| Womens Tennis Association Top 20 WTA singles rankings as of May 12, 2008, with player photos and bio info. Some WTA player photos are linked to larger versions, others to player photo search. |
Errors are not uncommon in some WTA-provided data (# of tourneys in the past year, prize money totals...), but the numbers are usually close. |
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 Justine Henin held the French Open trophy for the 4th time after defeating Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-2, in the final at Roland Garros on Saturday, June 9, 2007. It was Justine's 6th Grand Slam tourney singles title. |
Justine Henin Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Justine Henin career record Henin record at The WTA since 1996 100% Justine Henin The Justine Henin Page Interview on Real Video 2002 Wimbledon QF, Justine (6) def. M. Seles (4), 7-5, 7-6(4), July 2, 2002 Interview on Real Video 2002 Wimbledon SF, Justine (8) def. J. Capriati (4), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, July 5, 2001 Justine Henin Interview Transcripts Jan 2007 Interview with coach Carlos Rodriguez Jun 2006 Tennis Magazine Feature At the 2002 WTA Championships: Fastest Serve: 109 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 101-102 MPH Justine fired a 120 mph serve while defeating Shuai Peng in the 2nd round at Charleston on Wed, Apr 13, 2005, and went on to win the tourney. |
| Winner of 41 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (16): | Semifinalist (19): | |
| 2008 | Antwerp, Sydney | ||
| 2007 | Madrid WTA Championships, Zurich, Stuttgart, US Open, Toronto, Eastbourne, Roland Garros, Warsaw, Doha, Dubai | Miami | Wimbledon, Berlin, Paris Indoor |
| 2006 | Madrid WTA Championships, New Haven, Eastbourne, Roland Garros, Dubai, Sydney | US Open, Wimbledon, Berlin, Australian Open | Charleston, Indian Wells |
| 2005 | Roland Garros, Berlin, Warsaw, Charleston | Toronto | |
| 2004 | Athens Olympics, Indian Wells, Dubai, Australian Open, Sydney | Amelia Island, Doha | |
| 2003 | Zurich, US Open, Toronto, San Diego, Roland Garros, Berlin, Charleston, Dubai | Filderstadt, Leipzig, 's-Hertogenbosch | WTA Championships, Wimbledon, Amelia Island, Australian Open |
| 2002 | Berlin, Linz | Gold Coast, Antwerp, Amelia Island, Italian Open | Wimbledon, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Leipzig, Zurich |
| 2001 | Gold Coast, Canberra, ’s-Hertogenbosch | Wimbledon, Waikoloa, Filderstadt | Roland Garros, Estoril, German Open |
| 2000 | ITF/Liege-BEL | ||
| 1999 | Antwerp, ITF/Reims-FRA | ||
| 1998 | ITF/Gelos-FRA, ITF/Grenelefe-USA, ITF/Ramat Hasharon-ISR | ||
| 1997 | ITF/Le Touquet-FRA, ITF/Koksijde-BEL |
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Justine Henin, born in Liege, until 2005 resided in Marloie (in the French-speaking part of Belgium). Between the 2005 and 2006 WTA seasons Justine moved to her current residence, Monte Carlo, Monaco, where there is no personal income tax (unless you are French). Of course, players still pay taxes in the countries in which they win prize money (it is withheld from their checks), but those who reside in Monaco avoid paying them twice. Justine wears "The Mark with 3 Stripes", and, as of 2008, swings a Wilson K Factor KTour bat. Similar to the earlier HTour and nTour, the KTour is a control racket 27.25" long, with a 95 sq." head (a 105 is also available), 10.6 ounces strung, balanced 1.5 points head-heavy, with a stiffness rating of 64. They run about $180. Justine's bats are reportedly strung with BDE Performance 16 Natural Gut. At the Family Circle Cup in April, 2004, Justine felt lightheaded and withdrew without playing a match. Hypoglycemia was thought to be the cause. It was found that she had cytomegalovirus, an illness akin to chickenpox and mononucleosis, that causes fever, chills, and fatigue. Justine took time to recover, then missed Wimbledon after being upset by Tathiana Garbin at Roland Garros, still feeling weak. After returning to play to win the Olympic gold medal, she lost to Nadia Petrova in the 4th round of the US Open, still feeling ill, and sat out the rest of the season. Justine was sidelined again at the start of 2005 by a small broken bone in her knee, and did not return to play until the NASDAQ-100 in Miami in March. On April 17, in only her 2nd tourney back, Justine won the 2005 Family Circle Cup title. Justine has been coached since she was 14 by Carlos Rodriguez, and has also been coached by Pat Etcheberry. Justine's agent is Colin Smeeton of SFX Sports Group. (March 31, 2007) After the Sony Ericsson Open final at Key Biscayne, Justine Henin said: "I'm not going to go to Charleston; I just withdrew from it. Because I better go home and see a specialist also for my breathing problems, and everything I had this week. So I need this time off, and I'm very sad. It's a tournament I like a lot. So I'll take the rest I need, and I'll get ready in a few weeks. "My next tournament's going to be Warsaw, but you need at least two weeks to feel better, then you need matches on clay. Practice is one thing, but you need matches, and I hope I will get a lot of matches before the French." interview (Jan 23, 2007) # 1 Justine Henin announced today on her official website that she has separated from her husband. Justine said: "Pierre-Yves and I have decided to separate; the reasons are personal. I request of you to respect my privacy... I have begun training again. I also have slightly altered my schedule. I will play at the Open Gaz De France in early February." (Jan 4, 2007) # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne announced today on her official website that she has withdrawn from the 2007 Australian Open, and from next week's Sydney tourney. Justine said: "I am withdrawing from the Medibank International in Sydney and the Australian Open in Melbourne for personal family reasons that require my full attention. I hope my fans and others are able to understand that because this is a personal matter, I'm not comfortable providing any more detail at this time. If and when the time is right, I will provide additional detail. I thank you all for respecting my privacy at this time and I look forward to getting back on the court as soon as possible." A Reuters story says "Belgian media later reported the 24-year-old Henin was splitting from husband Pierre-Yves, the man she married in November 2002." The announcement is a complete surprise. Three days ago, on January 1, Justine's websited reported that she would be leaving for Australia on that same day. Justine reached all 4 Grand Slam tourney finals last year, including the Aussie Open, and won the tourney in Sydney. (Dec 11, 2006) # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne has been named 2006 World Champion by the International Tennis Federation. Justine was also awarded as World Champ in 2003. Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur were named 2006 World Doubles Champions. ITF story (July 20, 2006) # 3 Justine Henin-Hardenne probably will play for Belgium in the 2006 Fed Cup final Sept 17-18. On Justine's official website, referring to his statement of July 20 (which said that Justine would not play due to the inappropriate behaviors of Belgian tennis officials), coach Carlos Rodriguez said: "It was the only means that I had so that people react a little bit- it was to strike strong... one hour after my official statement everyone wanted to talk to me... "Justine will now have five weeks off with no tournaments. She has removed San Diego from her itinerary. Justine fully understands her health requirements... She will play only one warm-up event to prepare for the US OPEN, and that will be Montreal. This will give her a week to recover, and focus on form. If there are no injuries Justine will play... "It was important that Justine again feels welcomed in the team, because she will sit beside the captain during crucial moments during the matches. It's important for her to rely on this person. I think that Justine and Carl [Captain Carl Maes] arrived at an agreement. The explanation of the coach is satisfactory for Justine, she has always wanted to play, but only to a team which wants her. Justine told me after the FED CUP quarter-final match in Liege that she hasn't felt this great in a long time. She will play, yes above all matters, she wants to play." (Feb 6, 2006 revised) Justine is back in training, after retiring from Aussie Open final (due to ulcer-related severe stomach cramps caused by anti-inflammatory medication she was taking for a shoulder injury), and will play in Dubai (Feb 20) (Justine won the title in Dubai). (Dec 11, 2005) Former WTA # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne's hamstring injury has now completely healed, according to a report on her official website. The injury, originally reported as a back problem, plagued Justine from April through the rest of the 2005 season. (Oct 31, 2005) # 6 Justine Henin-Hardenne has announced that she will not play in this year's WTA Championships in Los Angeles next