The Absolute Hottest Women of Tennis

Wow Maria, I Love Your Camel Toe!

2006-11-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

Sharapova Eases Into Wimbledon Final Four

2006-07-05T00:46:00.000-04:00

Russian Maria Sharapova saw off her compatriot Elena Dementieva in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the women's singles at the Wimbledon Tennis Championship here on Tuesday.
The 2004 champion, who had survived a tough fourth round battle against Flavia Pennetta, offered her seventh-seeded opponent few chances in a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Sharapova was quickly into the action, seemingly picking up where she left off in her recent thrashing of Dementieva in Indian Wells, breaking at the first opportunity to establish an immediate 3-0 lead.
Dementieva, on the other hand, had difficulty with her own serve, an aspect of her game which she has tried to rectify by turning to Richard Krajicek for coaching, but under pressure inevitably reverted to type.
Despite two double faults, she held for 1-3 only to be hammered in the next as Sharapova blasted four deliveries to hold to love.
The 24-year-old Dementieva, playing her eighth Wimbledon, kept trying hard and improved enough in the second set to hold four of her service games and force two break point opportunities. But it was nowhere near enough to make a real impression on her opponent.

Wimbledon-Myskina aims volley at Jankovic

2006-07-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Anastasia Myskina launched a fierce verbal volley at Jelena Jankovic after winning their fourth round clash at Wimbledon on Monday.
Russian ninth seed Myskina won 6-4 7-6 but said she was rattled by her Serb opponent's on-court behaviour.
"She's a really strange player," Myskina told reporters.
"Let's put it that way. She walks on the court. I don't think she really care about the way she plays.
"She cares more about how she looks. That was kind of strange. She was touching her hair, whatever, her skirt.
"I was just thinking, 'if you don't want to play tennis, why are we even trying here so hard?'"
Myskina beat Jankovic 10-8 in the deciding set in a third round meeting at Wimbledon last year and there is clearly no love lost between the players.
"It's a little bit (distracting)," added former French Open champion Myskina who takes on Amelie Mauresmo in the pick of Tuesday's quarter-finals
"She took her towel here, she took a towel there. It's really annoying. She can play really well but she's like up and down all the time."
Myskina said she was just pleased to get through.
"I was a little bit tense because I wanted to finish the match. I put a little bit of pressure on myself."

Mixed Doubles News From Sania Mirza

2006-07-02T19:22:00.000-04:00

LONDON: Sania Mirza and Pavel Vizner of Czech Republic nipped a late challenge by Fenando Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues to move into the second round of the mixed doubles event at the Wimbledon on Saturday. Sania and Vizner defeated the Spanish duo 6-2 7-5 to set up a second round clash with Czech Republic’s Leos Friedl and Liezl Huber of South Africa.
Fourth seeds Leander Paes and Samantha Stosur, who had a bye in the first round, were level with Australian Paul Hanley and Tatiana Perebiynis of Ukraine 4-6 6-3 9-9 in a second round tie when play was suspended due to bad light. The match will be continued on Monday.
Mahesh Bhupathi and China’s Zi Yan, seeded 11th, also had a first-round bye. They will be up against Americans Bob Bryan and Venus Williams on Monday.

Li Na can’t believe she has made Wimbledon history

2006-07-02T11:53:00.000-04:00

LI NA admitted she was stunned after upsetting Russian fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova to become the first Chinese player to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon.
Li Na, the 27th seed, will now face Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic tomorrow for a place in the quarter-finals.
"When I was in the locker room afterwards I couldn’t believe it," said the 24-year-old from Wuhan.
Li Na believes her decision to return to college in 2003 before resuming her tennis career has been one of the major reasons for her success.
"Definitely that helped, before I was just a little girl and when something happened on court I couldn’t really think properly," she added.
"I think now I’ve grown up."
Zheng Jie, China’s world No 37, said she was delighted by Li Na’s achievement.
Zheng Jie, who was beaten in straight sets by Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters in the third round, said she was not surprised by Li Na’s 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Kuznetsova.
"I was not surprised that she beat her this time," said the 23-year-old.
"Two years ago she played her in the China Open and had two match points but she lost.
"She said yesterday morning that when she plays Kuznetsova she always loses in three sets but I told her she could win next time!"
Zheng Jie said she was pleased with her own performance in reaching the third round at only her second Wimbledon and was full of praise for Clijsters.
"She has a lot of power and a big serve," said Zheng Jie. "I returned well today but her serve is so strong that I didn’t have the chance.
"I think it isn’t bad to get to the third round as in China there are no grass courts."
Clijsters paid tribute to the Chinese girl.
"She’s a tough player. I played against her once in Hong Kong in an exhibition. It was a close match," said the Belgian. "She’s a counter-puncher. She likes to play fast rallies and likes to stand on the baseline and dictate the points.
"It was important for me to keep moving her side to side and not let her play her game."
Li Na, who clinched her first tour title at Guangzhou in 2004, is making her debut at Wimbledon and is the first Chinese player to be seeded at a Grand Slam.

Sharapova Too Sharp for Frazier

2006-07-01T19:37:00.000-04:00

07/01/06 -Fourth seed Maria Sharapova continued her smooth passage through the Wimbledon women’s field when she defeated the American 33-year-old Amy Frazier, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour 14 minutes.
The 2004 champion has now won three rounds without conceding a set and at a cost of just 11 games. She was helped considerably in this victory by an off-form Frazier, who double-faulted 10 times. She had 17 unforced errors altogether.
Still, Frazier managed a small celebration, since this was her 18th appearance at The Championships and her 70th Grand Slam event. Both are records in the women’s game.
Sharapova admitted she was a little confused by Frazier’s play. "She would hit a big serve, and then a double-fault. It kind of got me out of my rhythm a bit. Other than that, it was good."
Sharapova says she has been working on her game, trying to come in a bit more and working on her serve placement. Also, she says, her recent ankle injury now seems to have healed, so she is well positioned to go much further in the second week.

Hingis Exits Wimbledon

2006-07-01T11:39:00.000-04:00

July 1, 2006
WIMBLEDON, England -- Martina Hingis wiped away a tear as she walked off Centre Court, a match that seemed within her grasp suddenly gone.
Hingis had company Friday. Other unexpected exits were made by 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, James Blake and David Nalbandian.
"Somehow, at Wimbledon, you're never safe," Hingis said after wasting a 3-0 lead in the final set and losing to Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. "When you're out on the grass, it seems like you never know how the next point's going to go."
Half a season into her comeback after three years away because of injuries, Hingis was playing at Wimbledon for the first time since 2001. And she impressed until Friday, dropping a total of seven games in the first two rounds. She looked fatigued as the match went past the 1 1/2 -hour mark, double-faulting twice to get broken to 3-all in the final set, then slipping at the baseline on two points as she lost the next game.
Hingis -- at 25, she's five years younger than Sugiyama -- got more and more rattled as the match slipped away, complaining about line calls and slamming a ball off the court after one miscue, drawing a collective "Oooooh!" from the crowd.

Wimbledon-Myskina keeps alive Russian dream, Safina flops

2006-07-01T11:25:00.000-04:00

By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) - Anastasia Myskina led the Russian charge into the fourth round at Wimbledon on Saturday with a 6-3 6-4 win over Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues.
The 2004 French Open champion was one of seven Russian women to reach the third round here but following the exit of fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze on Friday, she was the first player from her nation to reach the last 16.
Joining ninth seed Myskina was seventh seed Elena Dementieva after she won a Russian duel with Elena Likhovtseva 7-5 6-3.
Dinara Safina, who reached her first grand slam quarter-final at the French Open last month, was not as fortunate.
The younger sister of former men's number one Marat Safin lost out on a possible meeting with top seed Amelie Mauresmo when she let a set and 4-1 advantage slip during a 3-6 7-6 6-1 defeat by Serb Ana Ivanovic.
Maria Sharapova, seeking to win her second title here following her triumph two years ago, could add to the Russian tally if she overcomes American Amy Frazier on Centre Court later on Saturday. Likhovtseva was troubled by a right ankle injury and had to take a three-minute time out after being broken in the first set to trail 5-6.
After getting her ankle heavily strapped, she was unable to prevent Dementieva from bagging the set.
But Likhovtseva refused to surrender without a fight and broke to lead 3-1 in the second set before Dementieva rallied and booked her place in the next round against Shenay Perry.

