Sabine Appelmans
Sabine Appelmans
listen (born 22 April 1972) is a former tennis player from Belgium, and was Belgium's Fed Cup captain from 2007 until 2011.
Career
Appelmans started playing at the neighbour's court at the age of seven. Her first trainer, Fred Debruyn, saw immediately that she was very talented. Although right-handed, she played left-handed. At a children's tennis training session she claimed to be left-handed so she could stay with her friend in the left-handed group. Appelmans turned pro in 1988, and won her first title against Chanda Rubin in Phoenix in 1991. She made her first Fed Cup appearance in 1988, with a 2–1 loss against Austria. In 1997, she married Serge Haubourdin. Throughout her career, she won seven singles titles and 4 doubles titles.
In February 2007 she was appointed captain of Belgium's Fed Cup squad in replacement of Carl Maes, only to be replaced herself in October 2011 by Ann Devries.
Awards
Appelmans was elected as the Belgian Sportswoman of the year 1990 & 1991. She was nominated for the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award in 1994 & 1995.