week, due the right hamstring injury that has plagued her since spring. Although she won't be playing, Justine might travel to LA to fulfill WTA promotional obligations. Justine said: "I won't play, it's certain. The reason is purely to do with the fact that I'm too far behind in my physical preparation due to the injury... I've been talking to [WTA CEO] Larry Scott. I'm expecting to travel to Los Angeles and stay for two days to help with the promotion of the series and to fulfill sponsoring commitments... If I continue to force myself I won't be fit in time for the resumption of my scheduled training on December 1." Justine has replaced Pat Etcheberry, her physical trainer, with Belgians Eddy Cuypers and Marc Franco. Justine said: "It's time to do things differently because I don't think my body can keep pace the way things are going... It's nothing to do with [Etcheberry's] capacities as a trainer. He has helped me a lot in terms of building myself physically and also helping me in my mental approach." Justine also stated that, if she is healthy, she might change her mind and decide to participate in the 2006 Fed Cup. (Oct 14, 2005) # 5 Justine Henin-Hardenne has withdrawn from next week's Zurich Open and the following week's Generali Ladies Linz because of an ongoing hamstring injury which began last April. About her only remaining tourney this year, the WTA Championships, Justine said: "I cannot decide, nor make any pronouncements." During this year's French Open, which Justine won, the injury was thought to be a back sprain close to a nerve, causing pain in other areas. Since then it has been determined to be a hamstring problem. The injury also caused Justine to miss most of the summer tourneys in the US leading up to the US Open. (Jan 8, 2005) Former WTA # 1 & 2004 Australian Open champ Justine Henin-Hardenne, who missed much of the 2004 WTA season due to a viral illness, has withdrawn from the 2005 Australian Open (and from next week's Medibank International in Sydney) due to a right knee injury. Justine had noticed some pain in her knee when she started practicing in Florida on December 28. On Saturday the pain got worse while Justine was practicing in Sydney, and a MRI scan showed that there is a very small fracture of the femoral condyle in her right knee (the bone on the outside of the knee). The injury needs time to heal, but surgery should not be necessary. Justine said: "I know the injury would get more serious and be worse if I play and I don't want to be out for the next six months. I have to be careful right now but there is no surgery for me." (Oct 11, 2004) Former WTA # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne has withdrawn from the rest of the 2004 WTA season, still not fully recovered from the virus that has troubled her for most of this year. In a statement on her official website, Justine said: "After long reflection, I’ve decided to put a stop to the season of 2004. I didn’t regain my strength as I hoped these last few weeks. The virus I contracted in April is nothing more than the effect of the tiredness I got myself into... It’s high time I get some rest now." (Aug 4) # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne has announced on her official website that her health has improved, and she will play in the Olympics, August 15-22. Justine said: "At this moment, Im feeling better and better. I started training normally one week ago, you can’t imagine how happy that made me... After the Olympics, I am going to the United States to participate in the US Open." Justine withdrew from Wimbledon (and all her tourneys since then) because she hadn't completely recovered from a viral infection. Justine withdrew from the Family Circle Cup in mid-April, citing exhaustion due to low blood sugar. Doctors later diagnosed the condtion as a "CMV viral infection". Justine was thought to be clear of the virus when she played in the French Open in May, but lost in the 2nd round, still feeling only about 75% healthy. (Apr 21) Doctors now say that # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne is suffering from a "CMV viral infection" and must rest until the end of April, when her condition must be reassessed. Justine had withdrawn from last week's Family Circle Cup citing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) resulting in dizziness. (Jan 13, 2004) Tracy Austin on the 2004 season: "Henin-Hardenne has been training for 2004 in Florida with strength and conditioning coach Pat Etcheberry, who in the past has been the fitness guru for other world-class players like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Jennifer Capriati." (Oct 19, 2003) In Sunday's Final in Zurich 2nd-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne, defeated # 25 Jelena Dokic of Serbia & Montenegro 6-0, 6-4. This victory made Justine the # 1 women's singles player in the world. Justine said: "[Becoming # 1] was a dream of mine as a child. I've been playing tennis since I was five... "After match point today I thought 'mission accomplished.' It has given me a lot of motivation and courage to continue. Getting to No. 1 is never easy. But I know staying at the top will be really hard... "My next goal is my next match in Los Angeles. I'll take care of my body the next couple of weeks, play the Championship match by match, try to win the title, and then maybe think of finishing the year as No. 1." story (Nov. 17, 2002) Justine was married to her hometown sweetheart Pierre-Yves Hardenne Saturday in a low-key wedding in the village that's been the couple's home for the past two years. The couple asked fans not to send flowers or presents but instead donate to charity supporting children with cancer. |
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 Maria Sharapova reacts after defeating Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, in their semifinal match of The Championships at Wimbledon on July 1, 2004. Maria defeated Serena Williams in the final 2 days later, 6-1, 6-4. |
Maria Sharapova Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Maria Sharapova career record Sharapova record at The WTA since 1996 MariaSharapova.com (official) Maria World (many photos) The Making of Maria (Sharapova) BBC video narrated by Sue Barker Nov 2004 Eurosport Maria bio-interview video 18 min (link fixed) 2004 Wimbledon Final:
2006 US Open Final: Maria defeated Justine Henin 6-4, 6-4: Match description & full results + pics & quotes Maria Sharapova Interview Transcripts 2006 Sports Illustrated Maria Sharapova Swimsuit Photos - 2006 pics in NYC Maria Sharapova Biography by Andrew Broad |
| Winner of 19 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (7): | Semifinalist (21): | |
| 2008 | Amelia Island, Doha, Australian Open | Indian Wells | |
| 2007 | San Diego | Madrid WTA Championships, Birmingham, Australian Open | Los Angeles, Roland Garros, Tokyo Indoor |
| 2006 | Linz, Zurich, US Open, San Diego, Indian Wells | Miami, Dubai | Madrid WTA Championships, Los Angeles, Wimbledon, Birmingham, Tokyo indoor, Australian Open |
| 2005 | Birmingham, Doha, Tokyo indoor | Miami | WTA Championships (LA), Beijing, US Open, Wimbledon, Rome, Indian Wells, Australian Open |
| 2004 | WTA Champ's, Tokyo outdoor, Seoul, Wimbledon, Birmingham | Zurich | Philadelphia, Beijing, Memphis |
| 2003 | Tokyo outdoor, Quebec City | Birmingham, Luxembourg | |
| 2002 | ITF/Gunma-JPN, ITF/Vancouver-CAN, ITF/Peachtree City-USA |
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Maria Sharapova serves very well, with an unusually strong 2nd serve when she is healthy. Although she does not move as well as the best runners on the tour, she still hits the ball very well on the run, and she can topspin lob. Maria sometimes does not make very many trips to the net, but her average number of net approaches has been increasing. When she gets to the net, she has been effective there. It's the bat: Maria, who wears Nike, began swinging a new stick in 2006: she traded in her Prince Turbo Shark MP for a Prince O3 White. Not surprisingly, the O3 White is similar in weight and balance to the Turbo Shark MP, but with the strings passing through wide gaps (that's the O3 innovation) instead of through narrow grommets. The O3 White has a 100 sq." string area, 27" length, stiffness of 65, swingweight of 322, and weighs 11.3 oz strung, balanced 4 points head-light (Maria's old racket was slightly lighter, but balanced slightly more head-heavy). The new bat, which is only white along the sides to accent the O3 design sells for around $200. Maria reportedly has her bats strung with Babolat 16-gauge VS Touch gut, or 17-gauge Pro Hurricane polyester. Born in Nyagan, in the Siberian region of Russia, Maria started at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida at age 7, and still has a residence near there. Maria spends time in California also, where she is coached by Robert Lansdorp, who helped Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport and Pete Sampras perfect their strokes. And Mary Joe (that's Maria Jose) Fernandez has reported