Good Play From Daniela Hantuchova

2006-06-27T23:21:00.000-04:00

Daniela and Mahesh Win US Open Mixed Doubles Title

August 9, 2005: Daniela and Mahesh Bhupathi won the US Open Mixed Doubles title by defeating Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia and Montenegro in straight sets. The first set featured only one break of serve but early in the second they broke, and later broke to lead 5-2. They then recovered from 0-40 to win the next five points and take the title. They won 6-4, 6-2 meaning Daniela now has won all four Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles after winning Wimbledon in 2001 with Luis Friedl, the Australian Open in 2002 with Kevin Ullyett and the French Open earlier this year with Fabrice Santoro.

Game over for Sharapova

2006-06-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

Maria Sharapova should have reached her third straight Roland Garros quarterfinal, but crumbled late in the third set and lost to compatriot Dinara Safina, 7-5 2-6 7-5, in two hours and 34 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen Sunday.
Sharapova led 4-0 and 5-1 in the final set, but won only won six more points, as Safina stormed back to reach the final eight at a Grand Slam for the first time.
"I just didn't want to leave the court. I was enjoying. It was nice to play," is how Safina described her mindset at 1-5. "I just wanted to stay more. I said like, okay, for to stay more, I have to try to do more. And I played I think very well from 5-1."
Safina, the 14th seed, really only played well for parts of the opening set and in the final six games of the match, but it was enough to oust Sharapova.
"She picked up her game a little bit and mine went down. You know, that's not a good combination," Sharapova said. "I really think it has to do with the fact that I haven't, you know, had those kind of tough matches in the past few weeks and it's hard to come into a Grand Slam [like that].
"It's in your hands and you've got to finish it off, all of a sudden you start thinking. That's what happened today."
On the verge of defeat, Safina found her rhythm. Her ground strokes started finding the line and her defensive play picked up. And when Safina did not win the point outright, Sharapova gave it away. Even when she came to the net, Sharapova could not slow Safina's momentum.
The match ended on a backhand cross court winner off a too-deep Sharapova forehand volley.
"I took everything in my hands, you know" Safina said of her comeback. "I said, 'Okay, like before she was dictating, I had to run always from corner to corner.' I said, 'Okay, now I try to make her run.' I started to look for the lines and I started to be more aggressive from every point."
But Sharapova never should have been in that position - this could have been a fairly routine straight set victory. The former Wimbledon champion gift-wrapped the opening set for Safina by failing to consolidate two early breaks and then sailing an easy forehand on set point at 5-4, one of 33 first-set unforced errors.
Safina won the final three games of the first set, breaking at love to close out, but Sharapova recovered quickly. She took the second set with little trouble and built what seemed to be an insurmountable lead in the third set.
"I didn't think I would be playing my best tennis here [because of a foot injury]…but I did the best I can," Sharapova admitted. "You know, I had the chances to be in the quarterfinals; I just didn't take them."
She did not take them in large part due to her forehand. Its inconsistency kept Safina afloat in the opening set and it abandoned her once again during Safina's resurgence, in particular when she served at 5-4.
Safina's break in the tenth game came care of Sharapova's three consecutive forehand errors.
In the quarterfinals, Safina will meet another Russian, 8th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who posted her own come-from-behind victory Sunday, 1-6 6-4 6-4 over Italian Francesca Schiavone.

Michaella Krajicek

2006-06-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

Krajicek beats Safina, wins Ordina Open
Sat Jun 24, 11:03 AM ET

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands - Michaella Krajicek beat Dinara Safina of Russia 6-3, 6-4 to win the Ordina Open on Saturday, the first Dutch woman to capture her country's only grass-court tournament.
In a final between younger sisters of Grand Slam winners, Krajicek won her third career title and second this year, the others coming in Hobart in January and last year in Tashkent.

The 17-year-old player has won all three times she has been to a final.
Richard Krajicek, a tournament organizer who won Wimbledon in 1996, kissed his sister on both cheeks at the on-court awards ceremony of this Wimbledon tuneup.

Jelena Kostanic

2006-06-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

Kostanic goes through
By: Niko van H.
Date: June 14, 2006, 6:18pm
Jelena Kostanic defeated Karin Knapp in two tight sets 6-4 7-6(5) in the ITF-tournament played this week in Zagreb.
The first seed had to play hard for sending the Italian woman packing. It's her first win after her comeback. In her first match at Roland Garros, she fell to American Ashley Harkleroad in three sets after having MP's to close the match. Let's hope she can win this tournament and get her confidence back!
Kostanic prevails in thriller
By: Niko van H.
Date: June 15, 2006, 5:23pm
First seeded Jelena Kostanic survived fellow Croat Sanja Ancic in three tough sets (4-6 7-5 7-6).
If you think her match against Knapp was tough, this one went beyond that. Despite losing the first set, Jeka was able to come back and win this 2nd round encounter. It surely has given her a lot of confidence. Ancic is a promising tennis star who will certainly be a Top100 player soon. In the next round, Jelena will meet Hungary's Kyra Nagy

Some Old News From Anastasia Myskina

2006-06-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

U.S. eliminated by Russia in Fed Cup semis

July 10, 2005 Led by Myskina, Team Russia defeated the USA Team in Fed Cup 4-1, to advance to the final against France in September.
``It was much tougher for me to play against Venus yesterday because she is playing on a much higher level,'' said Myskina, who beat Williams in the opening singles Saturday. ``Today I knew that we had a great chance to win and if I were to miss it that would have been terrible for the team.''
The Americans needed to scramble in their semifinal because of injuries to Australian Open champion Serena Williams and top-ranked Lindsay Davenport.
``It was a tough situation,'' U.S. captain Zina Garrison said. ``We knew it was going to be tough when we came in. And we tried to repair as much as we could, but we came up short.''
The United States has won the Fed Cup 17 times -- more then any other nation -- and has been runner-up nine times. Its last title, however, came in 2000.
The Americans began the day down 2-0 in the best-of-five competition on indoor clay at Olympic Stadium, and Wimbledon champion Venus Williams kept her team alive by downing Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2 in reverse singles. Russia then clinched its spot in the final when Anastasia Myskina beat Jill Craybas 6-2, 6-4.
In the inconsequential doubles match, Vera Douchevina and Dinara Safina defeated Williams and Corina Morariu 6-1, 7-5.
``It was difficult to find energy after so many weeks of playing,'' Williams said. ``I definitely was not my normal self for sure. Last night I wanted to win for the team and that was important. It's definitely hard because it's not just one person. It's a disappointment for the whole team.''
In Fed Cup playoffs, Belgium, Austria, Italy and Germany won their series and will play in the elite group next year.
Myskina, last year's French Open champ, had little trouble against 60th-ranked Craybas, who substituted for Mashona Washington.
``It was much tougher for me to play against Venus yesterday because she is playing on a much higher level,'' said Myskina, who beat Williams in the opening singles Saturday. ``Today I knew that we had a great chance to win and if I were to miss it that would have been terrible for the team.''
Myskina was glad she didn't have to face Williams on Sunday.
``I think she was really hurt that she lost to me,'' Myskina said. ``Her ego was hurt and she really wanted to give a point to her team. That's why she found extra motivation.''
Myskina has an 18-4 Fed Cup record and is unbeaten in the last 10 matches. She won both her singles matches against France in last year's final, then won the decisive doubles.
``I'm really happy when I'm back on the team,'' she said. ``Team spirit is really important for me.''

