Profile
Residence - Moscow, Russia
Date of Birth - March 5, 1987
Birthplace - Moscow, Russia
Height - 5' 7" (1.70 m)
Weight - 128 lbs. (58 kg)
Plays - Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Status - Pro (2003)
Personal
- She began playing at the age of 8 after being introduced to the sport by her mother.
- Favors grass courts.
- When travelling for tournaments, she travels with her father.
- Mother is a homemaker; brother, Roman, is 11 years her junior.
- Attends Moscow University. Speaks Russian and English.
- Favorites include detective novels, all types of music, roses, white and black and the movie Troy.
- Other sport interest is in soccer.
- Relaxes by spending time with friends.
- Considers herself ambitious.
- Pet peeve is "mean people".
- Wants to be in the Top 5 within three years.
Tennis Career
2001.
As WC entry, l. 1r at ITF/Minsk-BEL, her ITF Circuit debut (one and only event of season).
2002.
Unranked, debuted on Tour as WC in Budapest qualifying, d. No.173 Pastikova (l. 2r to No.175 Kurhajcova); competed at five ITF Circuit events, in doubles twice, won title (w/Kotkina) in doubles debut and reaching singles SF at same event (ITF/Istanbul 2-TUR).
2003.
As No.546, entered Moscow qualifying as WC and eliminated first Top 100 player, No.97 Husarova, before l. 2r in 3s to No.47 Pisnik; during five appearances (did not compete in doubles), reached two ITF Circuit singles SF (once as qualifier).
2004.
First Top 100 finish; as No.175 qualifier at US in Grand Slam debut and second career Tour main draw, d. Schett 16 64 63 in 1r, then recorded career-best win in 2r vs. No.3 Myskina 76(3) 63; in only her third Tour main draw match, was equal-second fastest to d. a Top 10 player alongside S.Williams (d. No.7 Pierce in 1997 Chicago 2r); Leand is fastest, scoring first Top 10 win in second Tour match (l. in 3r to No.29 seed Daniilidou); afterwards (September 13), Top 100 debut at No.91; qualified at Moscow and Stockholm; on ITF Circuit, won ITF/Redbridge-GBR as qualifier.
2005.
First Top 40 finish in season highlighted by first Tour SF at Tier II New Haven (d. No.17 Jankovic for equal-best win of season, falling to top seed and eventual champion Davenport); also reached first three Tour QF earlier in season, at Istanbul (l. to top seed and eventual champion V.Williams), Birmingham (l. to Golovin) and Tier I San Diego (d. No.17 Likhovtseva en route to first Tier I QF; l. to Morigami); 3r four times, at Indian Wells (d. No.20 Jankovic, falling to eventual champion Clijsters), in Roland Garros debut (l. to No.2 seed Sharapova), Los Angeles (l. to Sharapova 46 64 75, having held one-break third-set lead) and US her second straight 3r there (d. Craybas in 2r for 100th career match win; l. to No.6 seed and eventual semifinalist Dementieva 61 46 76(5) after holding 3-0 third-set lead); also made Grand Slam debuts at Australian(l. to Dementieva in 2r) and Wimbledon (l. to Jankovic in 1r); first of four Top 20 wins of season came at Antwerp (d. No.17 Sprem in 1r; l. in 2r to Srebotnik 46 61 76(12), equal-longest tie-break on Tour in 2005); made Top 50 debut at No.44 on June 6 (after Roland Garros), achieving career-high ranking of No.24 on August 29 (after New Haven); ret. during 1r match vs. Krajicek at Hasselt w/wrist injury.
2006.