that Maria also has spent time getting extra clay court training at the Equélite-Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy near Villena, Spain. Maria's hitting partner is Michael Joyce; her agent is Max Eisenbud at IMG. (April 1-4, 2008 revised) Maria Sharapova has entered both the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, April 7-13, and the Family Circle Cup at Charleston, April 14-20. Maria had withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami to rest her sore right shoulder. (March 21-27, 2008 re-revised) # 5 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open citing a right shoulder injury, which, apparently, is not major. After her first loss of the year (to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Indian Wells semifinals) on Friday, Maria said: "...My body is kind of hurting a little bit." Shoulder pain, which kept Maria sidelined often from 2005-2007, occured during her 4th round win over Alona Bondarenko. Maria's agent, Max Eisenbud of IMG, said: "She's going to take a week off and not play any tennis... It was nothing major, but after everything that happened last year, she was a little scared... She has a very loose shoulder. It helps with the serve because she gets that extra whip, but the problem is that when fluid gets in there it's very hard to treat and hard to get out." South Florida Sun-Sentinel story At Key Biscayne on Wednesday, Maria said: "I think I sort of jammed it a little bit, so I wanted to give it some rest... There are good things and bad things to having a loose shoulder. I'm very flexible and my joints are very loose. In a way that's very good because your body is not tight, but on the other hand you're very loose and more prone to getting injured." interview transcript About requesting a wild card for either of the two tourneys following Miami, at Amelia Island and Charleston, Maria said: "If I'm ready, and if I've had a good week or nine days of practice, then I would definitely consider taking those wildcards." (Oct 15, 2007) # 4 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Zurich Open due to a right shoulder injury which has troubled her all year. Maria was the Zurich champ in 2006, and the withdrawal means she will have no chance to "defend" the ranking points she earned there last year (ranking points last 52 weeks, and are then subtracted from a player's total). Maria also won the following week's tourney in Linz, Austria, last year. As she has not yet clinched a place in the season-ending WTA Championships, if she cannot play in Linz next week, she might be done for the season--which would, at least, give her shoulder a couple of months to heal. Maria said: "I'm very sorry to be missing the Zurich Open. I really wanted to play here, but my health comes before my ranking." tourney story (Jul 9, 2007) Due to a lingering right shoulder injury, # 2 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Fed Cup semifinals July 14-15. The USA is hosting Russia at Stowe, Vermont. On her official website, Maria said: "I still have a tremendous amount of swelling in the area." Doctors have told Maria to rest for 10 days. Elena Vesnina will replace Maria on Team Russia. Elena's teammates are slated to be Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Chakvetadze, and Nadia Petrova, but Sporting Life reports that Svetlana also has a shoulder problem and that Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev says Svetlana is "a long shot" to play. (May 10, 2007) # 2 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open in Rome due to an ongoing right shoulder injury which has plagued her since January, as described below. Right shoulder problems also impaired Maria's performance and forced her to miss several events in 2005. On her official website, Maria said: "I am going to have to pull out of Rome today, my body is slowly getting better but in no way will I be ready to play in Rome. It is such a shame because I like playing in Rome and I have to pull out two years in a row. I just want to let my fans know that I am doing everything possible to be ready to play the French Open." Unless Maria makes a late entry into Strasbourg or Istanbul, she will have no clay court match play to prepare her for Roland Garros. (Apr 3, 2007) # 2 Maria Sharapova will be sidelined for 5 to 6 weeks due to right shoulder and left hamstring injuries. Maria has withdrawn from next week's Family Circle Cup in Charleston, and will also not be able to make her planned Fed Cup debut for Russia against Spain on April 21-22. In a statement on her official website, Maria said: "I haven't wanted to talk a lot about my injuries, but I'm afraid it has become obvious that I am having some problems with my right shoulder and left hamstring. "I hurt my shoulder right before I started playing in Hong Kong [at the Watson's Water Challenge in January], and kept hoping that I could work through it. I was told by doctors I had pretty severe inflammation, but decided to give it a shot. I think the anti-inflams and treatment helped me get through H.K and Australia. Unfortunately, my shoulder hasn't been able to be normal on its own, without the medicine. "My doctors have a positive outlook, despite telling me I cannot play for a while. They said I must drop out of the next two events, but they are confident that, with five or six weeks of rest, I will be ready for the next events. "I am especially bummed about the Fed Cup, as I was looking forward to playing in Moscow, and representing my country in a team environment for the first time. I will be speaking with the Russian Federation soon about future matches. The Family Circle Cup is always a great event, and a tournament I look forward to competing in again. "It's difficult for me to take time off from tennis, but the first thing is my health and that's something that I have made a big priority in my career. I can only look forward to getting back on the court ASAP. Thanks, as always, for your support." (Oct 4, 2006) # 3 Maria Sharapova has announced on her official website that she will play for Russia in the 1st round of Fed Cup competition next year. Spain will play Russia in Moscow in the 1st (quarterfinal) round of World Group play, April 22-23. It will be Maria's first participation in Fed Cup play. Maria's compatriot Elena Dementieva said: "If [Maria] plays it's going to be very helpful for the team. She's a very strong player and we have a lot of chances to win if she's playing." Reuters story Maria's father Yuri is boisterous at matches to a point that many people find offensive and distracting. But, Elena said: "I don't see any problems with her father. He's an emotional guy but it is nothing to do with his daughter. Maria is a nice girl and I don't see any problems." (Aug 28, 2006 updated 1/2007) # 4 Maria Sharapova has signed a new racquet endorsement contract with Prince which will pay her around $25 million dollars over the next 10 years. Maria's previous deal with Prince, a five-year contract, was signed when she was 14 years old, and due to expire. Maria currently uses Prince's O3 White model. The deal includes a base pay, plus incentives for high rankings and tournament performance. Maria also has endorsement contracts with Gatorade & Tropicana, Colgate-Palmolive, Motorola, Parlux Fragrances, Canon, watchmaker TAG Heuer, Land Rover, Nike, and others, plus Japan-only deals with Honda & Pepsi, which make her the highest-paid female athlete in the world, earning an estimated $25 to $30 million a year. (Sep 24, 2005) # 1 Maria Sharapova retired from her semifinal match at the China Open in Beijing due to an ongoing right pectoral muscle strain. Maria's friend and compatriot Maria Kirilenko was leading 6-4, 2-1 when Sharapova found she could no longer play. Sharapova's injury is the same one that forced her to withdraw from the Los Angeles tourney in August, and slowed her service speeds at the US Open. Maria Sharapova said: "Even if I couldn't walk I'd want to finish the match. It's something that I can't control. It's a very mysterious injury... comes on unexpectedly from day to day... I'm very disappointed, obviously. With every shot, with every forehand and serve I hit, it got worse and worse... it's very painful. I had an MRI in L.A. and they said it was just a muscle problem or inflammation. It's kind of up and down and it comes unexpectedly. I took a week and half off to get ready for the U.S. Open and after all that it was still not better, so that's a concern." AP story (Aug 23, 2004) The New Haven Register has published a good background article (free registration required) on 17-year-old Wimbledon champ & current WTA # 7 Maria Sharapova. The article says that Maria's father Yuri Sharapov took Maria, already training at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, to Robert Lansdorp in California for additional coaching because he had taught 6'2½" Lindsay Davenport such good strokes, and it was clear Maria would also be very tall (6'0"). About coaching Maria, Lansdorp said: "In the six years since she first came to see me, she has never walked off the court in a bad mood. Never. But she’s also so determined, so focused." Lansdorp has recently had Maria working (in Bradenton, where she still resides) with former ATP pro Mauricio Hadad, a player who ran everything down. Lansdorp said: "He’s capable of making her work hard for her points, which is what she needs. She needs to get into position to hit 10 or 15 balls in a row, not just four or five." |