Jelena Dokic: Latest News

2006-06-21T20:00:00.000-04:00

June 21st 2006: Unfortunately, Jelena came up short in her opening match in the Wimbledon qualifying, she lost 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 against American Alexandra Stevenson:(
June 19th 2006: Jelena will have a first round match in Wimbledon qualifying against Alexandra Stevenson, pretty ironic considering when they first played in this tournament, circumstances were VERY different... oh well, let's hope Jelena can pull this match off:)
June 17th 2006: Great news as Jelena was given a wild card for the Wimbledon qualifying that will be played next week! Go Jelena!!
June 15th 2006: Jelena's winning streak came to an end as she lost her 2nd round match 6-2, 7-6... still congrats on getting some wins back in the bank:)
June 13th 2006: More good news as Jelena defeated Maria-Vanina Garcia-Sokol 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the 2nd round of the main draw, she will now face Madalina Gojnea!
June 12th 2006: Jelena will play her first round in the main draw against another qualifier, Maria-Vanina Garcia-Sokol!
June 11th 2006: Jelena continued her road and won 2 matches today! She defeated Gatto Monticone 6-1, 7-5 and Olga Panova 6-2, 6-4 to qualify for the main draw:)
June 10th 2006: Awesome news! Jelena played and she defeated Michaela Johansson 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 today!! Great job Jela!
June 9th 2006: Jelena is back in action, or at least she is supposed to. She is scheduled to play in a 25K qualifying event in Italy that starts tomorrow! She will face #16 seed Michaela Johansson in her first match... go Jelena!!

Monique Viele

2006-06-18T18:11:00.000-04:00

Unique Monique: Kournikova could have company in Viele

PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Anna Kournikova is unchallenged right now as the most marketable woman on the WTA Tour, but the Russian beauty should have some company when American Monique Viele joins the circuit on a regular basis.
Viele, who will turn 16 on Friday (October 6), is a California native/Florida resident and considered to be the next hot prospect in women's tennis. Once she reaches the age of 16, the young gun will be allowed to play in 10 WTA events. The tour doesn't allow full-time status until the age of 18.
Like so many of the youngsters these days, Monique possesses solid, powerful groundstrokes and a booming serve which has been clocked in the Serena Williams range (115 mph).
At the tender age of 8, Viele appeared on "60 Minutes," saying "I want to be No. 1 in the world."
It was apparent then that she was destined for stardom.
The talented teen has been making strides as a tennis player, but her talents are not limited to the courts. The ambitious Viele (pronounced VEEL-ee) is also a professional singer, actress and model.
The venerable Bud Collins referred to her as "the Eighth Wonder of the World."
In 1999, the beautiful athlete graced the covers of five magazines, was written up in over 300 publications world wide, appeared on 22 international TV shows, and was voted No. 4 among the Top 300 female personalities on the internet.
An agent once said of the 5-9, 125-pound Monique: "She rivals a champion thoroughbred with her physical grace and beauty. Her long, lean, tanned, muscular legs are both an attribute to her good looks and her speed on the court. Her physique is astonishing...she looks more like a supermodel than a tennis player."
Viele played World Team Tennis for the New York Hamptons this past summer, competing on the club owned by current ESPN analyst and former ATP performer Patrick McEnroe (younger brother of all-time great John McEnroe). Former world No. 1 men's star Jim Courier also represented the Hamptons. Viele's record for the WTT squad was less than stellar, as she was a disappointing 8-30 in 38 games played for the team, and finished 25th out of 25 ladies in league singles. Venus Williams posted the best women's singles winning percentage (.909) in the league (co-founded by the legendary Billie Jean King), going 10-1 in 11 games played for the St. Louis Aces.
The young Viele fine-tuned her tennis skills at the [Rick] Macci Academy in Pompano Beach, Florida. Macci's students have produced 94 USTA national titles.
Macci is a veteran tutor of adolescents earmarked as future tennis stars, including Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati and Mary Pierce. Macci swears, however, that Viele is the best one yet.
"She brings more to the table than just great tennis. She does it all, and she might be the most marketable American player in the last 25 years," said Macci. "She is the ultimate, total package, a one-in-a-million can't miss prospect."
I guess time will tell.
Monique's results were encouraging early on. By the age of 11, she had a Top-40 ranking in Florida's girls' 18 division, and in 1998 she became the youngest player ever to win the 18 division of the Florida Open.
Viele's parents, Richard and Bernadette, have been pushing Monique towards greatness since an early age. Of course, many of us are familiar with her folks' battle with the WTA. Mom and dad demanded the WTA stretch its age eligibility rules for minors and allow their at-the-time 14-year-old Monique to gain a wild-card entry into a WTA event...or face a court case. The WTA gave in to the Vieles' request and granted Monique a wild card into the Princess Cup event in Tokyo in 1998, thereby changing its age eligibility rules to allow 14 year olds the opportunity to compete in just one WTA tournament in that season.
Like Kournikova, Viele has several distractions away from the court, focusing just as much attention on a singing career as she does on her tennis prowess. Viele was scheduled to head into the studio to cut a single with the producers that worked with Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and N'SYNC.
All this and she still manages to keep an A average with her schoolwork -- which comes via tutoring and home-schooling.
Viele is managed by mega-mogul Donald Trump, who Monique calls a "great guy, very intelligent, very successful and very funny."
The currently 876th-ranked Monique has played in only eight WTA tournaments thus far, but for obvious reasons she has been drawing comparisons to Kournikova, with a promising game, sun-streaked hair and ocean blue eyes. And, much like "Kourni," if Viele fails to live up to all the hype on the court she'll be harshly criticized for style as opposed to substance.
Viele has not shyed away from encroaching on the Kournikova sex appeal. The young American's off-court attire often features slinky strapless dresses, miniskirts and four-inch high heels -- a look well beyond her almost-16 years.
Monique, like some many of today's vocal teens, is not lacking in the self-confidence department, once stating that she wants to be the greatest player of all-time, "and that includes men too." Viele has already said that she can beat Martina Hingis and Kournikova.
Between all the media attention and public fascination with Viele, this star-in-the-making should soon be shooting for the top.

Ashley Harkleroad: The Next Kournikova?

2006-06-18T17:56:00.000-04:00

With Anna Kournikova growing old and saggy, a number of bright teenagers want to imitate her style and get the millions that she has obtained. One of these is Ashley Harkleroad, age 16.
Detractors say she does not quite have it. She has the looks. She has the style. But, she does not hit the ball hard enough.
"She doesn't have the same feel for the game and doesn't hit as hard," one commentator said of Harkleroad. "There was so much hype surrounding her and I thought, `She's going to be really, really good.' But you can see she is still making a transition to the pros."
A packed crowd on Court 11 noticed Harkleroad, the tanned 16- year-old from Florida playing her debut match at the United States Open. A couple of shirtless fans in the front row cheered Harkleroad's every move, even her mis-hits. A few fans whistled. Others took pictures. Meanwhile, her opponent, who is ranked much higher on the world ranking list, received almost no attention.
Afterward, 43 members of the press wanted to speak to Harkleroad; only three spoke to the opponent who had just defeated her. Harkleroad talked about her clothes, not her tennis, a fitting statement about her career now.
If Ashley Harkleroad wants to make it to the top, she will have to do it harder.
Sam Sloan

Source

http://www.samsloan.com/harkleroad.htm

Latest News On Maria Kirilenko

2006-06-18T17:42:00.000-04:00

Ordina Open
Rosmalen, June 18
Maria faces a qualifier in the first round of the women singles.In the women doubles her partner is Ana Ivanovic and they have beaten the team Eleni Daniilidou / Anabel Medina Garrigues in the first round in two sets 7-5 6-4.In the quarter finals they face unknown.
Roland Garros
Paris, June 7
In the mixed doubles Maria's partner is Leander Paes of India and they are beaten today in the quarter finals by Martina Navratilova / Bob Bryan, both of the USA, in two sets 3-6 3-6.Maria, seed 20, is beaten by Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany in the third round of the women singles in two sets 2-6 6-7.In the women doubles Maria's partner is Gisela Dulko and they are beaten by the team Anna Chakvetadze / Elena Vesnina, both of Russia, in the third round 3-6 4-6.
Internazionali d'Italia
Rome, May 19
Maria lost the first round of the women singles to Italian Maria Santangelo in three sets 6-3 3-6 5-7.In the women doubles her partner is Gisela Dulko and they are beaten by Anabel Medina Garrigues / Katarina Srebotnik in the quarter finals in three sets 6-7 6-4 5-7.
Qatar Total German Open
Berlin, May 11
Maria is beaten by Justine Henin-Hardenne in two sets of the third round of the women singles 1-6 0-6.In the women doubles Maria's partner is Gisela Dulko and they are beaten by the team Iveta Benesova/Michaella Krajicek in the second round in two sets 3-6 2-6.
J & S Cup
Warsaw, May 6
Maria is beaten in the first round of the women singles by Martina Hingis of Switzerland in two sets 5-7 6-7.In the doubles Maria's partner is Ana Ivanovic and they are beaten by the team Elena Likhovtseva/Anastasia Myskina in two sets 3-6 4-6.