Breakthrough season highlighted by winning first two Tour singles titles in consecutive events, at Tier III Guangzhou (d. Medina Garrigues 61 64 in final) and Tier I Moscow (unseeded, d. No.7 seed Safina and No.4 seed Dementieva en route to final, then d. No.5 seed Petrova 64 64; wins over world No.10 Safina, world No.7 Dementieva and world No.5 Petrova were fourth, fifth and sixth career Top 10 wins); afterwards on October 16, rose from No.24 to No.16, her career Top 20 debut; SF at Warsaw (d. Jankovic, Hantuchova, Ivanovic; l. to Kuznetsova) and Montréal (d. Petrova en route; ret. vs. Hingis w/right forearm strain); QF at San Diego (d. Petrova en route; l. to Vaidisova in 3s); wins over world No.5/No.6 Petrova at San Diego/Montréal were first two of five Top 10 wins in 2006 (other three came at Moscow); 4r three times, at US(first Grand Slam second week; as No.23 seed, l. to No.27 seed Golovin) and at back-to-back Tier Is in spring, in Indian Wells (as No.22 seed, d. No.11 seed Kirilenko; l. to No.8 seed Ivanovic) and Miami (d. No.31 seed Peer; l. to No.10 seed Myskina); 3r three times, at Berlin (l. to Mauresmo), Birmingham (l. to eventual champion Zvonareva) and Wimbledon (as No.30 seed, l. to No.3 seed and eventual runner-up Henin-Hardenne); 2r twice, at Australian(l. to No.16 seed Vaidisova) and Roland Garros (as No.27 seed, l. to N.Li); fell 1r seven times, incl. Rome (ret. vs. Morigami w/right thigh strain), New Haven (ret. vs. Voskoboeva w/right forearm strain) and Beijing (pushed Davenport to 75 third set before falling); w/Vesnina, reached Roland Garros doubles QF (d. Ruano Pascual/Suárez en route) and Beijing final (l. to Ruano Pascual/Suárez); 1-1 in Russia’s Fed Cup World Group I Play-off win over Croatia; withdrew from Zürich w/right shoulder strain and from Hasselt w/flu.
Year in detail
. bright smile, private dentist London, tooth implants.JANUARY - Solid Australian season, winning third career Tour singles title at Hobart (as top seed, d. qualifier Bardina in final) and reaching first major QF at Australian(as No.12 seed, d. No.8 seed Schnyder in 4r, falling to top seed Sharapova 76(5) 75; win over world No.9 Schnyder was seventh career Top 10 win).
FEBRUARY - Solid European indoor season, reaching QF at Paris [Indoors] (as No.8 seed, l. to No.2 seed Mauresmo 76(5) 75) and SF at Antwerp (as No.7 seed, d. No.3 seed Petrova en route, falling to top seed and eventual champion Mauresmo in 3s; win over world No.7 Petrova was eighth career Top 10 win); afterwards on February 19, rose from No.12 to No.10, her career Top 10 debut.
MARCH - Solid Tier I American hardcourt swing, reaching 4r at Indian Wells (as No.8 seed, l. to No.11 seed Peer) and SF at Miami (as No.9 seed, l. to No.2 seed Henin).
APRIL - Went 1-0 during Russia's 5-0 Fed Cup World Group I 1r win vs. Spain (d. Llagostera Vives).
MAY - Reached QF at Warsaw (as No.6 seed, ret. w/right shoulder strain vs. No.4 seed Jankovic) but then fell 2r at Berlin (as No.9 seed, l. to Safarova) and 3r at Rome (as No.7 seed, l. to No.9 seed Hantuchova); reached second consecutive Grand Slam QF at Roland Garros (as No.9 seed, l. to No.2 seed Sharapova); afterwards on June 11, rose from No.9 to No.8, a new career-high.
JUNE - Won second Tour singles title of year (fourth of career) at 's-Hertogenbosch (as No.3 seed, d. top seed Jankovic in final; now 5-2 lifetime vs. Jankovic); now 4-0 lifetime in Tour singles finals; fell 3r at Wimbledon (as No.8 seed, upset by No.31 seed Krajicek in 3s).
JULY - Went 1-1 during Russia's 3-2 Fed Cup World Group I SF win over USA (d. King, l. to V.Williams).
(source:www.sonyericssonwtatour.com)