Jo Durie - Retirement

Retirement

Durie retired from competitive tennis at the Wimbledon Championships in 1995, (her eighteenth appearance at the Championships), and marked it with a memorable performance. After three successive operations on her left knee, Durie went into the Championships ranked 326 in the world; yet reached the second round of the ladies singles. She beat France's Alexia Dechaume-Ballerat, ranked 85 in the world in straight sets in the first round. Her second round, and last singles match at Wimbledon was against Jana Novotná. After losing the match 6–2 6–2 Jo Durie was given a full standing ovation by the crowd on the 'old' No. 1 Court. Her last match at Wimbledon was appropriately a mixed doubles match, where she played along side her long standing partner Jeremy Bates.

She is one of very few players to have a winning record against Steffi Graf and leads 4–3 in head-to-heads. Note, however, that all of her wins against Graf were before or during 1985, when Graf was typically a much lower-ranked played during the initial stages of her career.

After retiring from the professional tour, Durie has worked as a TV tennis commentator for both the BBC and British Eurosport. She used to coach British number one Elena Baltacha alongside her own former coach Alan Jones. She won back to back Wimbledon Ladies Senior Invitation doubles titles in 1996 and 1997.

Durie currently works as an academy coach at the FC** Academy in Middlesex.

Read more about this topic:  Jo Durie

Famous quotes containing the word retirement:

    Adultery itself in its principle is many times nothing but a curious inquisition after, and envy of another man’s enclosed pleasures: and there have been many who refused fairer objects that they might ravish an enclosed woman from her retirement and single possessor.
    Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667)

    Douglas. Now remains a sweet reversion—
    We may boldly spend, upon the hope
    Of what is to come in.
    A comfort of retirement lives in this.
    Hotspur. A rendezvous, a home to fly unto.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    Convent. A place of retirement for women who wish for leisure to meditate upon the sin of idleness.
    Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)