Patty Schnyder - Australian Open Women's Tennis Players
Although Patty Schnyder has been on the women's tennis circuit for just on 18 years, the 30-year-old Swiss from Basel, has never taken the biggest prize of all, a Grand Slam title.
The closest she's ever been to this goal was in 2004 when she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. Although she has always battled with her consistency, she has done relatively well on the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) circuit. To date she can boast ten singles titles and four doubles titles.
A former world no.7, Schnyder is probably best known for her wins over top players, making her an enigmatic opponent. Someone, who on their best day may well give the top ranked players a run for their money.
Her main claim to fame is that she defeated four Top 10 players consecutively, and her scalps included those of some of this year's Australian Open women's tennis players like American superstar, Serena Williams, and former great, Jennifer Capriati.
She also caused an upset in the 2006 Charleston Championships when she defeated top seed and defending champion, and current world no.1, Justine Henin, in the semifinals. This victory ended Henin's 27-match winning streak on clay. After her fantastic display at the semis, Schnyder again proved inconsistent and lost to Russian, Nadia Petrova in the final.
Schnyder is also well known for her marriage to a convicted fraudster. Her German husband, Rainer Hofmann, was involved in some dubious business dealings with Deutsche Telekom, pleaded guilty to embezzlement, and was put on probation for three years. Perhaps this is why Patty has pulled such big winnings in her career – to date she has pocketed nearly US$6 million in prize money!
Like Nadia Petrova, Patty Schnyder has the ability to upset. She has already claimed the title of "giant killer" with her victories over top ranked players. Could she get back to her consistent best and take her first grand slam title in 2009? Can Patty Schnyder become an outstanding Australian Open women's tennis player? Anything is possible.
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