Extreme Anna Kournikova Bikini Pics

2006-06-17T23:52:00.000-04:00

Iva Majoli: Her Biography and Career

2006-06-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

Iva was born in 1977 in Croatia and is a professional tennis player. She has an older brother and sister back home. Iva took correspondence courses to graduate from Bradenton Academy in 1996. Her other sport interests include ice skating, in-line skating, sno-skiing and jet-skiing. Her favourite music has gone from techno/dance to rock/dance and her favourite colors are black, white and red. Iva describes herself as a woman with a lot of energy and she likes to spend time with friends when she's at home. Places she enjoys visiting include Maui, Hawaii and Paris.
9/24/2001
Iva Majoli took another step toward career rejuvenation last week. In 1997, she surprised the tennis world by winning Roland Garros, spoiling Martina Hingis' bid for the Grand Slam, but she hasn't been the same player since. Instead, she has battled injuries and waning confidence. In 2001, Majoli has shown flashes of her old brilliance, and last week she signaled she's ready to challenge for titles. American Meghann Shaughnessy defeated Majoli for the Bell Challenge trophy in Quebec. This photo of Iva Majoli was taken at the 2001 Ericsson Open.
Majoli Retires at 26 Posted by WTN at June 29, 2004, 4:10pm
Croatia's Iva Majoli, the 1997 French Open champion, announced her retirement from competitive tennis on Tuesday saying she lacked motivation.

Catalina Castano

2006-06-17T19:46:00.000-04:00

Height/Weight: 5-7/132
Birthdate: 07/07/1979
Birthplace: Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia
Plays: R
Country: Colombia
Resides: Sarasota, Florida
Turned Pro: 1998
Tour: WTA

Li Na

2006-06-17T19:29:00.000-04:00

Li Na (born February 26 , 1982, Wuhan, Hubei, China), is a professional women's tennis player from the People's Republic of China.
Between 1999 and 2004, she won twenty women's singles titles, nineteen of which were ITF events, and one (the first ever won by a Chinese woman) on the WTA Tour. A prodigious talent notable for her lightning-quick reflexes and athleticism around the court, her fast, exciting and generally accurate groundstrokes which she scatters unpredictably to all corners of the playing surface, and an eminently likeable on-court personality, she was previously disadvantaged by a two-year hiatus from competition in her early 20s, but since her return to the circuit at the age of 22 she has proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with for the world's top players.
Li Na has frequently entered women's doubles tournaments at events where she has played singles, and has won one WTA doubles title and sixteen further ITF doubles events in her career to date, but overall her greatest success and focus has been seen in singles. Her early success in doubles came mostly in partnership with Li Ting; but more recently she has made a charming habit of forming temporary women's doubles partnerships with players with whom she has previously enjoyed a healthy rivalry through repeated head-to-head meetings in singles tournaments, notably Liu Nan-Nan, Nicole Pratt, Yan Zi and Jelena Jankovic.

Anna Chakvetadze

2006-06-15T14:00:00.000-04:00

Birth Date 05/03/1987,
Birth Place-Moscow, Russia
Residence-Moscow, Russia
Nationality-Russia
Weight-128lbs
Plays Right Handed (Double Handed Backhand)
Favourite Surface-Hard
Coach-Pavel Ostovsky
Age Started Tennis-8
Personal Interests-Reading, listening to music and hanging out with friends when at home. Favourite football team is Milan.

Maria Sharapova Beach Pics

2006-06-15T13:07:00.000-04:00

Anna-lena Groenefeld

2006-06-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

Anna-Lena was born in Nordhorn, Germany on June 4th 1985, a city where she still resides. She was introduced to tennis at age 5 by her father and brother as they had a tennis club from walking distance from their home. She has two brothers, Philipp and Bastian (who played tennis at a high level). She made some pretty solid accomplishments early on. In juniors, Anna-Lena won the 2003 French Open (defeating Vera Douchevina in the final) and the 2002 Astrid Bowl as well as making it to the final of the 2002 Orange Bowl. She did continue to make progress as a pro, especially in 2005 where she made the final in Beijing, Pattaya City and Luxembourg but came up short of scoring a first singles title.

Patty Schnyder

2006-06-15T12:29:00.000-04:00

Patty Schnyder (born December 14 1978, Basel, Switzerland) is a Swiss tennis player. She turned professional in 1993.In 1996, she made her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros. The following year, she defeated three top 10 players: Iva Majoli twice, Amanda Coetzer and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.In August 1998, she entered the WTA top 10.On December 5, 2003, she married Rainer Hoffman, an information technology specialist who now coaches her.In her career she has won 10 singles titles, including a victory in Zurich (Tier I Event) over American Lindsay Davenport, and 4 doubles titles. Her first title on U.S. soil came in August, 2005, when she won at Cincinnati's Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open.

Jelena Jankovic

2006-06-13T12:54:00.000-04:00

Coached by Nick Bolletieri. Favorite surface is hardcourt and favorite shot is backhand. Introduced to tennis at age nine-and-a-half by older brother, Marco, (six years her senior) at Club Red Star. Father, Veselin, and mother, Snezana, are economists; brothers, Marco and Stefan, are students. Entire family plays recreational tennis. Learned piano as a child. Favorites include the color red, orchids, actor Robert DeNiro, the movie Titanic and the book Bridge on Drina...Other sports interests include basketball and swimming. Relaxes by watching TV and reading. Favorite city is Rome because of its history. Most memorable experience was winning Australian Open juniors. Pet peeve is tardy people. Considers herself competitive, friendly and well-organized. Learned French at a diplomatic school in Serbia...Admires Monica Seles. Greatest appeal of being a touring pro is to see the world and learn about different cultures.

Klara Koukalova

2006-06-13T08:36:00.000-04:00

Klára Koukalová (born on February 24, 1982 in Prague, Czech Republic) is a Czech professional female tennis player. She was born and still lives in Prague, the capital.
In her career she has reached eight singles finals and won two, in 2005 on the grass of Rosmalen (Netherlands) and in September of that year on the hard courts of Portorož (Slovenia).
She recently played in January 2006, a comeback player Martina Hingis, at the WTA Tournament, in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, whom she lost to in the second round of the tournament.
Klára is seeded No.29 at the 2006 Australian Open tennis tournament

