Saturday 16 February 2008

Great moments in tennis No 3 - Sue Barker triumphs in Paris

Sue Barker is best known these days for having to laugh at Ali McCoist's lousy jokes on Question of Sport. But back in the day she was some player.

Her finest hour was winning the French Open in 1976. For me its an even greater achievement than Virginia Wade winning Wimbledon. Barker tells a great story about the low key media and public reaction to her victory. The game wasn't screened live in the UK and there was only the briefest of passing references on the BBC evening news.

These days it would be an open top bus around London.

Although with Nadal so dominant on clay in the mens, and the lack of decent British women players, it could be another 30 years before a Brit repeats Barker's success.

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