Diane Barker
Walterboro, SC
Inducted 1999

DIANE BARKER BECOMES THE SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS HALL OF FRAME’S 29TH INDUCTEE. DIANE BEGAN PLAYING TENNIS IN FLORIDA AT AGE 10. AFTER PLAYING SANCTIONED TOURNAMENTS AS A JUNIOR, SHE EARNED A SCHOLARSHIP TO THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON. SHE PLAYED A #1 SINGLES & DOUBLES FOR FOUR YEARS AND WON THE AIAW SMALL COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN SINGLES IN 1978, HER JUNIOR YEAR. AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, DIANE PLAYED PROFESSIONAL TENNIS IN BELGIUM.

WHEN SHE RETUNRED TO SOUTH CAROLINA SHE TAUGHT TENNIS KIAWAH ISLAND, WORKING UNDER ROY BARTH. AFTER MARRYING, SHE MOVED TO WALTERBORO.

DIANE’S PLAY HAS PUT SOUTH CAROLINA ADULT TENNIS ON THE MAP. SHE HAS AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE 1990’S, INCLUDING SEVEN NATIONAL SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS. SHE WAS TWICE VOTED THE SCTA ADULT FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, IN 1992 & 1998.

SHE WON HER FIRST NATIONAL TITLE AT THE WOMEN’S 30’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1991, PLAYED HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA (WILD DUNES). THE NEXT YEAR SHE WON THE WOMEN’S 35’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WAS THE RUNNER-UP IN THE WOMEN’S 30’S. SHE REPEATED HER TITLE AT THE WOMEN’S 30’S CLAY COURTS IN 1994. DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, SHE HAS DOMINATED THE WOMEN’S 40’S NATIONAL INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, WINNING SINGLES TITLES IN 1997, 1998, & 1999. SHE ALSO WON THE 40’S HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 1998, GIVING HER TWO NATIONAL SINGLES TITILES IN ONE YEAR. DURING HER MOST RECENT NATIONAL TOURNAMENT, SHE FINISHED THIRD IN SINGLES & FOURTH IN DOUBLES AT THE WOMEN’S 40’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS PLAYED IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA IN OCTOBER.

DIANE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES YOUNG CUP TEAM THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND THE AMERICAN TEAM HAS WON EACH OF THOSE YEARS. SHE HAS ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF THE SCTA SENIOR CUP AND THE SOUTHERN INTERSECTIONAL TEAMS EVERY YEAR SINCE AGING INTO THE 35’S. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE SCTA SENIOR CUP COMMITTEE.

SHE WAS ELECTED TO ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL LAWN TENNIS CLUB OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1998. MEMBERS OF THIS CLUB ARE INVITED TO PLAY INTERNATIONAL CLUB WEEK AT WIMBLEDON. THIS YEAR MARKED THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CLUB, AND DIANE LED THE AMERICAN TEAM TO A SECOND PLACE FINISH IN COMPETITION FOR THE CHRISTINE MERCELIS TROPHY.

SHE HAS BEEN A TOP RANKED SECTIONAL AND NATIONAL PLAYER FOR MOST OF THE DECADE. A SAMPLE OF HER RANKING INCLUDES:
-#1 IN THE NATION IN WOMEN’S 30’S SINGLES IN 1991
-#1 IN THE NATION IN WOMEN’S 35’S SINGLES IN 1992
-#3 IN THE NATION IN WOMEN’S 40’S SINGLES IN 1997 AND #2 IN 1998
-#3 IN THE NATION IN WOMEN’S 40’S DOUBLES WITH RITA ANDERSON IN 1997
-#1 IN THE SOUTH IN WOMEN’S 40’S SINGLES IN 1998
-TOP 10 IN THE WORLD IN ITF RANKINS IN 1997 & 1998

DIANE PLAYS TENNIS WITH HER THREE BOYS IN HER SPARE TIME. ALL THREE BOYS ARE PARTICIPATING IN SANCTIONED TOURNAMENTS. HER OLDEST SON, MATTHEW, IS ONE OF THE STATE’S TOP RANKED PLAYERS. SHE ALSO CONTINUES TO TEACH TENNIS IN WALTERBORO.