Latest News On Sania Mirza

2006-06-12T22:12:00.000-04:00

She's Starting to get a Bit Thick..LOL..August 30, 2005-Flushing Meadows, New York): Sania Mirza (current singles ranking 42) defeated Mashona Washington (current singles ranking 65) in the 1st round US Open Women's Singles Match. It wasn't a very convincing three set win. The three set match lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes, with the first two set going to tie-breaker. See Match Statistics Sania Mirza (India), severely hampered by a strained abdominal muscle, needed to dig deep into her reserves to outclass Mashona Washington (USA) 7-6(8-6), 6-7(6-8), 6-4. Whereas the 18-year old Indian was not in her best fitness, 29-year old Mashona's fragile temperament proved to be a counterpoint, making it a melodramatic contest. Both the teenagers seemed to be conscious of the big stage and the early phase of the match was spent in testing each other's weaknesses and strength. This was Sania's debut match in the US Open, whereas Mashona was playing in her sixth US Open. Sania went up, breaking Mashona in the very first game but the American bounced back with two successive breaks to go up 4-2. But serving for the set, Mashona was broken. In the tie-breaker, Mashona's nerves frayed and she let go a two set point advantage to Sania. Sania won the tie-breaker 8-6 and the first set lasted 47 minutes. The second set was a ding-dong battle that saw Sania fail to close the match after going 3-1 up. Mashona did well to come back twice from a break behind while Sania lunging to avert a break in the 12th game and pushed the set into the tie-breaker. Again Sania went up 3-0 only to allow Mashona to claw-back and in frustration Sania flung her raquet to the ground. Mashona, the local lass, failed to convert two set points but was successful on third break point. Mashona won the tie-breaker 8-6 and the second set lasted 48 minutes. In the decider, Sania again took the lead after breaking Mashona in the first game. But she surprisingly failed to put away two simple forehands, her strong points. Fortunately for Sania, Mashona was proving to be error-prone. After levelling the score 3-3, the American committed two double faults to hand Sania a 5-4 lead. Yet, the Hyderabadi lass had to stamp out a last minute challenge by Mashona who forced three break points. Sania finally clinched the issue when Mashona put a forehand wide and won the decider 6-4. The third set lasted 38 minutes.
thursday 01 june 2006-Putting behind the disappointment of her singles loss, Sania Mirza and Slovak Janette Husarova on Wednesday cruised into the second round of the doubles competition with a 6-1 6-3 win over the Spanish-Columbian pair of Conchita Martinez and Catalina Castano.
Putting behind the disappointment of her singles loss, Sania Mirza and Slovak Janette Husarova on Wednesday cruised into the second round of the doubles competition with a 6-1 6-3 win over the Spanish-Columbian pair of Conchita Martinez and Catalina Castano.

Iveta Benesova

2006-06-12T21:45:00.000-04:00

BENESOVA, Iveta (CZE)
Birth Date-01/02/1983,
Birth Place-Most, Czech Republic,
Residence-Most, Czech Republic,
Nationality-Czech Republic,
Weight-56kg
Plays-Left Handed (Double Handed Backhand)
Favourite Surface-Clay, Hard
Coach-Jiri HREBEC
Age Started Tennis-7
Personal Interests-Swimming, watching movies (fav. Forrest Gump, fav. actors Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnet), Italian food and shopping.
Current Singles-50
Current Doubles-43
Career High Singles*-33 * (07 Feb 2005)
Career High Doubles-26 (20 Jun 2005)
Singles Year End-54
Doubles Year End-38

Ana Ivanovic

2006-06-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

Ana Ivanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Ивановић) (born November 6, 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. She started tennis at the age of five after seeing the sport on TV. She asked her parents to take her to the local tennis school and she was given a small racket as a birthday present from her father shortly after. Her idol is legendary tennis player and fellow Yugoslavian Monica Seles, who she says is her main inspiration for wanting to be a tennis player.
She first caught the eye of the tennis world when she reached the final of the junior Wimbledon tournament in 2004, losing to Kateryna Bondarenko. In 2004 she also went 26-0 on the challenger circuit, and won all 4 events that she entered, two of them as a challenger. Her first proffesional breakthrough occurred in October of 2004 when she took Venus Williams to two tiebreaks before losing 7-6(11) 7-6(6) in the second round of the Zurich Open in Zurich, Switzerland. She followed that up with a quarterfinal showing in Luxembourg the following week.
Ana is currently the 16th ranked player in the world, and at just 18, has already established herself as not only a star of the future, but a fan favorite. She is aiming to make it into the women's top 10 rankings during 2006 which many expect her to achieve.
Ana plays right-handed with a two-handed backhand. She has a strong forehand and serves well (at least because of her height of 6' or 1.83m).
Since her professional debut in August 2003 she won 5 ITF Titles and One WTA Single Title (Canberra 2005)

Svetlana Kuznetsova

2006-06-12T14:48:00.000-04:00

Svetlana was born June 27th 1985 in St-Petersburg, Russia and started playing there, she later moved at the Emilio Sanchez Tennis Academy in Spain (she still lives there) and is currently coached by coaches from that academy.
She started her pro career in 2000 when she played 5 ITF tournaments reaching the quarterfinals twice. In only a few years on the tour, Svetlana has showed outstanding improvement and her ranking certainly shows as she improved over 600 ranks in her first full time year on the tour and entered the top 50 in her second. She now seems poised to continue to improve at a very quick pace to keep up with all the other Russians.

Welcome Back Martina Hingis

2006-06-12T12:07:00.000-04:00

Welcome back Martina, after a three year absence.
Martina Hingis won a winner-take-all set Monday to complete a suspended match, beating Shahar Peer 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 for the final berth in the women's quarterfinals at the French Open. Unfortunately, she lost to Kim Clijsters.
"I've made a lot of improvement since Australia," Hingis said. "We'll see. Just got to come up with the best."
A five-time Grand Slam champion, the No. 12-seeded Hingis is playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2001. It's the only major event she has yet to win.

Nicole Vaidisova

2006-06-06T09:30:00.000-04:00

PARIS -- Teen sensation Nicole Vaidisova pulled off her second successive upset Tuesday at the French Open, beating Venus Williams 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3 to earn her first Grand Slam semifinal berth.
The score was remarkably similar to the 17-year-old Vaidisova's previous match, when she stunned top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2.
Again Vaidisova staged a comeback. And when a Williams forehand sailed long on match point _ her 70th unforced error _ Vaidisova dropped her racket and threw up her arms in glee.
The German-born, Florida-based Czech has drawn comparisons to Maria Sharapova, who was 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004. Vaidisova's opponent Thursday will be Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who reached the Roland Garros semifinals for the first time by overcoming an early 5-1 deficit and beating Dinara Safina 7-6 (5), 6-0.
Vaidisova, seeded 16th, pulled ahead to stay at 3-2 in the third set when Williams double-faulted to lose serve. The teen erased a break point to hold in the next game, won a series of brilliant rallies to hold again for 5-3, then broke serve for the sixth time to clinch the win.
Williams, the reigning Wimbledon champion, again came up short in her 10th try for a Roland Garros title. She was seeded 11th and playing only her 14th match this year after being sidelined 3 1/2 months with injuries.
The No. 14-seeded Safina, playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, unraveled after blowing the early lead and won only three points in the second set against Kuznetsova. Safina finished with 13 winners and 36 unforced errors.
Kuznetsova, seeded eighth, is bidding for her second major title. She won the 2004 U.S. Open.

Julia Schruff

2005-09-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

Coached by father, Gerhard Schruff. Started playing at age five when father introduced her to the game at a neighborhood tennis court. Baseliner who favors backhand drop-shot and clay courts. Parents are Ingrid and Gerhard; both play recreational tennis. Graduated from Peutinger Gymnasium in September 1999. Has a pet cat named Trixi. Favorites include the color blue, roses, author Joy Fielding, actor Julia Roberts and Italian cuisine. Favorite past-times include shopping and going out with boyfriend and friends. Relaxes by listening to music. Superstitious about eating same breakfast at tournaments. Considers herself a quiet but friendly person. Admires father because he is so hard-working.

Flavia Pennetta

2005-09-30T10:40:00.000-04:00

Coached by Barbara Rossi. Father introduced her to tennis at age five. Favors hard courts and backhand shots. Both parents and older sister, Giorgia, play recreational tennis. Graduated from high school in 2000. Favorites include the color black, pasta, and actor Al Pacino. Other sports interest is in horse racing. Enjoys listening to music. Admires Monica Seles. Goal is to reach the Top 10. Most memorable experience was a vacation she spent with Tathiana Garbin and Rita Grande.