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 Ana Ivanovic is shown delivering a backhand while defeating Nadia Petrova in the 4th round at Wimbledon on July 3, 2007. Ana won, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. |
WTA bio page ITF: Ana Ivanovic career record Ivanovic record at The WTA since 1996 Ana Ivanovic official website Ana Ivanovic 2007 Australian Open player's blog Ana Ivanovic Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 6 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (3): | Semifinalist (7): | |
| 2008 | Indian Wells | Australian Open | Sydney |
| 2007 | Luxembourg, Los Angeles, Berlin | Roland Garros, Tokyo Indoor | Madrid WTA Championships, Wimbledon, Amelia Island |
| 2006 | Montreal | ||
| 2005 | Canberra | Linz, Zurich, Warsaw | |
| 2004 | ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, ITF/Gifu-JPN, ITF/Fukuoka-JPN, ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO |
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Ana Ivanovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and started playing tennis at age 5, after seeing it on TV. Her father Miroslav is an economist; her mother Dragana is a lawyer. Ana now resides in Basel, Switzerland. Ana formerly chopped with a Wilson nTour axe and wore Nike shoes and clothing. In 2006 Ana changed her tailor to adidas, and between Wimbledon and San Diego she began swinging a Wilson nCode nBlade bat, a control racquet with a 98 square inch head, which is slightly heavier, slightly stiffer, and balanced slightly more head-light than the nTour she had been using previously. Ana likes to play on all surfaces, but likes hardcourts most. Ana won 5 ITF singles titles in 2004, her 2nd year as a pro, then began making a name for herself on the WTA Tour. She was coached by Eric Van Harpen, and then was coached by Zoltan Kuharsky, along with physical trainer Pierre Paganini, from October 2004 until April 2006. After that she was coached temporarily by Sven Groeneveld of adidas. On July 17, 2006, Ana began working with Aussie Fed Cup captain David Taylor, who has coached Alicia Molik, Maria Kirilenko, and Maggie Maleeva. Taylor resides in Geneva, Switzerland, convenient since Ana also now is a Swiss resident. During the 2007 clay court season in Europe, Ana was again working with Sven Groeneveld. As of late 2007, Ana's strength and conditioning coach is Scott Byrnes; her business manager is Dan Holzman, from Switzerland. (Dec 9, 2007) WTA # 4 Ana Ivanovic left Belgrade today on a flight for Sydney, Australia, where she will prepare for the 2008 season. The London Times today has a feature on how Ana has spent ten days practicing at the British Lawn Tennis Association's new £40 million facilities at Roehampton. Ana said: "Living in Serbia is difficult for us players at the moment,” she said. “Firstly there are not good practice facilities, but also we have become so famous that it’s not really comfortable. I got almost mobbed by fans just trying to do some shopping in a supermarket. So I am looking for somewhere as a base and London is a distinct possibility. I love being in the city with all the things there are to do, transport connections are good to anywhere in the world and there is no better place to train." |
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 Jelena Jankovic is shown after defeating # 7 (and former # 1) Martina Hingis 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the 1st round of the Sydney International on Jan 8, 2007. Jelena had won the Auckland tourney, her 2nd WTA singles title, just 2 days earlier. |
WTA bio page ITF: Jelena Jankovic career record Jankovic record at The WTA since 1996 JelenaJankovic.net Jelena Jankovic Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 5 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (9): | Semifinalist (14): | |
| 2008 | Miami | Indian Wells, Dubai, Australian Open | |
| 2007 | Birmingham, Rome, Charleston, Auckland | Beijing, Toronto, 's-Hertogenbosch, Sydney | Stuttgart, Los Angeles, Roland Garros, Strasbourg, Warsaw, Doha, Dubai |
| 2006 | Los Angeles | Beijing, US Open, Strasbourg | |
| 2005 | Seoul, Birmingham, Dubai | ||
| 2004 | Budapest | Linz | |
| 2003 | ITF/Dubai-UAE |
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Jelena Jankovic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She did not start playing tennis until the relatively late age of 9½, after which she received her primary tennis training at the IMG Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida. As of 2008, Jelena again resides in Belgrade (but has a second house in Miami, and is building another in San Diego). Jelena prefers hardcourts, and her backhand. In the spring of 2005, Jelena, who had been swinging a Yonex RQ-5 bat, switched to Prince. In 2006 and early 2007, Jelena chopped with the Prince O3 Red. She last swung that bat in the 2007 French Open semis; the following week at Birmingham Jelena unleashed the new Prince Ozone Seven, and liked it so much she won the tourney. In 2008, Jelena started with another new Prince model, the O3 Speedport Pro White MP. At last report, Jelena has her bats strung with natural gut. Jelena wore adidas in her younger days, then switched to Lacoste togs, and in mid-2005 began sporting the Ralph Lauren Polo logo. Jelena reached the semifinals of the 2006 US Open wearing some nice looking togs of her own. The following month, she signed with Reebok as her new tailor. Wheels? "I have a Porsche 911, a turbo. It's a 2008, and it's a very fast car. It's a new one from this year. I'm a promoter of Hyundai cars in Serbia, so I'm driving there Hyundai cars; [also] a Jeep." In August, 2005, Jelena, who had been slumping recently after taking on Roman Savochkin as her first touring coach, indicated she might not keep him. Jelena said: "I don't have confidence so I'm not playing my best. I have a new coach now and he's changing little things in my game. So all the shots feel so insecure at the moment... I don't know [if I will continue with Savochkin]. I will see because now I'm not playing so good." AP story In 2007, the WTA listed Jelena's coach as her father, Veselin Jankovic. In April, 2007, Jelena indicated that she was traveling with her mother and a hitting partner. After she defeated Venus Williams in the 3rd round of the 2007 French Open, Jelena was asked about her current coach. Jelena said: "He's not my full-time coach, so he doesn't like that I mention it yet. But he's helping me here and there, together with my mom, who is my No. 1 supporter and always in my box. But when he becomes officially my full-time coach, then I will announce his name." Times of London story on Jelena's part time coach Richard Brooks. In early 2008 Jelena was coached by Scott Humphries. But they parted ways after the Dubai tourney, and Jelena was again without a coach. Jelena's agent is someone at IMG. |
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 Svetlana Kuznetsova signals thumbs up after defeating Justine Henin 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 during their semifinal match at the Qatar Total Open on March 3, 2004. |
WTA bio page ITF: Svetlana Kuznetsova career record Svetlana Kuznetsova record at The WTA since 1996 Kuznetsova Fanpage Kuznetsova page at Tennis Rulz Svetlana Kuznetsova Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 9 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (15): | Semifinalist (17): | |
| 2008 | Indian Wells, Dubai, Sydney | Miami | |
| 2007 | New Haven | US Open, Rome, Berlin, Indian Wells, Doha | Moscow, Stuttgart, Warsaw, Dubai |
| 2006 | Beijing, Bali, Miami | Roland Garros, Warsaw | Zurich, Stuttgart, New Haven, Rome, Amelia Island, Dubai, Sydney |
| 2005 | Warsaw | Eastbourne, Tokyo indoor | |
| 2004 | Bali, US Open, Eastbourne | Beijing, Warsaw, Doha, Dubai | Filderstadt |
| 2003 | San Diego | ||
| 2002 | Helsinki, Bali | Casablanca | |
| 2001 | ITF/Cagliari-ITA |
