Barbara Potter

Barbara Potter (born October 22, 1961) is a former tennis player from the United States, who competed professionally on the WTA Tour between 1978 and 1989, winning six singles titles and 19 doubles titles. Her highest singles ranking was No. 7 in December 1982.

Career Potter started playing tennis when she was eight years old. After graduating from Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut in 1978 Potter elected to turn professional instead of accepting an offer of admission at Princeton. A left-hander, she reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open in 1981 as well as the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 1984, and Wimbledon in 1982, 1983 and 1985. At the WTA Tour Championships, she reached the semifinals in singles in 1984 and was a runner-up in doubles with Sharon Walsh in 1981.

Potter reached a career high ranking of No. 7 in 1982 and that year won the singles titles at the Avon Championships of Cincinnati and the US Indoor Championships. She also played in three Grand Slam doubles finals, the 1982 US Open women's doubles with Sharon Walsh as well as the 1982 and 1983 US Open mixed doubles with Ferdi Taygan.

In 1986, Potter suffered two herniated disks in her back at a tournament in England and was forced off the tour several times. After a grueling exercise and fitness program, she successfully returned to the tour.

She was a member of the 1982 and 1984 U.S. Wightman Cup teams and the 1988 United States Fed Cup team. In 1989, she re-aggravated a persistent back condition at the beginning season when she was involved in an automobile accident. She retired in November 1989 due to deteriorating hip cartilage.

Potter currently resides in Harlem, Georgia.

Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (1 runner–up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1982 US Open Hard Sharon Walsh Kathy Jordan Anne Smith 6–4, 6–4

Mixed doubles (2 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1982 US Open Hard Ferdi Taygan Anne Smith Kevin Curren 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5)Loss 1983 US Open Hard Ferdi Taygan Elizabeth Sayers John Fitzgerald 3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Year-End Championships finals

Doubles: (1 runner–up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1981 New York City Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Martina Navrátilová Pam Shriver 6–0, 7–6(8–6)

WTA career finals

Singles: 14 (6–8) Winner — Legend Grand Slam tournaments (0–0) WTA Tour Championships (0–0) Tier I (0–0) Tier II (0–0) Tier III (1–0) Tier IV (0–1) Tier V (0–1) Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (5–6) Titles by surface Hard (2–2) Grass (0–1) Clay (0–0) Carpet (4–5) ResultW/L DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWin 1. Jan 1979 Toronto, Canada Carpet (i) Bettina Bunge 6–1, 6–4Loss 1. Jan 1980 Las Vegas, US Hard (i) Andrea Jaeger 6–7, 6–4, 1–6Loss 2. Feb 1981 Seattle, US Carpet (i) Sylvia Hanika 2–6, 4–6Win 2. Jan 1982 Cincinnati, US Carpet (i) Bettina Bunge 6–2, 7–6(7–3)Loss 3. Feb 1982 Kansas City, US Carpet (i) Martina Navratilova 2–6, 2–6Loss 4. Sep 1982 Tokyo, Japan Carpet (i) Bettina Bunge 6–7(4–7), 2–6Win 3. Sep 1982 Philadelphia, US Carpet (i) Pam Shriver 6–4, 6–2Loss 5. Feb 1984 Chicago, US Carpet (i) Pam Shriver 6–7(4–7), 6–2, 3–6Win 4. Aug 1985 Monticello, US Hard Helen Kelesi 4–6, 6–3, 6–2Win 5. Feb 1987 Wichita, US Carpet (i) Larisa Savchenko 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5)Loss 6. Mar 1987 Washington, US Carpet (i) Hana Mandlíková 4–6, 2–6Loss 7. Jul 1988 Newport, US Grass Lori McNeil 4–6, 6–4, 3–6Win 6. Aug 1988 Cincinnati, US Hard Helen Kelesi 6–2, 6–2Loss 8. Feb 1989 Wichita, US Hard (i) Amy Frazier 6–4, 4–6, 0–6

