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(Sarah) Virginia Wade (born 1945) is a former British tennis player. She became Wimbledon ladies' singles champion in 1977, as of 2004 the last British player to win a singles title at the championships. Since retiring from tennis she has commentated on tennis events for the BBC.
Wade was born in Bournemouth, England, but brought up in South Africa. During her early career, she was generally regarded as the most talented female player the UK had produced for decades. In 1968, she fulfilled her early promise by winning the US Open. However, her inconsistency, especially after losing to Ann Jones at Wimbledon championships in 1969, resulted in her remaining only number two in the British rankings.
Her career was considered virtually at an end by 1977 when, against the odds and urged on by the partisan crowd, she put it all together in a masterful performance and won through to the Ladies Singles Final at Wimbledon, where she defeated Betty Stöve. As this was the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, it was regarded as a famous victory. Wade rounded off her playing career by captaining the British Wightman Cup team.
In 1989 Virginia Wade was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.
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