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Svetlana Kuznetsova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia; in 2007, she established her residence (like Justine Henin and several other WTA players) in Monte Carlo, Monaco, thus avoiding double taxation on prize money. She is attired in Fila togs. Svetlana swings a Head MicroGEL Extreme bat, which was adopted in 2007 by most former users of the Head Flexpoint Instinct. In 2004 her racquets were reportedly strung with 16-gauge Luxilon Big Banger Alu Touch, which is a set of 2 different synthetic composite monofilaments (ALU Power & Supersense), one for the mains, and one for the cross strings. Receiving her tennis training at the Sanchez-Casal Academy near Barcelona, Spain, Svetlana has been coached by Sergio Casal, Emilio Sanchez, Stefan Ortega, and others; Ortega is the coach who most often travels with her. Svetlana's agent is someone at IMG. Svetlana is also an excellent doubles player (13 WTA titles), and a popular partner. She began playing WTA doubles with coach and former ATP player Emilio's younger sister, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, a former WTA # 1. When Arantxa retired, Martina Navratilova asked Svetlana to play doubles with her. When Martina chose to play doubles with an American partner in 2004 to prepare for the Olympics, Svetlana teamed up with Elena Likhovtseva. In 2005 Svetlana played doubles with Alicia Molik, and they won the Australian Open & NASDAQ-100 Open together. |
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 Serena Williams introduces her new line of Nike clothing prior to the French Open at Roland Garros on May 22, 2004. |
Venus & Serena Williams Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Serena Williams career record Serena Williams record at The WTA since 1996 VenusSerenaFans.com Interview-Feature Aug 19, 2007, International Herald Tribune Interview on Real Video 2002 Wimbledon final, Serena (2nd seed) def. V. Williams (1), 7-6(4), 6-3, July 6, 2002 Interview on Real Video 2002 French Open final, Serena (3) def. V. Williams (2), 7-5, 6-3, June 8, 2002 Serena Williams Interview Transcripts At the 2002 WTA Champ's: Fastest Serve: 117 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 99-100 MPH |
| Winner of 31 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (11): | Semifinalist (9): | |
| 2008 | Charleston, Miami, Bangalore | ||
| 2007 | Miami, Australian Open | Moscow | |
| 2006 | Los Angeles, Cincinnati | ||
| 2005 | Australian Open | ||
| 2004 | Beijing, Miami | WTA Champ's, Los Angeles, Wimbledon | Rome |
| 2003 | Wimbledon, Miami, Paris Indoors, Australian Open | Charleston | Roland Garros, Rome |
| 2002 | Leipzig, Tokyo Princess Cup, US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Miami, Scottsdale, Italian Open | WTA Champ's, German Open | Sydney |
| 2001 | WTA Champ's; Indian Wells, Canadian Open | US Open | |
| 2000 | Hannover, Los Angeles, Tokyo outdoor | Paris Indoors, Canadian Open | Wimbledon |
| 1999 | US Open, Paris Indoors, Indian Wells, Los Angeles, Grand Slam Cup | Miami | |
| 1998 | Sydney | ||
| 1997 | Chicago |
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Since recovering from knee injury and surgery in August 2003, Serena Williams has been less consistent than before. Serena won 8 titles in 2002, her biggest year, and 4 titles in 2003, but won only 2 tourneys in 2004. Serena has a huge contract to wear Nike togs (she was formerly of the Puma persuasion) and she swings a Wilson bat. Serena's former racquets have included the Hyper Hammer 6.2 (with a 110 sq." head), the nCode N3 (with a 113" head, weighing 9.4 ounces and balanced head-heavy). In 2007 Serena showed up with a new all-black narrow-body bat which is probably a prototype for a new model in Wilson's K-Factor line (rumored to be the new K-Blade model); by mid-year gold trim had been added to the racquet's styling. Serena reportedly has her bats strung with Wilson 16-gauge Natural Gut. Serena is coached by her father Richard; she and sister Venus did spend some time at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, way back in the 20th century. Serena's agent is Jill Smoller at the William Morris Agency. (Jul 12, 2007) # 7 Serena Williams has withdrawn from the July 14-15 US vs Russia Fed Cup semifinal, and from next week's Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Mason (Cincinnati), Ohio, due to a left hand injury she incurred at Wimbledon. Serena sprained her left thumb during her 4th round victory over Daniela Hantuchova on July 4. # 41 Meilen Tu has replaced Serena on the US Fed Cup roster. AP story (Oct 7, 2005) # 11 Serena Williams, still troubled by left ankle and knee problems, has withdrawn from the Zurich and Philadelphia tourneys, and will not play again until 2006. Serena said: "My doctors advised me my leg needs to fully recover in order to play at the level I'm accustomed to." BBC story (Aug 6, 2005) # 7 Serena Willams has withdrawn from the JPMorgan Chase Open which begins August 8 in Los Angeles. Serena is still troubled by a injured left ankle which she incurred last April in the quarterfinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Florida. The injury caused Serena to miss the French Open. After losing in the 3rd round at Wimbledon in June, Serena said that the injury had been a hairline fracture, and that is was still troubling her, although it was not the cause of her defeat. At that time she said that the injury, which was at first called a sprain, had been a hairline fracture. Serena is expected to play in the Rogers AT&T Cup in Toronto, which begins August 15. (May 20, 2005) # 4 Serena Willams has withdrawn from the 2005 French Open. Serena is still troubled by a sprained left ankle which she incurred last month in the quarterfinals of the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Florida. (Oct 17, 2004) 5th-seeded # 9 Serena Williams withdrew from the Swisscom Challenge in Zurich, still troubled by her left knee, which she had surgery on over a year ago. Although Serena has won 2 tourneys this year after returning from the knee surgery, and said several times that her knee has fully recovered, she has had intermittent relapses of trouble with the knee, causing tourney withdrawals. (Dec 13, 2003) # 3 Serena Williams has signed a deal with Nike that an AP source says will pay her $40 million over 5 years, the largest endorsement contract ever signed by a woman. Earlier reports had suggested that the total could be as high as $55 million (over 8 years), but Serena will have to make ends meet with a mere 40 mil. Serena had been wearing Puma while she moved to the top of the rankings. Serena's sister # 11 Venus Williams signed a similar contract with Reebok in Dec 2000: up to $40 million over 5 years. (Aug. 4, 2003) # 1 Serena Williams had surgery to repair a partial tear in the mid-portion of the quadriceps tendon of her left knee in Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 1, and will miss the U.S. Open (which starts Aug. 25th). In a statement released by IMG (her agents), Serena's doctor, Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon Rodney Gabriel said: "I expect a 100 percent recovery and Serena's speedy return to competitive tennis." |
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 Elena Dementieva after defeating Amelie Mauresmo 6-4, 6-3 in their quarterfinal of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 1, 2004. |
Elena Dementieva Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Elena Dementieva career record Dementieva record at The WTA since 1996 Elena Dementieva: Striking Russian Blonde 100% Elena Dementieva Elena Dementieva Interview Transcripts Feb 2004 Eurosport interview (Real Video) Elena describes her development as a tennis player At the 2002 WTA Champ's: Fastest Serve: 106 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 96 MPH |
| Winner of 9 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (12): | Semifinalist (30): | |
| 2008 | Dubai | Berlin | Charleston, Paris Indoor |
| 2007 | Moscow, Istanbul | New Haven, San Diego, Tokyo Indoor | |
| 2006 | Los Angeles, Tokyo Indoor | Indian Wells | Moscow, 's-Hertogenbosch, Warsaw, Antwerp |
| 2005 | Philadelphia, Charleston | Moscow, Filderstadt, US Open, Los Angeles, Indian Wells, Sydney | |
| 2004 | Hasselt | Moscow, US Open, Roland Garros, Miami | Zurich, New Haven, San Diego, Los Angeles |
| 2003 | Shanghai, Bali, Amelia Island | Moscow, Toronto, Paris Indoors | |
| 2002 | 's-Hertogenbosch | Filderstadt | |
| 2001 | Acapulco, Moscow | Miami, Leipzig | |
| 2000 | Olympics | US Open, WTA Champ's, Indian Wells, Los Angeles | |
| 1999 | Palermo | ||
| 1998 | ITF-Buchen-GER | ||
| 1997 | ITF/Istanbul-TUR | ||
| 1996 | ITF/Jurmula |
