Amy Frazier (born September 19, 1972) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won eight singles and four doubles titles on the WTA Tour. On February 27, 1995, she achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 13, while on March 29, 1993, she achieved a career-high doubles ranking of No. 24.

Amy Frazier
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceDetroit, Michigan
Born (1972-09-19) September 19, 1972 (age 52)
St. Louis, Missouri
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro1990
Retired2006
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$3,460,799
Singles
Career record497–335
Career titles8 WTA, 4 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 13 (February 27, 1995)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1992)
French Open3R (1995, 2001)
Wimbledon4R (1991, 1992, 1996, 2004)
US OpenQF (1995)
Doubles
Career record200–225
Career titles4 WTA, 5 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 24 (March 29, 1993)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open2R (1989–90, 1993, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2006)
French Open3R (1995)
WimbledonQF (1995)
US OpenQF (1998)

Biography

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Junior career

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As a junior, she won US national titles in every age division, and she finished with 11 top 10 rankings, during a 6 year period in the 1980s. She captured 7 US national singles titles and 5 national doubles titles, while her junior Grand Slam record was 12-6 in singles.[1]

Active career

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Frazier made her first appearance in four tour qualifying events in 1986 and debuted in the main draw in 1987, including at the 1987 US Open, where she lost to Catarina Lindqvist in the first round. She was an active player until the 2006 US Open, in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance (a record among active players). She also appeared in 18 Australian Open, 18 Wimbledon, and 15 French Open tournaments for an all-time record of 71 Grand Slam appearances, until compatriot Venus Williams surpassed this record at the 2016 US Open. She qualified two times for the WTA Finals, first time in 1992 and then in 2000.

Her best showing is a pair of quarterfinal appearances at the 1992 Australian Open and 1995 US Open. She lost 30 times in the first round of her Grand Slam matches, 18 times in the second round, 15 times in the third round, six times in the fourth round, and both of her quarterfinal matches. Her all-time Grand Slam record is 73–71. Frazier has 27 wins against top-10 players, spent total 265 weeks inside the top 20, 18 consecutive years in the top 100 and 17 straight seasons inside the Top 40 which is the longest ever continuous span by any male or female tennis player who hasn't reached top 10.[2][3]

Frazier has the distinction of being the last woman to play against Steffi Graf in a WTA Tour match at the 1999 TIG Tennis Classic, played at the La Costa Resort and Spa outside San Diego. During the third set, Graf retired and never played again.

Frazier won eight career titles and was a finalist seven times. Being a flat-hitter, she excelled on hard courts and was the most successful on the summer hard-court events in California and appeared in eight finals in two different events in Japan.

She was also a member of the United States Fed Cup team.[4]

Retirement

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Frazier played her last professional tour match at the 2006 US Open.[5] She never officially announced her retirement. After leaving the WTA Tour, she continued to be actively involved in tennis taking up a coaching role at the Franklin Athletic Club, Michigan (her local tennis club where she was first introduced to the sport at three years of age).

USTA National W40 Hardcourt champion

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In December 2015, Frazier won the USTA National W40 Hardcourt Championships at La Jolla, California.[6] At 43, it was her first and her last USTA National Senior tournament since leaving the pro tour.

USTA Midwest Hall of Fame induction

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In February 2019, she was inducted into the USTA Midwest Hall of Fame.[7]

Personal life

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Frazier is married and has a daughter.

WTA career finals

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Singles: 15 (8–7)

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Legend
Tier I (0/0)
Tier II (1/2)
Tier III (4/4)
Tier IV & V (2/1)
Virginia Slims (1/0)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1. Feb 1989 Virginia Slims of Kansas, Wichita Hard (i)   Barbara Potter 4–6, 6–4, 6–0
Win 2. Feb 1990 U.S. National Indoors, Oklahoma City Hard (i)   Manon Bollegraf 6–4, 6–2
Loss 1. Sep 1990 Nichirei International Championships, Japan Carpet (i)   Mary Joe Fernández 3–6, 6–2, 6–3
Win 3. May 1992 WTA Swiss Open, Lucerne Clay   Radka Zrubáková 4–6, 6–4, 7–5
Loss 2. Apr 1994 Japan Open Championships, Tokyo Hard   Kimiko Date 7–5, 6–0
Win 4. Aug 1994 Los Angeles Classic, United States Hard   Ann Grossman 6–1, 6–3
Loss 3. Sep 1994 Nichirei International Championships, Japan Hard (i)   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6–1, 6–2
Win 5. Apr 1995 Japan Open Championships, Tokyo Hard   Kimiko Date 7–6(7–5), 7–5
Loss 4. Apr 1996 Japan Open Championships, Tokyo Hard   Kimiko Date 6–4, 7–5
Loss 5. Apr 1997 Japan Open Championships, Tokyo Hard   Ai Sugiyama 4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Win 6. Apr 1999 Japan Open Championships, Tokyo Hard   Ai Sugiyama 6–2, 6–2
Loss 6. Oct 2000 Japan Open Championships, Tokyo Hard   Julie Halard-Decugis 6–4, 7–5
Loss 7. Jan 2003 Hobart International, Australia Hard   Alicia Molik 6–2, 4–6, 6–4
Win 7. Jan 2004 Hobart International, Australia Hard   Shinobu Asagoe 6–3, 6–3
Win 8. Nov 2005 Tournoi de Québec, Canada Hard (i)   Sofia Arvidsson 6–1, 7–5

