Marianne Werdel

Last updated
Marianne Werdel
Country (sports)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born (1967-10-17) October 17, 1967 (age 56)
Los Angeles, California
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Turned pro1986
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money US$1,044,641
Singles
Career record237–227
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 21 (October 9, 1995)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open SF (1995)
French Open 2R (1989, 1994)
Wimbledon 3R (1991, 1993)
US Open 2R (1985, 1986, 1994, 1995)
Doubles
Career record179–202
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 45 (May 25, 1992)

Marianne Werdel (born October 17, 1967) is an American former professional tennis player.

Contents

Werdel was born in Los Angeles and played on the WTA Tour from 1982 to 1997. She is also known as Marianne Witmeyer or Werdel-Witmeyer.

She won 19 national junior titles. In 1988 Werdel suffered a partially herniated disc, forcing a two-month absence from the tour. [1]

At the 1995 Australian Open, unseeded Marianne Werdel defeated fifth-seeded Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina in a first-round match. Werdel won the first set, but Sabatini raced out to a 3–0 lead in the second set before twice losing her serve. Werdel won four consecutive games to close out the match in straight sets, dismissing Sabatini 6–4, 6–4. [2] Werdel had also beaten Sabatini two years earlier at a tournament in Japan. After she had disposed of Sabatini, Werdel continued to work her way through the draw beating Park Sung-hee, Elena Makarova, Barbara Paulus and Angélica Gavaldón en route to a semifinal encounter with the top-seed and world No. 1 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. In their two previous meetings, Werdel had lost both times to Sánchez Vicario. This time proved no different as Sánchez Vicario defeated Werdel in two sets. In reaching the semifinals, the 1995 Australian Open proved to be the best result Werdel would have in Grand Slam singles competition. She defeated Sánchez Vicario two months later in the third round of the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne. [3]

Werdel was coached by Woody Blocher. [1]

On 21 November 1992, she married Major League Baseball player Ron Witmeyer. [1] [2]

WTA career finals

Legend
Grand Slam
Tier I
Tier II
Tier III
Tier IV & V

Singles: 6 runner-ups

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Jul 1989Schenectady, U.S.Hard Flag of Peru.svg Laura Gildemeister 4–6, 3–6
Loss0–2Aug 1990Schenectady, U.S.Hard Flag of Germany.svg Anke Huber 1–6, 7–5, 4–6
Loss0–3Oct 1990Scottsdale, U.S.Hard Flag of Spain.svg Conchita Martínez 5–7, 1–6
Loss0–4Apr 1993 Pattaya Open, ThailandHard Flag of Indonesia.svg Yayuk Basuki 3–6, 1–6
Loss0–5Sep 1993 Hong Kong Open Hard Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Wang Shi-ting 4–6, 6–3, 5–7
Loss0–6Jan 1997 Hobart, AustraliaHard Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Dominique Van Roost 3–6, 3–6

Doubles: 6 runner-ups

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1May 1992 Swiss Open Clay Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Karina Habšudová Flag of the United States.svg Amy Frazier
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Elna Reinach
5–7, 2–6
Loss0–2May 1993Swiss OpenClay Flag of the United States.svg Lindsay Davenport Flag of the United States.svg Mary Joe Fernandez
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Helena Suková
2–6, 4–6
Loss0–3Sep 1993 Hong Kong Open, ChinaHard Flag of the United States.svg Debbie Graham Flag of Germany.svg Karin Kschwendt
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rachel McQuillan
6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Loss0–4Feb 1995 Chicago Cup, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Tami Whitlinger-Jones Flag of Argentina.svg Gabriela Sabatini
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Brenda Schultz
7–5, 6–7, 4–6
Loss0–5May 1996 Strasbourg, FranceClay Flag of the United States.svg Tami Whitlinger-Jones Flag of Indonesia.svg Yayuk Basuki
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Nicole Bradtke
7–5, 4–6, 4–6
Loss0–6Feb 1997 Oklahoma Cup, U.S.Hard Flag of the United States.svg Tami Whitlinger-Jones Flag of Japan.svg Rika Hiraki
Flag of Japan.svg Nana Miyagi
4–6, 1–6

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References

  1. 1 2 3 John Barrett, ed. (1996). ITF World of Tennis 1996. London: CollinsWillow. p. 381. ISBN   9780002187138.
  2. 1 2 Michael Hirsley (February 11, 1995). "Wed To A Life In Sports". Chicago Tribune.
  3. "Sanchez Vicario Sent Home Early at Lipton". Los Angeles Times . March 21, 1995.