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Elena Dementieva was born in Moscow and still "resides" there during her few weeks a year off of the WTA Tour. Elena's garb and her bat are both labeled "Yonex". Elena formerly used their MP Tour-1 model racket, but she now uses the more recent vintage RDX 500, a 27" bat available in 90 or 98 sq" string areas, weighing about 11.7 oz strung, balanced 8 points head light with a stiffness rating of about 62. She reportedly has her bats strung with 16-gauge Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power, a synthetic composite monofilament made of nylon, fluocarbon resin, and aluminum fibers. Elena received her early training at Moscow's Spartak Academy, as did her friend Anastasia Myskina. Elena's mother Vera travels with her on the tour, and since Wimbledon, 2005, has reportedly been her only coach. Prior to that, former Russian great Olga Morozova, had been coaching Elena. At last report, Elena's agent is someone at IMG. Elena has good groundstrokes on both sides, but prefers her forehand; says Elena: "I really like to be aggressive on my forehand side." Her mobility is good, but her serve really lets her down. Her toss is ungainly, her first serve is unreliable and her 2nd generally weak, and she frequently double faults. But not so frequently as to stop her from winning quite a bit. (Mar 8, 2006) 5th-seeded # 8 Elena Dementieva has withdrawn from the Pacific Life Open. Elena, a finalist at Indian Wells in 2006, incurred a rib injury during a 2nd-round match in Antwerp on February 15th. While practicing in Moscow last week, she felt pain in the area; the AP reports she has now been diagnosed as having a right rib stress fracture. Apparently she will be out for at least a month. Elena said: "I'm going to miss a couple of tournaments." (June 15, 2005) Elena Dementieva retired from her 2nd round match against Denisa Chladkova at 's-Hertogenbosch due to a shoulder injury. Elena led 4-1, then felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder while hitting a forehand. She tried to continue, but retired from the match after losing 4 of the next 5 games. Elena said: "It was just too difficult to play on... I don't know how bad it is. I will go to hospital to find out if it's a strain or whatever, but I don't know if I'll be able to play at Wimbledon. I'm very upset right now. I was warm enough, but I was just hitting a forehand and felt a sudden pain on the front of my shoulder." Elena had been working with former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek on her serve this week, but she did not think that had anything to do with the injury. Elena said: "We didn't do anything different... I was working really hard for a couple of days and he really helped me a lot. I just think it's one of those grasscourt things, with the bad bounces... "I think my game is in much better shape than at the French Open. Sometimes when you're feeling good, bad things happen to you... I felt really good and ready to play well here and at Wimbledon, and now I don't know if I'll be able to. I have never had anything like this before." Elena got a scan of the shoulder immediately, which revealed that the injury was a strain, not a tear. After the scan, Elena said: "For the moment it's difficult to say if I'm [definitely] going to be able to play at Wimbledon, but I'm trying to be optimistic. The results of my test show that I have a right shoulder strain. I hope that I can play but I'll have to wait and see how it feels over the next few days. I'm going to take care of it and do as much training as possible." Reuters story |
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 Anna Chakvetadze after match point as she defeated Elena Dementieva in the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup on Saturday, Oct 14, 2006. Anna won 7-5, 3-6, 6-0; the next day Anna defeated Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-4, to win her 1st Tier I title. |
WTA bio page ITF: Anna Chakvetadze career record Chakvetadze record at The WTA since 1996 Anna Chakvetadze Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 7 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (0): | Semifinalist (8): | |
| 2008 | Paris Indoor | ||
| 2007 | Stanford, Cincinnati, 's-Hertogenbosch, Hobart | Madrid WTA Championships, US Open, San Diego, Antwerp, Miami | |
| 2006 | Moscow, Guangzhou | Warsaw, Montreal | |
| 2005 | New Haven | ||
| 2006 | ITF/Redbridge-GBR |
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Anna Chakvetadze was born in Moscow, Russia, and still resides there. Anna attended the Spartak Academy in Moscow (as did Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva), and has received coaching from stroke expert Robert Lansdorp (who has also trained Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, and Anastasia Myskina). The WTA, as of this writing, reports that Anna is currently without a coach, but she travels with her father, Djambuli. Anna's mother Natalia started her playing tennis at age 8. Anna speaks Russian and English, and enjoys detective novels, music, roses, and soccer. Anna formerly swung a Wilson bat, but now chops with a Fischer Magnetic Pro Number One axe (aka M Speed Pro No. One). This 27-inch stick is available with either a 98" or 105" head, and both sizes are available in two weights: one about 11 ounces, the other 12 ounces (strung). The standard model is balanced 7 points head light; the light model is balanced 3 points head light. Anna's tailor is adidas. (Feb 10, 2008) Anna Chakvetadze, who will rise to # 6 in the rankings on Monday after winning the Open Gaz de France (Paris Indoor) title, is now 7-0 in WTA singles finals. Unfortunately, burglars entered Anna's house in Moscow in December, 2007, injuring both her and her father and making off with a fortune. Not surprisingly, Anna got off to a slow start in January, losing in the 1st round in Sydney and the 3rd round at the Australian Open. But Anna now appears to be back to her usual good form, and she has a 7-2 match record for the year. |
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 Venus Williams is shown hugging the big pizza pan called the Venus Rosewater Dish after winning her 4th Wimbledon title by defeating Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-1, on July 7, 2007. It was Venus's 6th Grand Slam singles title. |
Venus & Serena Williams Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Venus Williams career record V. Williams record at The WTA since 1996 VenusSerenaFans.com Interview on Real Video 2002 Wimbledon QF, Venus (1) def. E. Likhovtseva, 6-2, 6-0, July 2, 2002 Interview on Real Video 2001 US Open final, Venus (1) def. S. Williams (10), 6-2, 6-4, September 8, 2001 Interview on Real Video 2001 Wimbledon final, Venus (1) def. J. Henin (8), 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, July 8, 2001 Venus Williams Interview Transcripts At the 2002 WTA Champ's: Fastest Serve: 121 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 104-105 MPH |
| Winner of 36 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (22): | ||
| 2007 | Seoul, Wimbledon, Memphis | Tokyo (Japan Open) | |
| 2006 | |||
| 2005 | Wimbledon, Istanbul | Stanford, Antwerp | |
| 2004 | Warsaw, Charleston | Stanford, Berlin | |
| 2003 | Antwerp | Wimbledon, Warsaw, Australian Open | |
| 2002 | Gold Coast, Paris Indoors, Antwerp, Amelia Island, Stanford, San Diego, New Haven | Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open, Hamburg | |
| 2001 | Wimbledon, US Open, Miami, Hamburg, San Diego, New Haven | ||
| 2000 | Wimbledon, US Open, Olympics, Stanford, San Diego, New Haven | Linz | |
| 1999 | Oklahoma City, Miami, Hamburg, Italian Open, New Haven, Zurich | Hannover, Stanford, San Diego, Grand Slam Cup | |
| 1998 | Oklahoma City, Miami, Grand Slam Cup | Sydney, Italian Open, Stanford, Zurich | |
| 1997 | US Open |
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Venus Williams occasionally picks up her mail at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She is fleet of foot as well as hitting hard and deep; her service speeds have reached 127 mph, which matches the women's record set by her sister Serena at Wimbledon in 2004 (Brenda Schultz McCarthy set a new record, 130 mph, in 2006). Venus wears Reebok garb and chops with a Wilson axe. Venus began 2007 using an all-black bat, apparently identical to one her sister Serena was using, which is probably a prototype for a new model in Wilson's K-Factor line. Before Wimbledon, Venus switched to different prototype, a white racquet with a wider body, with trim paint consistent with Wilson's K-Factor models. Venus reportedly has her bats strung with Wilson 16-gauge Natural Gut. Venus is coached by her father, Richard Williams, and her regular hitting partner and "coaching consultant" is David Witt, who has worked with her sister Serena as well. Venus' agent is Stephanie Tolleson at IMG . (April 8-9, 2008 revised) Current Wimbledon champ and former # 1 Venus Williams has announced that she will not be playing for an indefinite period. On Tuesday at the Bausch & Lomb Championships, Venus said: "I've just been having some issues that I need to resolve, so I'm working on that at the moment and I'm hoping to be back playing as soon as possible. I'm not going to get any further into it, but of course I love the sport... "Of course I want to be [at the French Open]. I don't want to be at home watching on TV. Watching this week will be enough on TV, so hopefully not too many more weeks." Last summer, after the US Open semifinals, Venus's mother, Oracene Price, said Venus was taking medicine for anemia. On Wedesday, it was announced that Venus was taking the time for unspecified medical tests, but that she hopes to be practicing by the end of next week and playing again by the Italian Open in early May. Venus's agent, Carlos Fleming said: "Venus has assured me that there's no serious medical problem. But she did see this timing as a good opportunity to have these evaluations to make sure that her health is in order." AP story (Apr 17, 2006) Venus Williams has not played since her 1st round loss at the Australian Open. Venus currently suffers from a sprained right elbow. (Oct 2, 2003) # 6 Venus Williams has withdrawn from next week's tournament in Filderstadt, Germany due to her persistant abdominal muscle strain, which has caused her to withdraw from all other events she had entered in the past few months, including the US Open. (Nov. 13, 2002) Venus retired at 0-5 from her WTA Champ's SF against Kim Clijsters due to pain from a previously twisted left ankle. Venus held a news conference at the Pacific Design Center in LA on Nov. 12 to introduce her new interior design company "V Starr Interiors". |
