Saori Obata
Saori Obata (Japanese: 小畑沙織, Obata Saori, born 23 April 1978) is a retired female tennis player from Japan.[1] She turned professional in April 1996, and in February 2004, she achieved her career-high singles ranking of 39, and on the same day she reached her career-high doubles ranking of 98.
| Country (sports) |  Japan |
|---|---|
| Residence | Tokyo |
| Born | 23 April 1978 Sapporo |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Turned pro | April 1996 |
| Retired | June 2006 |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $652,031 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 281–222 |
| Career titles | 0 WTA, 6 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 39 (9 February 2004) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2004) |
| French Open | 1R (2002, 2003, 2004) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2002, 2004) |
| US Open | 3R (2003) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 118–102 |
| Career titles | 1 WTA, 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 98 (9 February 2004) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2004) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2003, 2005) |
| US Open | 1R (2003) |
Biography
She did not win a singles title on WTA Tour in her career, however did reach one singles final in Tashkent in 2003 where she lost in two sets to Virginia Ruano-Pascual. In the same year, she reached the semifinals of the WTA event in Bali, Indonesia, before losing to Chanda Rubin. She achieved a notable scalp in the opening round of the Eastbourne grass-event in 2003, when she defeated Jelena Dokić in straight sets when Dokić was ranked 11th in the world. She also defeated Ai Sugiyama in the second round of the Australian Open in 2004 when ranked No. 55, this was her only win over a top-ten player as Sugiyama was ranked No. 9 at the time.
She won a doubles title at WTA-level (Memphis 2003, with Akiko Morigami), and five ITF-level singles titles. Her final Grand Slam appearance was at the 2006 Australian Open where she lost in the opening round, having qualified, to Daniela Hantuchová in three sets. She retired from professional tennis in June 2006 because of injury.
WTA career finals
Singles (0-1)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Location | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 12 October 2003 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Hard |  Virginia Ruano Pascual |
2–6, 6–7(2) |
Doubles (1-0)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 16 February 2003 | Memphis, United States | Hard (i) | Akiko Morigami |
 Alina Jidkova.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bryanne Stewart |
6–1, 6–1 |
ITF Finals
Singles (6-4)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Location | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 7 April 1996 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Hard |  Choi Young-ja |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 25 June 2000 | Mont-de-Marsan, France | Clay |  Edith Nunes |
2–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 13 May 2001 | Fukuoka, Japan | Grass | Alicia Molik |
5-7, 3-6 |
| Winner | 4. | 18 November 2001 | Port Pirie, Australia | Hard |  Pavlina Nola |
6–1, 6–2 |
| Winner | 5. | 25 November 2001 | Nuriootpa, Australia | Hard | Cho Yoon-jeong |
6–4, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 23 July 2002 | Louisville, United States | Hard | Alina Jidkova |
3-6, 4-6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 5 May 2003 | Gifu, Japan | Hard | Shinobu Asagoe |
4-6, 1-6 |
| Winner | 8. | 11 May 2003 | Fukuoka, Japan | Clay |  Maria Elena Camerin |
2–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Winner | 9. | 3 April 2005 | Augusta, United States | Hard |  Victoria Azarenka |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 10. | 8 May 2005 | Gifu, Japan | Hard | Shiho Hisamatsu |
6–1, 2–6, 6–4 |
Doubles (12–5)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 8 January 1996 | San Antonio, United States | Hard | Nami Urabe |
 Pam Nelson  Nóra Köves |
6–2, 4–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 2. | 25 March 1996 | Bandung, Indonesia | Hard | Nami Urabe |
 Chen Jingjing Li Li |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Winner | 3. | 4 May 1997 | Gifu, Japan | Hard | Kaoru Shibata |
Shinobu Asagoe Yasuko Nishimata |
6-3, 7-5 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 30 June 1997 | Mont-de-Marsan, France | Hard | Nami Urabe |
Katalin Marosi Veronica Stele |
4–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 5. | 10 October 1997 | Saga, Japan | Grass | Danielle Jones |
 Surina De Beer Nami Urabe |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 16 March 1998 | Noda, Japan | Hard | Kyōko Nagatsuka |
Keiko Ishida Keiko Nagatomi |
6–3, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 7. | 8 June 1998 | Sochi, Russia | Hard | Kaoru Shibata |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Nino Louarsabishvili  Elena Tatarkova |
3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 8. | 14 May 2000 | Seoul, South Korea | Clay | Shinobu Asagoe |
Li Na Li Ting |
6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 9. | 28 May 2000 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Hard | Cho Yoon-jeong |
Li Na Li Ting |
6–1, 6–2 |
| Winner | 10. | 4 June 2000 | Shenzhen, China | Hard | Kim Eun-ha |
Li Na Li Ting |
6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 11. | 26 May 2002 | Tallinn, Estonia | Clay | Akiko Morigami |
Teryn Ashley Kristen Schlukebir |
7-5, 7–6(2) |
| Winner | 12. | 27 April 2003 | Gifu, Japan | Grass | Rika Fujiwara |
Shinobu Asagoe Nana Smith |
1–6, 7–5, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 13. | 6 May 2003 | Fukuoka, Japan | Clay | Rika Fujiwara |
 Līga Dekmeijere Nana Smith |
2–6, 6–2, 4–6 |
| Winner | 14. | 9 May 2004 | Fukuoka, Japan | Carpet | Rika Fujiwara |
Monique Adamczak Nicole Kriz |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 15. | 3 April 2005 | Augusta, United States | Hard | Rika Fujiwara |
Anastasia Rodionova Tatiana Poutchek |
6–7(3), 0–6 |
| Winner | 16. | 8 May 2005 | Gifu, Japan | Carpet | Rika Fujiwara |
Ryōko Fuda Seiko Okamoto |
6–1, 6–2 |
| Winner | 17. | 31 May 2005 | Surbiton, England | Grass | Rika Fujiwara |
Jennifer Hopkins Mashona Washington |
4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