Marie-Eve Pelletier

2005-09-30T10:09:00.000-04:00

Nationality: Canadian
Birthdate: 05/18/1982
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 63 kg
Plays: Right Handed
Current rank for singles: 130
Current rank for doubles: 235
High rank for singles: 122
Career matches won: 4
Career matches lost: 22
Career prize money: $231,748

Arantxa Parra Santonja

2005-09-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

Coached by Elejo Mancisidor. Introduced to tennis at age 10 by parents. Graduated from high school in 2001. Parents (father, Nariano Parra Ruiz, and mother, Maria Luisa Santonja Gaso) are school teachers; sister, Tania, is a student. Whole family plays recreational tennis. Favorites include the color red, the movie Grease, actor Anthony Hopkins, and Gazpacho Andaluz. To pass time, watches TV and listens to music. City of choice is New York. Self-described as a shy pessimist and hard worker. Admires Monica Seles. Enjoys traveling to new places, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures.

Daniela Hantuchova Ready For Serve

2005-09-30T09:32:00.000-04:00

Coached by Nigel Sears since Birmingham 2001. All-court style of play; favorite surface is grass; favorite tournament is Wimbledon. Father, Igor, is a computer scientist; mother, Marianna, is a toxicologist; older brother, Igor is an architect working in Bratislava. Entire family plays tennis. Speaks Slovak, English and German and is learning Italian. Qualified for top university in Slovakia but deferred it to pursue a career as a professional player. Other sports interests include skiing, basketball, skating and swimming. Studied classical piano for eight years until she was 14. trained at Bollettieri Tennis Academy between ages of 16 and 18. Enjoys haute couture, music, guava juice and relaxing on a quiet beach. Favorite city is Rome and likes to visit Cape Town, South Africa. Would love to go snow-boarding and water-surfing. Favorite colour is blue. Favorite movie is "Love Actually" and likes music by Eros Ramazzotti.

Henrieta Nagyova

2005-09-29T17:18:00.000-04:00

Coached by Rouan Nagy. Father, Oto Nagy, is an engineer; mother, Viera, is a chemical engineer and sometimes travels with Henrieta on tour; older brother, Roman, is an economic engineer and also plays tennis. Favorite actors are Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones and many more. Enjoys watching movies, listening to music and working out. An avid fan of NHL hockey. Likes fashion and often poses for photo shoots. Self-described as modest and persevering. Loves Japanese, Italian and, of course, Slovak food. Favorite places to visit are islands, for the sea and the weather.

Alicia Molik

2005-09-29T16:59:00.000-04:00

Coached by David Taylor. Parents are Andrew and Teresa; brother, Richard, is three years older than Alicia. Has a West-Highland white terrier dog. Enjoys good food, good red wine, the Barossa Valley, Thai and Japanese cuisine, spending time with friends at home, bike riding, the beach and attending football games...Favorite musicians are U2, Kylie Minogue, Coldplay and Robbie Williams; favorite movies are The Castle, Kath & Kim and any Australian comedy. Donated $1,000 Australian dollars for every ace that she served in 2005 SF match ($9,000 in all) at Sydney to the Bushfire Appeal, benefitting those areas in South Australia who were greatly affected by bushfires.

Mirjana Lucic

2005-09-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

Began playing tennis at age 4 by hiding in the car when her older sister went to tennis class and then sneaking into the class. Coached by Gabe Jaramillo; former coached by Harold Solomon and first coach Goran Prpic who was ranked 15th in the world. Plays a very aggressive game from the baseline and serves in excess of 100 mile per hour. Mother, Angelka, used to be a supermarket owner; older sister, Ana, is a law student and travels with Mirjana full time; younger sister Ivana graduated from high school with honors in 2001 and will study to become a sports agent; younger brothers Miro and Ivan are in high school and also play tennis. Moved to the United States in July 1998, residing in Florida. Is currently working on an autobiography and painting. Plans to pursue a singing career after tennis (is looking to attend a conservatory of music). Big New York Yankees fan...Appreciates the work of Michaelangelo. Loves visiting the Vatican. Enjoys participating in charity events and doing things for a good cause.

Viktoriya Kutuzova

2005-09-29T15:07:00.000-04:00

Coached by her father, Valeriy Kutuzov, she began playing tennis at age seven with father at Odessa Tennis Academy. Her favorite pastimes include shopping, swimming and going to the beach. She enjoys Russian books and food. Her favorite color is blue and favorite city to visit is Miami. She admires Chris Evert and Pete Sampras.

Klara Koukalova

2005-09-29T14:53:00.000-04:00

Coached by David Kunst. Baseline player who prefers clay courts; favorite shot is her backhand. Father, Jiri Koukal, is a taxi driver; mother, Jana Koukalova, is a bartender at a golf resort. Both parents play tennis. Most memorable experience was reaching her first final on the tour at 2001 Antwerp. Lucky charm is a plush, toy turtle from her boyfriend. Describes herself as quiet, good but impatient. Admires Martina Hingis. Favorite thing about being a pro tennis player is the feeling of winning. Graduated from high school in 2001. Favorites include the movie The Bodyguard, author Arthur Hailing and the book Airport. Other sports interests are in-line skating and running. Likes to visit Waikiki Beach.

Janette Husarova

2005-09-29T14:05:00.000-04:00

Coached by Raul Ranzinger; physical trainer is Raffaele Tendi. Favorite surface is clay; considers forehand her best weapon. Father, Jozef, is a businessman; mother’s name is Anna; has a younger brother named Miroslav. Other sports interests include soccer and ice hockey. Favorite place to visit is Slovakia and the mountains to relax, and Brazil to enjoy life and have a party. Enjoys pop, classical and rock music, going to the theater and spending time with friends. Has two dogs, a German shepherd and a cocker spaniel.

Gisela Dulko

2005-09-29T13:10:00.000-04:00

Started playing tennis at age 7 after watching brother Alejandro, who is now her coach. Favorite surface is clay. Mother's name is Ana; father, Estanislao, is deceased; brother, Alejandro, travels with Gisela on the tour. Has three dogs, Goran, Nicole and Guga. Favorites includes red and white roses, the colors black and white, pizza, movies Pearl Harbor and Good Will Hunting, actor Josh Hartnett and Keanu Reeves, musician Alejandro Sanz and the cities Buenos Aires, Paris and Hawaii. Enjoys shopping (especially for clothes by favorite designer Armani). Relaxes by going to the beach. Pet peeves are when people speak too quickly in English and receiving unwanted advice from strangers. Admires her mother's strength, and tennis players Pete Sampras and Marat Safin.

Jelena Dokic Big Smile/ Big T***s

2005-09-28T15:25:00.000-04:00

Be sure to stare at her chest when you talk to her!

Maria Sharapova ....Again

2005-09-28T15:21:00.000-04:00

It should be a crime to be this hot!

Anna Kournikova Plays

2005-09-28T15:16:00.000-04:00

Maybe if she played tennis as well as she plays with her hair, she would win a match.

Mariana Diaz-Oliva

2005-09-28T15:07:00.000-04:00

Coached by Gaston Mazieres; does off-court training with Juan Pablo Sangalli. A baseline player who prefers red clay; strongest shot is the forehand. Mother, Cristina, is a kindergarten director; father, Raul, is an engineer; has an older sister, Paula, a younger sister, Julieta, and a younger brother, Diego. Graduated from high school in 1994. Admires Steffi Graf for overcoming obstacles and remaining No. 1 for so long. Self-described as impulsive, hard-working, responsible, shy, intelligent and disciplined. Changes her lucky charms every week. Most memorable experience was reaching the final for the first time on the tour at 2001 Bol after coming back from 60 2-0 down to upset world No. 15 Kim Clijsters in SF. Other sports interest is field hockey. Enjoys doing crossword puzzles, reading and baking desserts. Favorite movie is My Life; favorite actor is Robin Williams; favorite book is The Greatest Miracle.

Anna Chakvetadze

2005-09-28T14:56:00.000-04:00

Travels with father, Djambuli. Introduced to tennis by mother, Natalia, at age 8; favors grass court. 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. coached by Rikard Allgurin.

Daja Bedanova

2005-09-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

Coached by Jarda Jandus; formerly coached by father, Jan Bedan. Has lived in Leonberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, since 1993. Given name is Daniela, nickname is Daja. Mother's name is Alena; has a younger sister, Lucka. Entire family plays tennis. Hobbies include listening to music, watching movies, traveling, watching ice hockey and skiing. Has known fellow Tour player Martina Hingis since they were young girls.