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 Daniela Hantuchova gave a thumbs up after defeating Elena Dementieva in the semifinals of the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, California on, August 13, 2005. Daniela won 6-3, 6-4. |
Daniela Hantuchova Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Daniela Hantuchova career record Hantuchova record at The WTA since 1996 DanielaHantuchova.com (Flash req.) Daniela-Hantuchova.org Interview on Real Video 2002 Wimbledon 4th Rd, Daniela (11) def. J. Dokic (7) 6-4, 7-5, July 1, 2002 Interview on Real Video 2002 French Open 4th Rd, Daniela (11) def. T. Panova, 6-3, 6-1, May 31, 2002 Daniela Hantuchova Interview Transcripts At the 2002 WTA Championships: Fastest Serve: 103 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 96 MPH |
| Winner of 3 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (6): | Semifinalist (17): | |
| 2008 | Australian Open | ||
| 2007 | Linz, Indian Wells | Luxembourg, Bali | Kolkata, Stanford, 's-Hertogenbosch, Birmingham, Rome |
| 2006 | Zurich | Auckland | |
| 2005 | Los Angeles | Filderstadt, Doha, Cincinnati | |
| 2004 | Eastbourne | ||
| 2003 | Antwerp | ||
| 2002 | Indian Wells | Filderstadt | Eastbourne, Canadian Open, New Haven, Linz |
| 2001 | Oklahoma City, Birmingham | ||
| 2000 | ITF/Bronx-USA | ||
| 1999 | ITF/Jackson-USA, ITF/Fano-ITA | ||
| 1998 |
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Daniela Hantuchova was born in Poprad, Slovakia, but her address is now Monte Carlo, Monaco. Daniela's big break came when she defeated Martina Hingis to win the Indian Wells title in 2002. She continued to play at a high level the rest of that year, and in January, 2003, reached her career-high rank of # 5. By June, 2004, Daniela's rank had fallen to # 54, and false claims were reported in the press that her low weight was due to an eating disorder. Daniela's game gradually improved, and in August, 2005, Daniela reentered the top 20. In March, 2007, she won her 2nd WTA singles title--again at the Tier I Indian Wells tourney. Daniela wears Nike, and in 2006 swung a Yonex Nanospeed RQ-7 bat. In 2007 Daniela signed with Prince, and started out with an all black prototype racquet, which in late spring grew red and white colors and became the new Prince Ozone Seven. The Ozone Seven, also used by Jelena Jankovic, has a 105 sq" head, is 27.25" long, weighs 10.6 oz strung, and is balanced 1 point head light, with a stiffness of 71 and a swingweight of 325. Earlier reports indicate that Daniela has her bats strung with 16 gauge Babolat VS Natural ThermoGut Touch. Daniela spent a couple of years at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida, as have about a third of the most successful players in the WTA, consequently her agent is someone at IMG, which owns the Academy. She was coached by Nigel Sears from mid-2001 until April 2006, except for a short stretch when she thought it best to try somebody else (Harold Solomon). In April, 2006, Daniela decided to split with Sears a second time. Since then, Daniela said: "Basically I'm working with Emilio Sanchez at Casal Academy [in Barcelona, Spain]. There is always someone from the Academy traveling with me. They are Angel Jimenez, Eduardo Nicolas. And so basically every tournament I'm with one of these two guys, plus I have my trainer here, Marco Panichi. It's been like that since last year... I did spend some time in Barcelona, but most of the time I prefer to be in Monte Carlo." March 17, 2007 interview after Indian Wells SF Daniela's strokes display exemplary form. She says that grass is her favorite surface; her game is also well-suited to hard courts. Daniela also says: "My closest friends on the Tour are probably Martina Hingis, Ana Ivanovic and Ai Sugiyama." Daniela speaks: "Slovak, which is my native language. Obviously, with that you can understand Czech, Croatian a little bit. German, English. Little bit Italian as well." (Dec 7, 2003) Daniela Hantuchova, who reached # 5 in the WTA singles rankings in early 2003 only to have her rank drop to # 19 amid while her weight appeared to drop almost as much, has hired former ATP player Harold Solomon as her new coach, replacing Nigel Sears, whom she dismissed in late October. Solomon was coaching Anna Kournikova in 2002 and much of 2003, until Anna's low back trouble made it apparent she would be sitting out the season. Solomon also previously coached Jennifer Capriati, among others. (May 8, 2003) 5' 11¼" Daniela Hantuchova is reportedly playing below her listed weight of 123 pounds, and getting thinner. Her coach Nigel Sears has stressed that Daniela is NOT anorexic, but he would like her to put some weight back on. (Nov. 13, 2002) Daniela Hantuchova had a disappointing 1st-round loss at the WTA Championships to end the season, but this was preceded by the exhilarating victory of her Slovakian team over Spain in the Fed Cup finals, where she defeated Conchita Martinez in a crucial match, 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-4. |
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 Marion Bartoli is shown after she defeated world # 1 Justine Henin in their semifinal at Wimbledon on Friday, July 6, 2007. Marion won 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. |
WTA bio page ITF: Marion Bartoli career record Bartoli record at The WTA since 1996 Marion-Bartoli.net (unofficial) Marion Bartoli Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 3 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (3): | Semifinalist (12): | |
| 2008 | Paris Indoor | ||
| 2007 | Wimbledon, Prague | Luxembourg, Eastbourne, Birmingham, Strasbourg | |
| 2006 | Quebec City, Tokyo Outdoor, Auckland | Bali | Seoul |
| 2005 | ITF/Dubai 2-UAE | Auckland, Quebec City | |
| 2004 | Auckland, Hyderabad, Cincinnati | ||
| 2003 | Canberra | ||
| 2002 | ITF/Columbus-USA, ITF/Poiters-FRA | ||
| 2001 | ITF/Hatfield-GBR, ITF/Torino-ITA, ITF/Koksijde-BEL |
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Marion Bartoli was born in Le Puy en Velay, France, but her address is now Geneva, Switzerland. She is coached by father, Dr. Walter Bartoli, who introduced Marion to tennis at age six. Her mother, Sophie, is a nurse. In addition to tennis, Marion enjoys jet skiing, volleyball, basketball, painting, music, and movies. Marion wears Nike togs (formerly Le Coq Sportif) and swings a Prince O3 Red bat. The O3 Red has a 105 sq. in. head, is 27.25" long, weighs 10.3 oz strung, and is evenly balanced, with a stiffness of 68. |
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 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Maria Sharapova in their semifinal of the Italian Open in Rome on May 14, 2005. Patty won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Maria said: "[Patty] moves really, really well. You have to be really, really patient." |
Patty Schnyder Wallpaper WTA bio page ITF: Patty Schnyder career record Patty Schnyder record at The WTA since 1996 Patty Schnyder Official Website (in German) Patty-Schnyder.com Patty Schnyder Fansite Patty Schnyder Interview Transcripts At the 2002 WTA Champ's: Fastest Serve: 105 MPH Avg 1st Serve Speeds: 89 MPH Patty served a 117 mph ace while defeating Shahar Peer in the QFs at Cincinnati on Fri Jul 22, 2005, and went on to win the tourney. |
| Winner of 10 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (13): | Semifinalist (24): | |
| 2008 | Bangalore | Gold Coast | |
| 2007 | Linz, San Diego | Rome | |
| 2006 | Stanford, Charleston | Rome, Linz, San Diego, Paris Indoor | |
| 2005 | Cincinnati, Gold Coast | Linz, Zurich, Rome | Stuttgart, Bali, Stanford, Berlin, Charleston, Dubai |
| 2004 | Zurich, Birmingham, Charleston, Australian Open | ||
| 2003 | Gold Coast, Sopot, Linz | ||
| 2002 | Zurich | Charleston | Antwerp |
| 2001 | Pattaya | Vienna | Gold Coast |
| 2000 | Klagenfurt | ||
| 1999 | Gold Coast | Hilton Head | |
| 1998 | Hobart, Hannover, Madrid, Maria Lankowitz, Palermo | Grand Slam Cup | Hamburg |
| 1997 | Italian Open | ||
| 1996 | Karlovy Vary | ||
| 1995 | ITF/Nitra-SVK, ITF/Presov-SVK, ITF/Cureglia-SUI |
