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Former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez announced her retirement from tennis on Saturday at the age of 34 after a career spanning 18 years.
Primarily a clay-courter, it was suprisingly on the fast grass at Wimbledon where she had her greatest moment of triumph defeating an ageing Martina Navratilova in the 1994 final.
She also made it to the finals of the 1998 Australian Open and the final of the French Open in 2000, but lost on both occasions. Her highest world ranking was second in 1995.
Martinez in the last few years found her slow, basically counter-punching game overtaken by a new era of aggressive power-hitters and she had been sufferring of late from tendonitis in her left ankle.
"It was not an easy decision to take, because tennis has been everything to me," she said.
"But my heart and my head both told me it was time to retire and I can happily turn my attentions to other things."
"I am proud with all that I have achieved in this sport and grateful for all it gave me in return."
Asked what her finest memory was, Martinez said without doubt converting the match point against Navratilova at Wimbledon.
"But straightaway I started to worry about how I was supposed to address Princess Diana who was watching!," she added.
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AFP 151223 GMT 04 06
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