Lina Krasnoroutskaya

2005-09-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

Formerly coached by parents. Prefers playing on a grass surface. Parents are Vladimir and Marina; brother, Sasha, also plays tennis. Other sports interest is windsurfing. Relaxes by reading and listening to music. Likes to visit Moscow. Admires Andre Agassi because of his positive attitude. Favorites include the movie Titanic and the book Gone With the Wind.

Maria Elena Camerin

2005-09-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

Coached by Omar Urbinati. Began playing tennis at age 10 with her father. Baseline player whose favorite shot is her backhand; favorite surface is clay. Mother’s name is Donatella, father’s name is Giuseppe, has no siblings. Follows the Inter soccer team. Likes to play beach tennis at home, and likes to relax on the beach with her friends. Likes to visit New York because it’s so big. Favorite book is The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans; favorite actor is Brad Pitt. Describes herself as always happy. Most admires her father for always working for the family. Tennis player most admired is Jennifer Capriati for her comeback. Tennis goal is to be ranked in the world’s Top 50.

Martina Sucha

2005-09-28T09:39:00.000-04:00

Physical trainer is Tomas Kampmiller. Father, Henrich Suchy, a doctor, has taken a sabbatical to travel with Martina on the tour; mother, Margita Sucha, is a sports doctor; brother, Marek Suchy, is a student and plays ice hockey...In her spare time likes to shop, listen to music, read (favorite authors are M.E. Remarque and W. Saroyan)...Favorite movies are Trainspotting and American Beauty; favorite television show is The Simpsons.

Iveta Benesova

2005-09-27T11:09:00.000-04:00

Began playing at age seven when father introduced her to the game...Coached by Petr Luxa...Favorite surfaces are clay and hard; favorite shot is backhand...Father’s name is Vlastimil Benes; mother’s name is Irena Benesova; sister’s name is also Irena...No one in the family other than Iveta plays tennis...Favorites include the colors black and white, the movie Forrest Gump, actors Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnet and Italian cuisine...To relax, enjoys shopping and watching movies.

Olga Barabanschikova

2005-09-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

Olga was born November 2nd, 1979 in Minsk, Belarus. Her parents are named Tatiana and Volodja she also has a sister named Katya, who is a national synchronized swimmer. Since then, she started playing tennis and is on the WTA Tour since a few years already. Her highest WTA ranking is 49th, reached on March 2nd 1998. She doesnt't have a title yet. Her best performance was in 1998 at the Enka ladies Open where she reached her first career final on the tour. She also reached the final of the double of the Eurotel Slovak indoor tournament in 1999 with Lilia Osterloh from USA. She has won two ITF events.

Sania Mirza From India

2005-09-23T17:13:00.000-04:00

Wimbledon 2003
An extremely happy, unexpected happening was an Indian victory in the girls doubles. Sania Mirza partnered by Alisa Kleybanova of Russia defeated the top seeds in the first round and went on to win the title. Great credit must go to Sania for her perseverance and hard work to achieve such high levels. She is the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam event.

More On Tatiana Golovin

2005-09-23T16:36:00.000-04:00

Father's name is Gregori (former ice hockey coach who moved family from Moscow to Lyon in south of France when Tatiana was eight months old); mother's name is Lioudmila; older sisters are Olga and Oxana ... Favorite cuisine is Mexican, French and Japanese ... Enjoys cooking at home (says she's a very good cook!); shopping and hanging out with friends and family ... Loves to go horseback riding, ice-skating, ballroom dancing and spending time with her five-year-old nephew Paul, her Persian cat Cherie, labrador Missy and Yorkie, Belle; Favorite cities are Paris and New York; Enjoys listening to 1980's and any club music; favorite films are "Dirty Dancing" and "Grease" ... currently coached by Georges Goven.

Mystery Women

2005-09-23T16:25:00.000-04:00

I don't know who they are. I'm not sure if I really care.

Jelena Dokic A View From Another Angle

2005-09-23T16:15:00.000-04:00

Personally, I'm an Ass Man!

Anna Kournikova Nice View

2005-09-23T15:30:00.000-04:00

Just Tying Her Shoelaces

More Information On Maria Sharapova

2005-09-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

Tennis star Maria Sharapova has been referred to as the next Anna Kournikova. She’s Russian, blonde and quite the looker. So what sets her apart from everyone’s favorite calendar girl? She can actually win, complete with stunningly long legs that complement her six-foot-tall stature and an impressive grunt that has gained her plenty of its own recognition. Maria has been called the “Queen of Grunts” and the “Siberian Siren,” among a slew of other creative nicknames that low-life commentators have time to make up. With a recent win at Wimbledon and a series of money-spinning deals with Nike, NEC and Prince, Maria has already been prepared for the life of a sports celebrity.Born in Nyagan, a small Siberian town in Russia, Maria was introduced to the father of tennis pro Yevgeny Kafelnikov and given her very first racket at the age of three. As soon as she hit a few balls, Maria became obsessed with the sport and quickly enrolled in a tennis clinic at six. When tennis pro Martina Navratilova discovered the raw talent of the youngster, she went to Maria’s father to recommend that she study at the world-renowned Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Only a year later, Maria and her father went to Florida with no understanding of English and little money, but the sports management company IMG agreed to sponsor Maria’s $35,000/year tuition.In 2001, the young star joined the junior circuit, and in her first two seasons won 51 matches and lost only six, coming away with six titles. After ranking 186th on the WTA charts with a professional loss to Monica Seles, Maria joined the big leagues and surprised skeptical players with an impressive 34-11 record. By the end of 2003, Maria had won two pro titles (the Quebec City and Japan Open) and two doubles titles with Tamarine Tanasugarn, moving her way up the ranks to 32. With a consistent winning record under her belt and her beautiful face being splashed on magazine covers across the globe, Maria should have no problem settling in to her new role as a celebrity.

Nicole Vaidisova Concentration

2005-09-22T17:14:00.000-04:00

Introduced to tennis by mother at age 6...Trained at the Nick Bollettieri Academy...Has an all-court game; biggest weapon is serve...Father plays recreational tennis...Younger brothers are Oliver and Toby...Follows NHL (ice hockey)...Likes reading, going to the movies, doing yoga and bike riding...Enjoys pop music, especially by Madonna...Speaks Czech, German and English, and is studying French...Favorite city is New York because of its constant activity...Featured in Reebok's 2005 "I Am What I Am" advertising campaign. Loves Big Mexican Men.

Maria Kirilenko: Cute As A Button

2005-09-22T17:07:00.000-04:00

Coached by former WTA Tour pro Elena Brioukhovets...Started playing at age seven when father introduced her to the game at Dinamo Moscow Central Stadium...Parents are Olga and Yuri...Speaks Russian and English...Favorites include movies Barber of Siberia and Story of a Knight, classical music, especially by Vivaldi, Mozart, Bach or Beethoven, books The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, Notre-Dame de Paris, White Fang and short stories by O'Henry, and baked potatos...Enjoys other sports, especially soccer...Relaxes by reading books, watching movies, fishing and cooking...Most memorable experience was the US Open junior awards ceremony...Admires tennis players Roger Federer and Jennifer Capriati for their styles and attitudes on the court...Considers herself "nice" and "outgoing."

Karolina Sprem Gets Serious

2005-09-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

Intense

Anna Kournikova: Wet With Sweat

2005-09-22T16:00:00.000-04:00

She's got me going like a turbo Vette!

Daniela Hantuchova Stretches Before A Match

2005-09-22T15:27:00.000-04:00

I have nothing to Say

Ashley Harkleroad: Tighty Whiteys

2005-09-22T14:22:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, Ashley had a wedgie. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. And we all lived happily ever after.

Ana Ivanovic

2005-09-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

Ana was born November 6th 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia. She stayed there for the most part of her life and still does although she now also spends a lot of time in Switzerland to train over there. She started playing at age 5 after watching tennis on tv, she especially remembers seeing Monica Seles.

