Julie Ditty Qualls (January 4, 1979 – August 31, 2021) was an American professional tennis player.
![]() Ditty at a $75k event in Albuquerque (2008) | |
Country (sports) | ![]() |
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Born | (1979-01-04)January 4, 1979 Atlanta, Georgia |
Died | August 31, 2021(2021-08-31) (aged 42) Ashland, Kentucky |
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
Turned pro | 2002 |
Retired | 2012 |
Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Prize money | $493,612 |
Singles | |
Career record | 294–231 |
Career titles | 9 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 89 (March 24, 2008) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | 1R (2008) |
French Open | 1R (2008) |
Wimbledon | 1R (2008) |
US Open | Q3 (2007) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 296–168 |
Career titles | 30 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 66 (August 3, 2009) |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | 1R (2009) |
French Open | 2R (2009) |
Wimbledon | 2R (2009) |
US Open | 3R (2008) |
She had her WTA Tour breakthrough when she reached the semifinals of the Bell Challenge. It took her into the top 100 for the first time in her career, on November 5, 2007, at No. 91. She beat Alizé Cornet and Vania King before falling to Julia Vakulenko in three sets. In 2007, she was drafted by the Boston Lobsters of the WTT pro league.
In 2008, Ditty qualified for the Open Gaz de France tournament in Paris where she lost to the No. 6 seed and former world No. 1, Amélie Mauresmo. During the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, she made it through the first round by defeating Alona Bondarenko, who was seeded eighth, and got to the second round there before falling to qualifier Timea Bacsinszky 5–7, 4–6, after having leads in both sets. Her win over world No. 22, Alona Bondarenko, was best-ever career win. In August, Julie defeated Yuan Meng in the first round at Cincinnati, marking her first win in a WTA Tour main-draw since Antwerp.
Ditty was named to the United States Fed Cup team for their match in February against Argentina, after Bethanie Mattek withdrew with an injury; she played doubles with Liezel Huber. They would win the decisive match for the U.S. team, 6–2, 6–3.[1]
Following Fed Cup, Julie lost in the opening round in Midland and in Memphis. She did not play in March.
In April, she won her opening main-draw match in Charleston, South Carolina, defeating Ayumi Morita 6–1, 6–1. This would mark her first tour-level win for the year. In her next tournament, a $75k at Dothan, Alabama, Julie retired in her opening round against Yan Zi. In doubles, she partnered with Carly Gullickson to extend her record of USTA ITF titles to 35 as they would win the doubles title.
In May, she entered the singles qualifying draws in Rome, Madrid, Strasbourg, and the French Open, failing to qualify in all four. In Rome, she partnered with Jill Craybas to win their opening round before falling in the second.
Ditty appeared in the Family Circle Cup, Sony Ericsson Open, and in Wimbledon. She won her first qualifying match against Margalita Chakhnashvili, 6–4, 6–3. She then went on to defeat Jelena Dokić, 5–7, 7–5, 6–2 to reach the final round of qualifying where she lost a place in the main draw to compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
In June 2014, Ditty emerged from retirement and led Team Kentucky to a decisive win in the Southern Senior Cup Women's 35 and over division. She followed this up by winning the US Open National Playoff tournament for the Southern section.[2]
Julie Ditty died on August 31, 2021, at the age of 42 after battling breast cancer.[3]
$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | June 24, 2001 | ITF Easton, USA | Hard | ![]() |
4–6, 6–7(4–7) |
Winner | 1. | July 8, 2001 | ITF Waco, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 2. | September 29, 2002 | ITF Raleigh, USA | Clay | ![]() |
7–5, 3–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 3. | October 6, 2002 | ITF Winter Park, USA | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 4. | June 4, 2006 | ITF Houston, USA | Hard (i) | ![]() |
6–4, 6–7(4–7), 6–3 |
Winner | 5. | June 11, 2006 | ITF Hilton Head, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 2. | November 19, 2006 | ITF Lawrenceville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 6–7(6–8) |
Winner | 6. | February 4, 2007 | ITF Palm Desert, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6–1, 6–0 |
Winner | 7. | April 29, 2007 | ITF Sea Island, USA | Clay | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Winner | 8. | October 21, 2007 | ITF Lawrenceville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
7–6(8–6), 6–4 |
Winner | 9. | September 21, 2008 | ITF Albuquerque, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 7–6(7–3) |
Runner-up | 3. | October 19, 2008 | ITF Lawrenceville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
1–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | November 9, 2008 | ITF Auburn, USA | Hard | ![]() |
0–6, 7–6(9–7), 5–7 |
Runner-up | 5. | November 16, 2008 | ITF San Diego, USA | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 3–6, 2–6 |
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | August 8, 1999 | ITF Harrisonburg, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 3–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 1. | July 1, 2001 | ITF Edmond, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 2. | August 5, 2001 | ITF Lexington, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