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Patty Schnyder was born in Basel, Switzerland, and resides in Baech (previously in Wangen) when she has time away from the Tour. She once said she would like to move to Australia when she retires (of course, she was speaking to a primarily Australian audience at the time). Patty wears adidas and bats left-handed with a Head Flexpoint Prestige MP racket, a 27" bat with a 98 sq" string area, weighing 12 oz strung, stiffness rating 65, balanced 7 points head light. In early 2006, when Patty first tried switching from her previous bat, the Head Liquidmetal Prestige, to the Flexpoint, she had trouble getting used to the new axe, and switched back to her Liquidmetal. But since the 2006 Fortis Championships in Luxembourg, she has used the Flexpoint consistently. Patty reportedly has her bats strung with 16-gauge Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky, a polyester monofilament with a textured outer wrap. She herself has stated that her bats are strung at 26.25 kilograms tension (57¾ lbs). Super Smash Spiky is designed for players who, like Patty, use a lot of spin. Left-handed Patty plays a tactical game of varying spins off her forehand that causes great difficulty for some opponents (her 2-handed backhand is struck primarily for pace). Describing Patty's game, Lindsay Davenport said: "To play against [Patty] is really tough because she mixes the balls very well. Every ball has a different spin or is played with a different height. You never get into your rhythm." Formerly coached by Hubert Choudury, Patty is now coached by her husband Rainer Hoffmann, an information technolgy specialist whom she married on December 5, 2003. When in Switzerland, Patty also sometimes receives training along with her compatriot Martina Hingis from Martina's mother, Melanie Molitor. |
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 Vera Zvonareva serves to Francesca Schiavone of Italy while defeating her 6-3, 6-3 in their quarterfinal of the Italian Open in Rome on May 14, 2004. |
WTA bio page ITF: Vera Zvonareva career record Vera Zvonareva record at The WTA since 1996 Zvonareva.ru official Zvonareva.com Vera Zvonareva Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 6 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (8): | Semifinalist (17): | |
| 2008 | Prague | Charleston, Hobart, Doha | Miami |
| 2007 | Auckland | Charleston, Luxembourg, Québec City; | |
| 2006 | Birmingham, Cincinnati | Auckland | Hasselt |
| 2005 | Memphis | Rome | |
| 2004 | Memphis | Philadelphia, Cincinnati | Beijing, Montreal, San Diego, Eastbourne, Rome, Warsaw |
| 2003 | Bol | Linz, Vienna | |
| 2002 | ITF/Naples-USA | Palermo | Warsaw, Sopot |
| 2001 | |||
| 2000 | ITF/Moscow-RUS | ||
| 1999 | ITF/Tbilisi-GEO |
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Vera Zvonareva was born and resides in Moscow, Russia. Vera formerly swung a Fischer "Pro No. One FT", and reportedly strung her bats with 16-gauge Kirschbaum Super Smash Spiky, a polyester monofilament with a textured outer wrap. In 2007 Vera began chopping with a Prince Prince O3 White axe, and recently she has been using Gamma Professional string. Vera, who likes traveling, strawberries, volleyball, hockey, reading and listening to music, speaks very fluent English. Vera began playing tennis at age 6. She was coached by Julia Kashevarova, and then by Lex Carrington, who at times left the court when Vera got very upset with herself after making errors (oncourt Vera is visibly one of the most self-critical players on the WTA Tour, a marked contrast to her bright-eyed cheerful attitude offcourt). Since early 2006, Vera has been coached by Samuel Sumyk, a Frenchman residing in Florida, who also works with Meilen Tu and Elena Likhovtseva. Vera's agent is John Tobias of SFX Sports Group. (Jun 18, 2007) # 19 Vera Zvonareva has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to the same left wrist injury which has been troubling her for months. (May 24, 2007 revised) # 17 Tatiana Golovin (right foot), # 19 Vera Zvonareva (left wrist), and # 32 Shuai Peng (left ankle), have unfortunately all joined # 6 Martina Hingis (right hip, leg & back) in withdrawing from next week's French Open due to injuries. # 89 (and former # 11) Karolina Sprem has also withdrawn; the reason for Karolina's withdrawal is not yet known. (Aug 23, 2005) # 19 Vera Zvonareva from Moscow, Russia, has withdrawn from the 2005 US Open due to a sprained left ankle. |
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 Dinara Safina is shown after defeating Zuzana Ondrášková 7-6(2), 6-3 in the final of the Prague Open in Prague, Czech Republic on May 15, 2005. It was Dinara's 4th WTA singles title. |
WTA bio page ITF: Dinara Safina career record Safina record at The WTA since 1996 DinaraSafina.com English, French, & Spanish DinaraSafina.net Dinara Safina Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 6 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (4): | Semifinalist (10): | |
| 2008 | Berlin | ||
| 2007 | Gold Coast | Charleston | Moscow, 's-Hertogenbosch |
| 2006 | Rome, 's-Hertogenbosch | Montreal, Gold Coast | |
| 2005 | Prague, Paris Indoor | Hasselt, Estoril, Luxembourg, Moscow | |
| 2004 | Luxembourg | Paris Indoor | |
| 2003 | Palermo | ||
| 2002 | Sopot, ITF/Mallorca 1/ESP; ITF/Las Palmas-ESP, ITF/Rome Parioli-ITA | Estoril | |
| 2001 | ITF/Rome-ITA |
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Dinara Safina comes from a tennis family. She is the sister of the lesser-known (well, to WTA-specific fans, anyway) ATP pro Marat Safin, who won the 2005 Australian Open. Her mother, Raouza Islanova, gave both Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva their early training at the Spartak Academy in Moscow, and her father, Mikhail Safin, is director of the Spartak Club. Despite the Spartak connection, Dinara received much of her early training in Valencia, Spain, and thus speaks Spanish in addition to Russian and English. Dinara was coached by Frenchman Hubert Choudury (who once coached Patty Schnyder), then by Russian Alexander Zlatoustov. After the 2005 Australian Open she dropped Zlatoustov and, at the suggestion of her agents, was coached by Lars Wahlgren until May when, dissatisfied by Whalgren, she returned to coaching from Zlatoustov. In December, 2005, Dinara took on a new coach again, this time Glen Schaap, who had previously been coaching Nadia Petrova. Dinara is also coached by her mother, Raouza Islanova. Dinara's progress through the ranks was slowed when she hurt her low back in her 1st round match at Wimbledon in 2004, and missed 3 summer tourneys with a lumbar spine stress fracture. Like Justine Henin, Daniela Hantuchova, and Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Dinara resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Dinara is attired in adidas togs, and chops with a Babolat "Pure Storm Team" axe, which has a 98 sq in head, weighs 11 ounces strung, is slightly head light for better control, and has a stiffness rating of 64. |
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 Agnes Szavay is shown while defeating # 3 Jelena Jankovic 6(7)-7, 7-5, 6-2, in the final of the China Open in Beijing on Sep 23, 2007, to win her 2nd WTA singles title. The win put Agnes in the top 20 for the first time. |
WTA bio page ITF: Agnes Szavay career record Agnes Szavay record at The WTA since 1996 Agnes Szavay official blog Agnes Szavay Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 2 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (2): | Semifinalist (2): | |
| 2008 | Paris Indoor | ||
| 2007 | Beijing, Palermo, ITF/Zagreb-CRO | New Haven | Budapest |
| 2006 | ITF/Houston, TX-USA | ||
| 2005 | Modena |
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Agnes Szavay was born in Kiskunhalas, Hungary, and resides in Budapest. Agnes began playing tennis at age 6 at a local club. Her father's name is Zsolt, her mother, Terezia Dasko, is a teacher and coach; her sister, Blanka, and brother, Levente, are both students. Agnes likes listening to pop music, and also enjoys all ball sports in general. Agnes won the juniors singles title at the 2005 French Open, and also won the doubles there, teamed with Victoria Azarenka. Agnes and Victoria won the Wimbledon juniors doubles the same year. Agnes is coached by Jozsef Bolskay and Zoltan Kuharsky; she considers her serve to be her best shot, and she likes both clay and hard courts. In summer, 2007, Agnes began wearing a tennis dress (shown in the photo above) reportedly designed specifically for her by Hungarian Marta Makany. Agnes wears adidas shoes, and swings a Wilson nTour Two bat. |
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 Agnieszka Radwanska is shown while defeating Jill Craybas 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(4), in the final at Pattaya City on February 10, 2008, to win her second WTA singles title. |
WTA bio page ITF: Agnieszka Radwanska career record Agnieszka Radwanska record at The WTA since 1996 radwanskaagnieszka.blog.onet.pl unofficial website Agnieszka Radwanska Interview Transcripts |
| Winner of 2 WTA Tour singles titles: | Finalist (0): | Semifinalist (2): | |
| 2008 | Pattaya City | Doha | |
| 2007 | Stockholm, ITF/Biella-ITA | ||
| 2006 | Luxembourg | ||
| 2005 | ITF/Warsaw 2-POL |
| &nbs |