Shinobu Asagoe

Shinobu Asagoe
浅越しのぶ

Country (sports)	Japan
Residence	Hyōgo, Japan
Born	(1976-06-28) June 28, 1976 Hyōgo, Japan
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro	1997
Retired	2006
Plays	Right-handed
Prize money	US$1,662,261
Singles
Career record	275–208
Career titles	0 WTA, 9 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 21 (April 18, 2005)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	2R (2005, 2006)
French Open	4R (2004)
Wimbledon	4R (2003)
US Open	QF (2004)
Doubles
Career record	226–148
Career titles	8 WTA, 10 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 13 (May 8, 2006)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2006)
French Open	QF (2002, 2005)
Wimbledon	3R (2003, 2005)
US Open	3R (2005, 2006)

Shinobu Asagoe (浅越しのぶ, Asagoe Shinobu, born June 28, 1976) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1997, and retired in 2006.

Career

2000 was the first year in which she finished in the WTA top 100 (no. 72). In the US Open that year, she defeated Patty Schnyder, a top 50 player. She also reached her first WTA tour quarterfinal that year at the Princess Cup at Tokyo defeating Ai Sugiyama and losing to Monica Seles. She also represented Japan at the Sydney Olympics. In 2003, she reached her first WTA tour singles final. In 2004, she reached her second career singles final in Hobart, as well as her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open. On April 18, 2005, Asagoe reached her career-high singles ranking: 21st. In May of the following year, she reached her career high doubles ranking (13th).

Asagoe appeared in one WTA Tour final in Auckland 2003 where she lost to Katarina Srebotnik 5–7, 7–5, 6–4. Asagoe held a 4–0 lead in the second when Srebotnik took an injury timeout. From there Strebotnik played "all in" tennis and won the match, in what was an agonising result for Asagoe.

Asagoe's most memorable match was a second-round marathon at Wimbledon 2003, when her stressed-out opponent, Daniela Hantuchová, melted down well on the way to what looked like a routine two-set win. Eventually, after nearly three hours, Asagoe won the contest 12–10 in the third set.

Plays doubles with Katarina Srebotnik; at Australian Open 2006, reached the semifinal, beating (2) Cara Black/Rennae Stubbs 6–3 4–6 6–0. They lost to eventual champions Yan/Zheng in the semifinals. It was a sad day in Asagoe's fans lives as they expected her to grace the title.

At the US Open that same year, she lost her first round match in straight sets to Jelena Kostanić. She had announced the US Open would be her last tournament. In doubles, with Akiko Morigami, they won their first round match 6–1 6–3, and they were to play against the 14th seeds, Bartoli/Peer. Bartoli/Peer were up 6–4 5–2, before Shinobu and Akiko won four straight games to make it 6–5. They held many set points at 6–5, but could not convert, thus forcing a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, they were down 6–2, but somehow managed to win six straight points, thus taking the tiebreaker, saving four straight match points. They took the final set 6–4.

Retirement

Asagoe retired at the 2006 US Open after losing her third round doubles match (with Morigami) to the world's top-ranked team, Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.

Major finals

Olympic finals

Doubles: 1 bronze final

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
4th place	2004	Athens	Hard	Ai Sugiyama	Paola Suárez Patricia Tarabini	3–6, 3–6

WTA Tour finals

Singles 3

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	15 June 2003	Birmingham, United Kingdom	Grass	Magdalena Maleeva	1–6, 4–6
Runner-up	2.	16 January 2004	Hobart, Australia	Hard	Amy Frazier	3–6, 3–6
Runner-up	3.	8 January 2005	Auckland, New Zealand	Hard	Katarina Srebotnik	7–5, 5–7, 4–6

Doubles 12 (8–4)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1.	16 June 2002	Birmingham, England	Grass	Els Callens	Kimberly Po-Messerli Nathalie Tauziat	6–4, 6–3
Winner	2.	6 October 2002	Japan Open, Japan	Hard	Nana Miyagi	Svetlana Kuznetsova Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Runner-up	3.	30 March 2003	Miami, Florida, USA	Hard	Nana Miyagi	Liezel Huber Magdalena Maleeva	4–6, 6–3, 5–7
Runner-up	4.	6 April 2003	Sarasota, Florida, USA	Clay	Nana Miyagi	Liezel Huber Martina Navratilova	6–7(8), 3–6
Winner	5.	16 January 2004	Hobart, Australia	Hard	Seiko Okamoto	Els Callens Barbara Schett	2–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner	6.	7 August 2004	Canadian Open, Canada	Hard	Ai Sugiyama	Liezel Huber Tamarine Tanasugarn	6–0, 6–3
Winner	7.	10 October 2004	Japan Open, Japan	Hard	Katarina Srebotnik	Jennifer Hopkins Mashona Washington	6–1, 6–4
Winner	8.	8 January 2005	Auckland, New Zealand	Hard	Katarina Srebotnik	Leanne Baker Francesca Lubiani	6–3, 6–3
Runner-up	9.	9 October 2005	Japan Open, Japan	Hard	María Vento-Kabchi	Gisela Dulko Maria Kirilenko	5–7, 6–4, 3–6
Winner	10.	16 October 2005	Bangkok, Thailand	Hard	Gisela Dulko	Conchita Martínez Virginia Ruano Pascual	6–1, 7–5
Runner-up	11.	5 March 2006	Acapulco, Mexico	Clay	Émilie Loit	Anna-Lena Grönefeld Meghann Shaughnessy	1–6, 3–6
Winner	12.	9 April 2006	Amelia Island, Florida, USA	Clay	Katarina Srebotnik	Liezel Huber Sania Mirza	6–2, 6–4

External links

• Shinobu Asagoe at the Women's Tennis Association
• Shinobu Asagoe at the International Tennis Federation