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.

Saori Obata
小畑沙織
Country (sports) Japan
ResidenceTokyo
Born (1978-04-23) 23 April 1978
Sapporo
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Turned proApril 1996
RetiredJune 2006
PlaysLeft-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$652,031
Singles
Career record281–222
Career titles0 WTA, 6 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 39 (9 February 2004)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open3R (2004)
French Open1R (2002, 2003, 2004)
Wimbledon2R (2002, 2004)
US Open3R (2003)
Doubles
Career record118–102
Career titles1 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 98 (9 February 2004)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open2R (2004)
Wimbledon1R (2003, 2005)
US Open1R (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
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 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

References

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