbledon like after her win in Wimbledon in 1994 In 2008, 2009 and 2010 Conchita played at Wimbledon in the Ladies Invitations Doubles. In 2010 her partner in doubles was Nathalie Tauziat . Grand Slam finals Muguruza bans parents from attending Wimbledon final vs Serena tennis Updated: Jul 11, 2015 17:57 IST AFP Garbine Muguruza of Spain during a practice session at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, on July 10, 2015. Muguruza will face Serena Williams of the United States in the ladies' singles final of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships on Saturday, July 11, 2015.

(Reuters Photo) First-time Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza of Spain has banned her parents from watching her women's singles title clash against Serena Williams as she doesn't want her performance to be jinxed. The 21-year-old Spaniard has had a set routine on her way to a first Grand Slam final which has included getting up and cleaning her teeth at a certain time while her mother and father stayed in Spain so as not to upset the rhythm. Now the world number 20 has decided against inviting Spanish father Jose Antonio and Venezuelan mother Scarlet over to the All England Club. "My parents, they're going to be in Barcelona watching me on the TV. I don't want to change anything, but I'm not superstitious," she said Friday. Muguruza also revealed that as a child she had dreamed of facing Williams in the Wimbledon final. "It's weird. When I was eight, I was dreaming. Now it's happening. It's amazing. It's what I've worked for. Now I'm feeling that all my effort, all the work that I did before, it's like paying off," said Muguruza, who couldn't recall who won the match she dreamt about.

But having defeated the world number one once before in real life -- at the French Open last year -- she said she will not be intimidated by a player who has lost just once in 39 matches in 2015. "It's really important because it makes you see and realise that she's also a person. She knows that I can win against her, that I'm not afraid. I don't think she's really used to this. Serena doesn't lose so many matches in the year. I think it's important." Key role Muguruza was just nine months old in 1994 when Conchita Martinez became the last Spanish woman to win Wimbledon But 21 years later, Martinez finds herself in the position of playing a key role in convincing her compatriot that she can pull off the seemingly impossible on Saturday and derail Williams's bid to win a sixth Wimbledon crown. "Well, we were laughing when the tournament started because I was like, Conchita, I'm not sure about grass," said Muguruza, recalling her conversation with Martinez, who defeated Martina Navratilova in the 1994 final.

It was her only triumph at the majors and Navratilova's last appearance in a Grand Slam final. "She's like, C'mon, you can play good. She's just telling me every day, every match, Keep going, you're doing great. Giving me power," she added. Muguruza was right to be cautious about her prospects at the All England Club. Before the tournament began, the world number 20 had won just one match on grass this summer at Eastbourne after losing in the first round in Birmingham. But the Venezuela-born Muguruza has been rejuvenated at Wimbledon, knocking out top 10 players Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki to make her first final at the Majors. She will also rise into the world top 10 next week, only the fourth Spanish woman to do so. If she beats world number one Williams, she will become the new world number six. But the American is the overwhelming favourite on Saturday. She will be playing in her eighth Wimbledon final, seeking a sixth title.

It's Williams' 25th Grand Slam final, and victory will give her a 21st Major title, just one behind the Open Era record of Steffi Graf's 22. She can also complete her second career 'Serena Slam' by holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. tags Muguruza bans parents from Wimbledon final Muguruza bans parents from Wimbledon final Dave James Share View photos Garbine Muguruza celebrates beating Agnieszka Radwanska on July 9, 2015 to reach the Wimbledon women's singles final (AFP Photo/Leon Neal) More London (AFP) - Shock Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza has banned her parents from watching her title showdown against Serena Williams as she doesn't want them to jinx her. The 21-year-old Spaniard has had a set routine on her way to a first Grand Slam final which has included getting up and cleaning her teeth at a certain time while her mother and father stayed in Spain so as not to upset the rhythm. Now the world number 20 has decided against inviting Jose Antonio and Venezuelan mother Scarlet over to the All England Club. "My parents, they're going to be in Barcelona watching me on the TV.

I don't want to change anything, but I'm not superstitious," she said Friday. Muguruza also revealed that as a child she had dreamed of facing Williams in the Wimbledon final. "It's weird. When I was eight, I was dreaming. Now it's happening. It's amazing. It's what I've worked for. Now I'm feeling that all my effort, all the work that I did before, it's like paying off," said Muguruza who couldn't recall who won the match she dreamt about. But having defeated the world number one in real life -- at the French Open last year -- she said she will not be intimidated by a player who has lost just once in 39 matches in 2015. "It's really important because it makes you see and realise that she's also a person. She knows that I can win against her, that I'm not afraid. I don't think she's really used to this. Serena doesn't lose so many matches in the year.

I think it's important." - Key role - Muguruza was just nine months old in 1994 when Conchita Martinez became the last Spanish woman to win Wimbledon But 21 years later, Martinez finds herself in the position of playing a key role in convincing her compatriot that she can pull off the seemingly impossible on Saturday and derail Williams's bid to win a sixth Wimbledon crown. "Well, we were laughing when the tournament started because I was like, Conchita, I'm not sure about grass," said Muguruza, recalling her conversation with Martinez, who defeated Martina Navratilova in the 1994 final. It was her only triumph at the majors and Navratilova's last appearance in a Grand Slam final. "She's like, C'mon, you can play good. She's just telling me every day, every match, Keep going, you're doing great. Giving me power," she added. Muguruza was right to be cautious about her prospects at the All England Club. Before the tournament began, the world number 20 had won just one match on grass this summer at Eastbourne after losing in the first round in Birmingham.

But the Venezuela-born Muguruza has been rejuvenated at Wimbledon, knocking out top 10 players Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki to make her first final at the majors. She will also rise into the world top 10 next week, only the fourth Spanish woman to do so. If she beats world number one Williams, she will become the new world number six. But the American is the overwhelming favourite on Saturday. She will be playing in her eighth Wimbledon final, seeking a sixth title. It's Williams' 25th Grand Slam final where victory will give her a 21st major title, just one behind the Open Era record of Steffi Graf. She can also complete her second career "Serena Slam" by holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. Reblog

Question: In 1994, Conchita Martinez became the first Spanish woman to win the Wimbledon singles title. Who did she beat in the Final?
Answer: MARTINA NAVRATILOVA