Doubles: 41 (19–22) Winner — Legend Grand Slam tournaments (0–1) WTA Tour Championships (0–1) Tier I (0–0) Tier II (0–0) Tier III (0–0) Tier IV (1–0) Tier V (0–0) Virginia Slims, Avon, Other (18–20) Titles by surface Hard (3–5) Grass (3–0) Clay (1–1) Carpet (12–16) ResultW/L DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1. Aug 1978 Mahwah Hard Pam Whytcross Ilana Kloss Marise Kruger 3–6, 4–6Win 1. Jan 1980 Las Vegas Hard (i) Kay McDaniel Diane Desfor Barbara Jordan 4–5, 7–6, 6–4Win 2. Sep 1980 Atlanta Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Kathy Jordan Anne Smith 6–3, 6–1Win 3. Dec 1980 Tucson Carpet (i) Leslie Allen Mary-Lou Piatek Wendy White 7–6, 6–0Win 4. Jan 1981 Kansas City Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull 6–2, 7–6(7–4)Loss 2. Jan 1981 Chicago Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Martina Navrátilová Pam Shriver 3–6, 4–6Win 5. Mar 1981 Boston Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh JoAnne Russell Virginia Ruzici 6–7, 6–4, 6–3Loss 3. Mar 1981 Avon Championships Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Martina Navrátilová Pam Shriver 0–6, 6–7(6–8)Loss 4. May 1981 Tokyo Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Sue Barker Ann Kiyomura 5–7, 2–6Win 6. Oct 1981 Brighton Carpet (i) Anne Smith Mima Jaušovec Pam Shriver 6–7, 6–3, 6–4Loss 5. Oct 1981 Filderstadt Carpet (i) Anne Smith Mima Jaušovec Martina Navrátilová 4–6, 1–6Win 7. Nov 1981 Perth Grass Sharon Walsh Betsy Nagelsen Candy Reynolds 6–4, 6–2Win 8. Feb 1982 Kansas City Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Mary-Lou Piatek Anne Smith 4–6, 6–2, 6–2Win 9. Feb 1982 Oakland Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Kathy Jordan Pam Shriver 6–1, 3–6, 7–6(7–5)Loss 6. Mar 1982 Los Angeles Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Kathy Jordan Anne Smith 3–6, 5–7Loss 7. Apr 1982 Amelia Island Clay Sharon Walsh Leslie Allen Mima Jaušovec 1–6, 5–7Loss 8. Aug 1982 Montreal Hard Sharon Walsh Martina Navratilova Candy Reynolds 4–6, 4–6Win 10. Aug 1982 Mahwah Hard Sharon Walsh Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull 6–1, 6–4Loss 9. Aug 1982 US Open Hard Sharon Walsh Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull 4–6, 4–6Loss 10. Sep 1982 Philadelphia Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 4–6Win 11. Oct 1982 Deerfield Beach Hard Sharon Walsh Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–3)Loss 11. Oct 1982 Brighton Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver 6–2, 5–7, 4–6Loss 12. Jan 1983 Houston Carpet (i) Jo Durie Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver 4–6, 3–6Win 12. Jan 1983 Palm Beach Garden Clay Sharon Walsh Kathy Jordan Paula Smith 6–4, 4–6, 6–2Win 13. Jul 1983 Newport Grass Sharon Walsh Barbara Jordan Elizabeth Sayers 6–3, 6–1Loss 13. Sep 1983 Richmond Carpet (i) Kathy Jordan Rosalyn Fairbank Candy Reynolds 7–6(7–3), 2–6, 1–6Loss 14. Sep 1983 Hartford Carpet (i) Kathy Jordan Billie Jean King Sharon Walsh 6–3, 3–6, 4–6Win 14. Oct 1983 Detroit Carpet (i) Kathy Jordan Rosie Casals Wendy Turnbull 6–4, 6–1Win 15. Jan 1984 Washington Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Leslie Allen Anne White 6–1, 6–7(7–9), 6–2Loss 15. Jan 1984 Houston Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Mima Jaušovec Anne White 4–6, 6–3, 6–7(4–7)Loss 16. Feb 1984 Chicago Carpet (i) Pam Shriver Billie Jean King Sharon Walsh 7–5, 3–6, 3–6Win 16. Mar 1984 Boston Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Andrea Leand Mary-Lou Piatek 7–6(7–4), 6–0Loss 17. Sep 1984 Fort Lauderdale Hard Sharon Walsh Martina Navratilova Elizabeth Sayers 6–2, 2–6, 3–6Loss 18. Oct 1984 Brighton Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Alycia Moulton Paula Smith 7–6, 3–6, 5–7Win 17. Mar 1985 Dallas Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Marcella Mesker Pascale Paradis 5–7, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)Loss 19. May 1985 Sydney Carpet (i) Sharon Walsh Pam Shriver Elizabeth Smylie 5–7, 5–7Loss 20. Oct 1985 Brighton Carpet (i) Helena Suková Lori McNeil Catherine Suire 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 4–6Loss 21. Jan 1986 Key Biscayne Hard Betsy Nagelsen Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 2–6Win 18. Mar 1986 Nashville Carpet (i) Pam Shriver Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie 6–4, 6–3Loss 22. Feb 1987 Wichita Carpet (i) Wendy White Svetlana Parkhomenko Larisa Savchenko 2–6, 4–6Win 19. Jul 1988 Newport Grass Rosalyn Fairbank Gigi Fernández Lori McNeil 6–4, 6–3

Grand Slam performance timelines

Singles

Doubles