0–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | July 7, 2002 | ITF Waco, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | September 22, 2002 | ITF Greenville, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 5–7, 3–6 |
Winner | 2. | September 29, 2002 | ITF Raleigh, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–6(7–4), 6–3 |
Winner | 3. | October 6, 2002 | ITF Winter Park, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 5. | April 27, 2003 | ITF Dothan, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 1–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 6. | May 18, 2003 | ITF Charlottesville, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 1–6 |
Winner | 4. | June 29, 2003 | ITF Edmond, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–3 |
Winner | 5. | August 3, 2003 | ITF Louisville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–6(7–4), 6–7(5–7), 6–3 |
Runner-up | 7. | January 25, 2004 | ITF Boca Raton, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 6. | February 1, 2004 | ITF Boca Raton, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 8. | April 4, 2004 | ITF Augusta, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | July 25, 2004 | ITF Schenectady, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–7(2–7), 2–6 |
Winner | 7. | August 8, 2004 | ITF Louisville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
Winner | 8. | October 10, 2004 | ITF Lafayette, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 7–5 |
Winner | 9. | January 16, 2005 | ITF Tampa, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, 6–2 |
Winner | 10. | January 23, 2005 | ITF Miami, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 2–6, 7–6(7–3) |
Winner | 11. | February 6, 2005 | ITF Rockford, USA | Hard (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 7–5, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 10. | April 24, 2005 | ITF Dothan, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 1–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 12. | June 12, 2005 | ITF Allentown, USA | Hard | ![]() |
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6–2- 6–3 |
Runner-up | 11. | July 17, 2005 | ITF Louisville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 6–2, 4–6 |
Winner | 13. | September 26, 2005 | ITF Albuquerque, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–2) |
Winner | 14. | October 9, 2005 | ITF Troy, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 12. | January 29, 2006 | ITF Waikoloa, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 6–4, 2–6 |
Winner | 15. | February 24, 2006 | ITF St. Paul, USA | Hard (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–2 |
Runner-up | 13. | June 11, 2006 | Hilton Head, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7(6–8), 4–6 |
Runner-up | 14. | June 18, 2006 | Allentown, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 16. | August 20, 2006 | The Bronx, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, 7–6(7–2) |
Winner | 17. | September 24, 2006 | Albuquerque, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, 6–4 |
Winner | 18. | October 1, 2006 | Ashland, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 5–7, 6–2 |
Winner | 19. | October 22, 2006 | Houston, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 4–6, 7–5 |
Winner | 20. | November 19, 2006 | Lawrenceville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–6(7–5), 6–4 |
Runner-up | 15. | January 27, 2007 | Waikoloa, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
0–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 21. | February 4, 2007 | Palm Desert, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 6–1 |
Winner | 22. | March 25, 2007 | Redding, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 16. | August 4, 2007 | Washington D.C., USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, 2–6, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 17. | August 18, 2007 | The Bronx, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 18. | October 21, 2007 | Lawrenceville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 0–6 |
Winner | 23. | June 6, 2008 | Surbiton, England | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–6(7–2), 6–2 |
Winner | 24. | September 21, 2008 | Albuquerque, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 19. | September 28, 2008 | Ashland, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 6–3, [8–10] |
Winner | 25. | October 19, 2008 | Lawrenceville, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 6–4, [12–10] |
Winner | 26. | April 26, 2009 | Dothan, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 6–1, [10–6] |
Winner | 27. | May 2, 2010 | Charlottesville, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 20. | May 9, 2010 | ITF Indian Harbour Beach, USA | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 6–7(4–7) |
Winner | 28. | October 9, 2010 | ITF Kansas City, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 21. | November 6, 2010 | ITF Grapevine, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 2–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 29. | February 5, 2011 | ITF Rancho Santa Fe, USA | Hard | ![]() |
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6–0, 6–2 |
Winner | 30. | March 5, 2011 | ITF Hammond, USA | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 22. | April 30, 2011 | ITF Charlottesville, USA | Clay | ![]() |
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4–6, 3–6 |