Former Wimbledon champion Martinez announces retirement

MADRID, Apr 15 (Reuters) Conchita Martinez, the only Spanish woman to win the Wimbledon singles title, announced her retirement today.

Martinez, who will turn 34 tomorrow, prevented Martina Navratilova from winning a 10th Wimbledon singles title when she beat the American in the 1994 final.

She reached two other grand slam finals in her career, losing to Martina Hingis in the Australian Open in 1998 and to Mary Pierce at Roland Garros in 2000.

Overall she won 33 singles titles after turning professional in 1988, her last victory coming in 2005 when she won at Pattaya City in Thailand.

Martinez reached number two in the rankings in October 1995 after reaching the semi-finals in all four grand slams and finished the season with more match wins than any other player on the tour.

She won five Fed Cup titles with Spain and took part in four Olympic Games, winning silver in the doubles events at Barcelona in 1992 and a bronze at Atlanta in 1996.

REUTERS DH RN1632