Sabine Appelmans

Sabine Appelmans (born 22 April 1972) is a former professional tennis player from Belgium. She was Belgium's Fed Cup captain from 2007 until 2011.

Sabine Appelmans
Country (sports) Belgium
ResidenceAsse, Belgium
Born (1972-04-22) 22 April 1972 (age 52)
Aalst, Belgium
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Turned pro1988
Retired2001
PlaysLeft-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$ 2,041,247
Singles
Career record346–237 (59.3%)
Career titles7 WTA, 1 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 16 (24 November 1997)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1997)
French Open4R (1991)
Wimbledon4R (1996, 1997, 2000)
US Open4R (1992, 1999)
Other tournaments
Olympic GamesQF (1992)
Doubles
Career record147–162 (47.6%)
Career titles4 WTA, 1 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 21 (25 August 1997)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenQF (1991)
French Open3R (1992)
WimbledonSF (1997)
US Open3R (1991)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games2R (1996)
Team competitions
Fed Cup32–22 (59.3%)

Career

Appelmans started playing at the neighbour's court at the age of seven. Her first trainer, Fred Debruyn, saw immediately that she was very talented. Although right-handed, she played left-handed; at a children's tennis training session she claimed to be left-handed so she could stay with her friend in the left-handed group.

Appelmans turned pro in 1988, and won her first title against Chanda Rubin in Scottsdale in 1991. She made her first Fed Cup appearance in 1988, with a 1–2 loss against Austria. In 1997, she married Serge Haubourdin. Throughout her career, she won seven singles and four doubles titles.

She participated three times in the Olympics (in 1992, 1996 and 2000) - at the 1992 Games in Barcelona she reached the quarterfinals in singles. Her best result in the Grand Slam tournaments is reaching the quarterfinals at the 1997 Australian Open after defeating then world No. 3, Conchita Martínez. Her highest spot on the WTA rankings is the 16th place, which she reached in November 1997. In the doubles she reached, together with Miriam Oremans, the semi-finals of 1997 Wimbledon.

In February 2007, she was appointed captain of Belgium's Fed Cup squad in replacement of Carl Maes, leading the team to a semifinal in 2011.[1] That year, she was replaced herself in October 2011 by Ann Devries.

Awards

Appelmans was elected as the Belgian Sportswoman of the year 1990 & 1991. She was nominated for the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award in 1994 & 1995.

WTA career finals

Singles: 12 (7 titles, 5 runner-ups)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Jan 1990Auckland, New ZealandHard Leila Meskhi1–6, 0–6
Loss0–2Apr 1991Japan OpenHard Lori McNeil6–2, 2–6, 1–6
Win1–2Nov 1991Scottsdale, USHard Chanda Rubin7–5, 6–1
Win2–2Nov 1991Nashville, USHard (i) Katrina Adams6–2, 6–4
Loss2–3Apr 1992Japan OpenHard Kimiko Date5–7, 6–3, 3–6
Win3–3Apr 1992Pattaya, ThailandHard Andrea Strnadová7–5, 3–6, 7–5
Loss3–4Oct 1993Budapest, HungaryCarpet (i) Zina Garrison5–7, 2–6
Win4–4Feb 1994Linz, AustriaCarpet (i) Meike Babel6–1, 4–6, 7–6(7–3)
Win5–4Apr 1994Pattaya, ThailandHard Patty Fendick6–7(5–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–2
Win6–4Apr 1995Bol, CroatiaClay Silke Meier6–4, 6–3
Win7–4Mar 1996Linz, AustriaCarpet (i) Julie Halard-Decugis6–2, 6–4
Loss7–5Apr 1997Budapest, HungaryClay Amanda Coetzer1–6, 3–6

Doubles: 14 (4 titles, 10 runner-ups)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1.Feb 1991Oslo Open, NorwayCarpet (i) Raffaella Reggi Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
Silke Meier
6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Loss2.Sep 1991Milan Indoor, ItalyCarpet (i) Raffaella Reggi Sandy Collins
Lori McNeil
6–7(0–7), 3–6
Loss3.Oct 1991Puerto Rico OpenHard Camille Benjamin Rika Hiraki
Florencia Labat
3–6, 3–6
Loss4.Feb 1992Faber Grand Prix, GermanyCarpet (i) Claudia Porwik Katerina Maleeva
Barbara Rittner
5–7, 3–6
Loss5.Feb 1992Cesena Championship, ItalyCarpet (i) Raffaella Reggi Catherine Suire
Catherine Tanvier
w/o
Win1.Feb 1994Paris Indoor, FranceCarpet (i) Laurence Courtois Mary Pierce
Andrea Temesvári
6–4, 6–4
Loss6.May 1995Internationaux de Strasbourg, FranceHard (i) Miriam Oremans Lindsay Davenport
Mary Joe Fernandez
2–6, 3–6
Loss7.May 1996Madrid Open, SpainClay Miriam Oremans Jana Novotná
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
6–7, 2–6
Loss8.Oct 1996Sparkassen Cup, GermanyCarpet (i) Miriam Oremans Kristie Boogert
Nathalie Tauziat
4–6, 4–6
Loss9.Mar 1997Key Biscayne Open,
United States
Hard Miriam Oremans Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Natasha Zvereva
2–6, 3–6
Win2.Feb 1998Paris Indoor, FranceCarpet (i) Miriam Oremans Anna Kournikova
Larisa Neiland
1–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win3.Jun 1998Rosmalen Championships,
Netherlands
Grass Miriam Oremans Cătălina Cristea
Eva Melicharová
6–7(4–7), 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5)
Loss10.Jan 2000Australian HardcourtsHard Rita Grande Julie Halard-Decugis
Anna Kournikova
3–6, 0–6
Win4.May 2000Belgian OpenClay Kim Clijsters Jennifer Hopkins
Petra Rampre
6–1, 6–1

ITF finals

$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 4 (1–3)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1.10 April 1988ITF Bari, ItalyClay Petra Schwarz3–6, 4–6
Loss2.24 July 1989ITF Kitzbühel, AustriaClay Federica Bonsignori3–6, 6–4, 6–7(2)
Loss3.12 June 1989ITF Porto, PortugalClay Emanuela Zardo5–7, 3–6
Win4.26 April 1993ITF Porto, PortugalClay Barbara Mulej2–6, 7–6(1), 7–5

Doubles: 2 (1–1)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1.16 August 1987ITF Koksijde, BelgiumClay Caroline van Renterghem Kathleen Schuurmans
Joy Tacon
6–7(2), 6–2, 7–6(3)
Loss2.7 December 1992ITF Val-d'Oise, FranceHard (i) Julie Halard-Decugis Isabelle Demongeot
Catherine Suire
5–7, 4–6

Singles performance timeline

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament19881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001
Australian OpenAA3R4R1R1R3R3R4RQF1R3R3R2R
French Open2RA1R4R2R2R2R3R3R1R1R1R1RA
WimbledonAAA1R2R3R1R1R4R4R3R2R4RA
US OpenAA3R1R4R2R1R3R1R1RA4R1RA
WTA ChampionshipsAAAAAAAAA1RAAAA

References

External links