Amanda Coetzer

Amanda Coetzer (b. October 22 1971 in Hoopstad, South Africa) is a former professional tennis player from South Africa.

Related Topics:
October 22 - 1971 - Hoopstad - South Africa - Tennis

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Coetzer turned professional in 1988. She won her first top-level singles title in 1993 in Melbourne, and her second later that year in Tokyo.

Related Topics:
1988 - 1993 - Melbourne - Tokyo

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Coetzer entered the top-20 on the women's world rankings in 1992 and remained there for most of the next 10 years. She developed a reputation for regularly beating players who were higher ranked than her as she climbed to her career high ranking of World No. 3 in 1997.

Related Topics:
1992 - 1997

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At the Canadian Open in 1995, Coetzer defeated three players ranked in the world's top-5 – Steffi Graf (No. 1), Jana Novotna (No. 4) and Mary Pierce (No. 5) – before finally losing to Monica Seles in the final. The defeat of Graf ended a 32-match winning-streak for the German.

Related Topics:
Canadian Open - 1995 - Steffi Graf - Jana Novotna - Mary Pierce - Monica Seles

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At the Australian Open in 1996, Coetzer became the first South African woman in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, where she lost in three sets to Anke Huber.

Related Topics:
Australian Open - 1996 - Grand Slam - Anke Huber

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1997 was the best season of Coetzer's career. In reaching the Australian Open semi-finals for the second consecutive year, she defeated World No. 1 Graf in the fourth round. She then beat Graf for a second time in the quarter-finals at Berlin, handing her her worst-ever loss by defeating her 6-0, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. And the in the quarter-finals of the French Open she defeated Graf yet again to become one of just six players to beat Graf three times in one year, and one of only four to defeat her more than once in Grand Slam play. Coetzer lost in the French Open semi-finals to eventual-champion Iva Majoli. Later in the year in Leipzig, Coetzer beat Martina Hingis who by then had taken over the World No. 1 ranking. Coetzer won two singles titles that year in Budapest and Luxembourg.

Related Topics:
1997 - Berlin - French Open - Iva Majoli - Leipzig - Martina Hingis - Budapest - Luxembourg

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Coetzer won the biggest title of her career in 1998 at Hilton Head (Tier 1 event).

Related Topics:
1998 - Hilton Head

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In 2000, Coetzer teamed-up with Wayne Ferreira to win the Hopman Cup for South Africa. She also played of South Africa's Fed Cup team for six years and represented South Africa in the Olympic Games three times.

Related Topics:
2000 - Wayne Ferreira - Hopman Cup - Fed Cup - Olympic Games

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During her career, Coetzer won nine top-level singles titles and nine doubles titles. Her final singles title was won in Acapulco in 2003. Her career prize-money earnings totalled US$5,594,821.

Related Topics:
Acapulco - 2003

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Coetzer retired from the professional tour in 2004.

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