Barry Cowan (tennis)
Encyclopedia
Barry Cowan is a former British tennis player, best known for taking Pete Sampras
to five sets at Wimbledon
in 2001.
Rover School at Bisham Abbey
. He is a former member of Aughton Tennis Club.
A left-hander, Cowan was a versatile sportsman in his junior years, aside from tennis, Barry represented the North of England at under-15 level hockey
and is also a member of Ormskirk
Golf Club. After success in junior tournaments, Cowan first competed at the All England Club in 1994 as a wild card, losing in the first round to that year's French Open champion Sergi Bruguera
in four sets.
at Flushing Meadows
in 2000, though he lost in straight sets to Jens Knippschild
. Cowan later represented Britain at the Sydney Olympics taking the first set but eventually losing to Daniel Nestor
in round one.
As expected Sampras dominated the first two sets on Court 1, leading 6–3, 6–2 before Cowan came back against all expectations, taking an epic third set tie break. During breaks in play, Cowan would listen to music, notably You'll Never Walk Alone, the inspiring song which can be heard at Anfield home of his team Liverpool FC. Before the match he had sought advice from a top sports psychologist to help prepare himself for the daunting task of facing the world number one.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/wimbledon_2001/sol_at_wimbledon/1410931.stm
The help seemed to pay off and with the partisan British crowd cheering Cowan on, Cowan upset the form book to break the Sampras serve to win the fourth set 6–4 and take it into a final set.
However, all dreams of an upset evaporated as Sampras broke back in the final set to win 6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 4–6, 6–3.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010628/ai_n14399432
singles match representing Britain in a World Group Qualifier against Ecuador, he lost in straight sets to Luis Adrijan Moreon 6–1, 6–4, although the result did not affect Britain's performance, as they beat Ecuador 4–1 overall.
. After that defeat, Cowan announced his retirement from professional tennis.
for their tennis coverage. Outside of the game, Cowan is a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club.
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
to five sets at Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
in 2001.
Early years
Cowan attended the LTALTA
LTA may refer to*Leave Travel Concession in India*Land Transport Authority in Singapore*Land Trust Alliance in the United States*Lawn Tennis Association in the United Kingdom*Lieutenant*Lighter than air*Lipoteichoic acid*Lost time accident...
Rover School at Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed manor house at Bisham in the English county of Berkshire. The name is taken from the now lost monastery which once stood alongside. Bisham Abbey was previously named Bisham Priory, and was the traditional resting place of many Earls of Salisbury...
. He is a former member of Aughton Tennis Club.
A left-hander, Cowan was a versatile sportsman in his junior years, aside from tennis, Barry represented the North of England at under-15 level hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and is also a member of Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
Golf Club. After success in junior tournaments, Cowan first competed at the All England Club in 1994 as a wild card, losing in the first round to that year's French Open champion Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:...
in four sets.
2000
Cowan was only to appear regularly in Grand Slams as a Wimbledon wild card. However he was successful in qualifying for the U.S. OpenU.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
at Flushing Meadows
Flushing Meadows
Flushing Meadows is an American short film by Larry Jordan, with director Joseph Cornell. The film is 8 minutes long, in color, 16mm, and silent....
in 2000, though he lost in straight sets to Jens Knippschild
Jens Knippschild
Jens Knippschild is a former tennis player from Germany, who turned professional in 1992. He has won two doubles titles during his career...
. Cowan later represented Britain at the Sydney Olympics taking the first set but eventually losing to Daniel Nestor
Daniel Nestor
Daniel Mark Nestor, CM , born Danijel Nestorović September 4, 1972, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, is a Serbian-born Canadian professional tennis player from Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
in round one.
Match with Pete Sampras, Wimbledon 2001
In 2001, Cowan once again gained a wild card entry into Wimbledon, and won his first ever SW19 singles match in a battle of Britain against Mark Hilton in straight sets, setting up a dream second round match against Sampras, undefeated at Wimbledon since 1996, the match was the epitome of a David & Goliath, with there being 264 places between the two in the World Rankings.As expected Sampras dominated the first two sets on Court 1, leading 6–3, 6–2 before Cowan came back against all expectations, taking an epic third set tie break. During breaks in play, Cowan would listen to music, notably You'll Never Walk Alone, the inspiring song which can be heard at Anfield home of his team Liverpool FC. Before the match he had sought advice from a top sports psychologist to help prepare himself for the daunting task of facing the world number one.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/wimbledon_2001/sol_at_wimbledon/1410931.stm
The help seemed to pay off and with the partisan British crowd cheering Cowan on, Cowan upset the form book to break the Sampras serve to win the fourth set 6–4 and take it into a final set.
However, all dreams of an upset evaporated as Sampras broke back in the final set to win 6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 4–6, 6–3.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20010628/ai_n14399432
Davis Cup
In September 2001, Cowan played in his only Davis CupDavis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
singles match representing Britain in a World Group Qualifier against Ecuador, he lost in straight sets to Luis Adrijan Moreon 6–1, 6–4, although the result did not affect Britain's performance, as they beat Ecuador 4–1 overall.
2002 and retirement
Cowan would once again reach the second round at Wimbledon a year later, bowing out in four sets to Ecuador's Nicolás LapenttiNicolás Lapentti
----Nicolás Alexander Lapentti Gómez is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador who is ranked 214th...
. After that defeat, Cowan announced his retirement from professional tennis.
After retirement
Since retiring from the game, Cowan has taken up a commentating role with Sky SportsSky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
for their tennis coverage. Outside of the game, Cowan is a keen supporter of Liverpool Football Club.