Doubles: 13 (4–9)

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Legend
Tier I (0/0)
Tier II (0/5)
Tier III (1/3)
Tier IV & V (3/1)
Virginia Slims (0/0)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. Oct 1990 Puerto Rico Open Hard   Julie Richardson   Elena Brioukhovets
  Natalia Medvedeva
6–4, 6–2
Win 1. Apr 1991 Japan Open Championships Hard   Maya Kidowaki   Yone Kamio
  Akiko Kijimuta
6–2, 6–4
Win 2. Apr 1992 Japan Open Championships Hard   Rika Hiraki   Kimiko Date
  Stephanie Rehe
5–7, 7–6(7–5), 6–0
Win 3. May 1992 Swiss Open Clay   Elna Reinach   Karina Habšudová
  Marianne Werdel
7–5, 6–2
Loss 2. Feb 1993 Chicago Cup, United States Carpet (i)   Kimberly Po   Katrina Adams
  Zina Garrison-Jackson
7–6(9–7), 6–3
Loss 3. Sep 1994 International Championships, Tokyo Hard (i)   Rika Hiraki   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
  Julie Halard-Decugis
6–1, 0–6, 6–1
Loss 4. Apr 1996 Japan Open Championships Hard   Kimberly Po   Kimiko Date
  Ai Sugiyama
7–6(8–6), 6–7(6–8), 6–3
Loss 5. Aug 1996 Los Angeles Classic,
United States
Hard   Kimberly Po   Lindsay Davenport
  Natasha Zvereva
6–1, 6–4
Loss 6. Oct 1996 Tournoi de Québec, Canada Carpet (i)   Kimberly Po   Debbie Graham
  Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
6–1, 6–4
Loss 7. Aug 1997 San Diego Open, United States Hard   Kimberly Po   Martina Hingis
  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
6–3, 7–5
Loss 8. Apr 1998 Japan Open Championships Hard   Kimberly Po   Nana Miyagi
  Naoko Kijimuta
6–3, 4–6, 6–4
Win 4. Nov 1999 Tournoi de Québec, Canada Carpet (i)   Katie Schlukebir   Debbie Graham
  Cara Black
6–2, 6–3
Loss 9. Jul 2000 Stanford Classic, United States Hard   Cara Black   Chanda Rubin
  Sandrine Testud
6–4, 6–4

Grand Slam performance timeline

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

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Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open 1R 4R QF 1R 3R 3R 1R 1R A 2R 1R 2R 2R 2R 3R 3R 1R 19–16
French Open A A 2R A 1R 3R 1R 2R A 2R 1R 3R 2R 1R 1R 2R 1R 9–13
Wimbledon 3R 4R 4R A 1R 2R 4R 2R 1R 1R 3R 3R 1R 2R 4R 1R 3R 23–16
US Open 1R 2R 1R 2R 2R QF 2R 1R 1R 3R 1R 1R 4R 3R 3R 2R 1R 18–17
Win–loss 2–3 7–3 8–4 1–2 3–4 9–4 4–4 2–4 0–2 4–4 2–4 5–4 5–4 4–4 7–4 4–4 2–4 69–62

Records against top ranked players

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Frazier has had some success against top-ranked opponents. Her records against some of the top rated women are as follows:

References

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  1. ^ "USTA Midwest Hall of Fame | Amy Frazier". YouTube. February 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "Former WTA Top 20 Amy Frazier on How Tennis Tactics and Technology Have Changed over the Years [Podcast]". April 14, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Fantastic Tennis: Getting to Know….Amy Frazier on Apple Podcasts".
  4. ^ "Amy Frazier | Player Stats & More – WTA Official".
  5. ^ "Amy Frazier | Player Stats & More – WTA Official".
  6. ^ "Amy Frazier Wins 40 Hard Court Singles; Debbie Spence Nasim/Tracie Currie Take Doubles Crown". December 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "Peachy Kellmeyer, Amy Frazier among Americans honored".
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