Anna Kournikova Slam

2005-09-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

And she also plays tennis!

Marta Domachowska In Action!

2005-09-22T13:51:00.000-04:00

Coached by Iwona Kuczynska...Father introduced her to tennis at age seven at a neighborhood club (father and sister play); favorite surface is clay...Father, Wieslaw, works for ING; mother, Barbara, owns a jewelry shop; sister, Magda is a manager...Speaks three languages: Polish, English and Russian...Favorites include the colors black and white, the movie How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, actor Brad Pitt, all kinds of music, pizza, pancakes and Fanta soft-drinks...Other sport interests include football and swimming...Relaxes by listening to music, reading, shopping, and watching movies or TV...Admires Lance Armstrong and Kim Clijsters.

Maria Sharapova Is So Hot!

2005-09-22T13:42:00.000-04:00

She doesn't sweat, she glistens! It does look like there is a bit of a nip in the air, however.

Jelena Dokic, Again

2005-09-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

She normally does not look this bashful. Maybe she's embarrassed that she is so cold.

Iroda Tulyaganova

2005-09-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

Iroda was born January 7th, 1982 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She started playing tennis very early at age 9 in her city of Tashkent and played her first pro match in the Fed Cup when she was 14 years old..
She now measures 1m70 and weighs 63kg, she plays right-handed.

Karolina Sprem

2005-09-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

Karolina was born October 25th 1984 in Varazdin, Croatia, city where she still lives. She was born from parents Gabro and Bozena and has one sister, none of them played much tennis.

Anastasia Myskina

2005-09-21T15:32:00.000-04:00

Anastasia was born July 8th, 1981 in Moscow, Russia from parents Andrey and Galina. She started playing tennis at 6 with her parents , she then went to the Spartak club in Moscow where she was coached by Marat Safin's mother until they left for Spain in 1994.
Anastasia is trained by Svitoslav Mirza since 1994 and has improved every year since even reaching a career rank of #41 in July 2000!

Marta Marrero

2005-09-21T15:12:00.000-04:00

Nationality: ESP
Birth Date: 16 January, 1983
Plays: Right
Current rank for singles: 108
Current rank for doubles: 253
High rank for singles: 107
High rank date for singles: 22 May, 2000
High rank for doubles: 251
High rank date for doubles: 15 May, 2000
Career matches won: 2
Career matches lost: 2
Career prize money: $42,595

Maria Sharapova's Form

2005-09-21T13:32:00.000-04:00

100 plus MPH serve

Maria Is Still Hungry

2005-09-21T13:30:00.000-04:00

See Photograph Below

Jelena Dokic Is Very Photogenic

2005-09-21T12:35:00.000-04:00

Pure Determination

Anna Kournikova

2005-09-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

Anna Kournikova was born June 7th 1981 in Moscow. Her parents names are Allah and Sergei. She received her first tennis raquet at 5 years old when her parents sold their tv to buy her for christmas. She played in a club near her place untill age 11. After, she moved to Bradenton, Florida (USA) to train with Nick Bollitierri. At 14, she represented Russia in a Fed cup match and became the youngest player ever to win a fed cup match.
She won her first professionnel title in 1999 at Midland, Michigan, an ITF tournament. She was 5th favoutie in Illinois the same year and won her 2nd career ITF tournament.
Kournikova made her WTA debut at 15 years old at the US Open where she finally lost against #1 player Steffi Graf. She also made it to the double quarter finals that same tournament.

Ashley Harkleroad

2005-09-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

Ashley Harkleroad rise to fame has followed closely in the ongoing demise of rival Blonde bombshell Anna Kournikova.When the lacklustre Kournikova started struggled to win a match, tournament directors, and the media, needed a new attraction capable of sticking around long enough to fill their pages with teasing photographs.In almost idyllic timing - Harkleroad made an appearance at the 2001 US Open, and the young American certainly caught someone’s eye.With Kournikova nowhere to be found, she hit the headlines and her picture appeared in plenty of publications. Dressing provocatively and claiming her outfits ‘got the guys shouting for her’ – the media believed they had found their American Kournikova.Unfortunately her results were pretty similar, losing in the first round of that open, and netting an identical result a year later. But she’s still very young so we don't hold that against her - yet.

Daniela Hantuchova

2005-09-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

Modern Ladies Tennis is often ridiculed for it's lack of quality in depth and for its glamorous - yet underperforming - icons who grace the pages of countless magazines, despite never winning a title.
Breathing new life into the women's circuit is Daniela Hantuchova, a player worthy of attention for both her talent and her beauty.
Add to that her undeniable charm off the court and her feisty manner on it, and you have a tennis professional who is a natural role model for the ailing women's game.

Tatiana Golovin

2005-09-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

Tatiana Golovin (Татьяна Головин or Татьяна Головина) (born January 25, 1988) She was born in Moscow, but moved to Paris with her parents and obtained French citizenship. She also spent six years at Nick Bolletteri's tennis camp in Bradenton, Forida and speaks fluent English as a result.

Maria Kirilenko

2005-09-21T09:28:00.000-04:00

Beijing, September 20, 2005

Maria Kirilenko has beaten Jamea Jackson of the US in the first round of the women singles in two straight sets 7-5 7-5. In the doubles Maria's partner is Marta Domachowska of Poland. They lost the first round to the team Ting LI/Tiantian SUN, both of China, in three sets 6-4 4-6 6-7.

Maria Sharapova's Tight Pants

2005-09-20T17:10:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful picture! Damn I love zoom lenses! If this were a guy, it would really hurt.

Jelena Dokic (How About Them Apples)

2005-09-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

"There are hard times, there are good times, you have to deal with that. I like the life that I have, but it`s certainly not an easy life, even if I wouldn't change it for anything!" - Jelena Dokic

Elena Dementieva

2005-09-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

Elena was born October 15th, 1981 in Moscow, Russia and turned pro in 1998.

Height 5'10" (180 cm)
Weight 142 lbs (64 kg)
Plays: Right-handed

Nicole Vaidisova

2005-09-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

This girl plays so hard, she can't keep her dress on!

Another Talent For Miss Sharapova

2005-09-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

I know that eating bananas are good for you, but Maria seems to really be enjoying her snack! She should be able to find work after her tennis career is over. Photoshop gurus will be able to have a lot of fun with this picture!

Maria Sharapova

2005-09-20T16:09:00.000-04:00

What can I say? Maria is the hottest thing to hit Women's tennis since Graphite tennis rackets.
Russian phenom Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004 with a stunning triumph over former champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4. She became the first Russian to win a singles title at the championships, and only the second Russian woman to win a grand slam title. She also swept singles and doubles titles at Birmingham, becoming the third youngest in the Open Era at 17 years, 2 months.
Sharapova became one of only five women this season to win three or more Tour singles titles by defeating Marta Domachowska 6-1, 6-1 in the inaugural Korea Open in October. A week later, she won here second straight Japan Open by overpowering American Mashona Washington 6-0, 6-1.
Her last victory of the year came at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships, as she became the first Russian ever to win the coveted title. Sharapova finished the season ranked No 4. in the world after beginning the year ranked No. 32.

Marta Domachowska

2005-09-20T14:02:00.000-04:00

She's not the most famous tennis player, but you have to admire her form!

Maria Sanchez Lorenzo

2005-09-20T13:45:00.000-04:00

I normally admire the Eastern European women tennis players the most, but there is definitely something about Maria. She's beautiful, and she's got game. I'd love to play with her, and I'd like to hit a few tennis balls also.

Jelena Dokic

2005-09-20T13:29:00.000-04:00

This is one of the first images that come up on Google when you type in her name. I can't imagine why. WOW!

Nothing But Hot Women's Tennis Players

2005-09-20T13:19:00.000-04:00

I am an advid fan of Tennis. I love to watch it and play it. My favorite tennis players are the females. I'm not talking about the tough Martina Navratilova type of female tennis players. I really like the beautiful type of very feminine tennis players like Maria Sharapova. I will be posting the hottest pictures of the hottest female tennis players on this blog. I hope everyone enjoys it.