Calling the Shots: My Autobiography

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When Tomanova double-faulted on match point, Barker ran to the net to shake hands. There were no wild celebrations, no running up to the players box to kiss everyone in the entourage - players were on their own in those days. Barker left the scene of her French Open title without a memento - and organisers got her nationality wrong

It was really quite a scary time because tennis had totally consumed me for so many years and then suddenly it's like, hold on, this is real life now. Every day I'd had planned - practice, gym, physio, booking travel, booking hotels, watching videos of a player, everything was all geared around a tennis tournament and then suddenly it's nothing." Barker has since stated that she was dismissed from the show rather than leaving by choice. She alleges that she was asked to put her name to an untrue pre-prepared statement claiming she left of her own accord when this was not the case. Barker accepted the BBC's decision to replace her, which she claimed was because they wished to "refresh" the show. However, she criticised the BBC's handling of the matter, describing this as "insulting" and saying that she felt "slightly damaged" by the experience. [32] Personal life [ edit ] Retirement prompted lots of messages from friends and journalists, which Barker couldn't bring herself to reply to. But then there was one from someone calling themselves 'Gordon Bennett'. Years later, Barker said that losing to Stöve was the biggest disappointment of her career and admitted that she was so upset at losing in the 1977 Wimbledon semi-final that she could not bear to watch the final, which was won by Wade. [8]Her favourite presenting moments are Usain Bolt's world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the "magical" London 2012 opening ceremony.

In 1988, Barker married landscape gardener and former policeman Lance Tankard. [25] [38] They live in the Cotswolds village of Stanton, Gloucestershire, after moving from a mansion on a 26-acre estate in Godalming, Surrey. [41] Henderson, Jon (8 July 2007). "Tennis: Say it's not so Sue". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 29 December 2012. I used to practise always really well and everyone used to say if you practise badly then you normally play well, whereas I think that was the problem with my career - I always practised really well and then didn't play as well," Barker says. I just played a really horrible match from start to finish, I can't be any more blunt than that. And I was bitterly, bitterly disappointed not to have been a part of that final, which would have been an amazing day with the jubilee and two Brits. I let the whole side down."Susan Barker CBE (born 19 April 1956) is a British former television presenter and professional tennis player. During her playing career, Barker won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, including a major singles title at the 1976 French Open. She reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 3. [2]