Nadia Petrova

Hantuchova rides into round three

2008-01-17T07:18:00.000Z

Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia plays a backhand during her second round match against Alize Cornet of France on day four

Women's No.9 seed Daniela Hantuchova has eliminated France's Alize Cornet in straight sets to advance to the third round of Australian Open 2008.

Hantuchova survived a late surge from her opponent to take the match 6-2 7-5.

Hantuchova broke Cornet twice in the opening set to win it comfortably but Cornet began to put up a fight early in the second set when, after a correct challenge using the new video line calling system on Vodafone Arena , she was left with three break points.

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Henin to face Kuznetsova in final

2007-03-02T21:39:00.000Z

Justine Henin of Belgium celebrates after winning her semi-final match against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia for the WTA Qatar Total Open in Doha, 02 March 2007.

DOHA, Qatar -- Top seed Justine Henin beat Serbian Jelena Jankovic 6-7 6-2 6-4 to reach the final of the Qatar Open on Friday and stay on course for a 'Gulf Double'.

The Belgian's opponent in Saturday's final will be Russian second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Slovak Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-2.

Henin, who won her first title of the season in Dubai last week after beating Kuznetsova in the semifinals, extended her winning streak to 7-0 after beating the fourth seed in two hours and 22 minutes.

Both players made a string of unforced errors, resulting in breaks and counter-breaks.

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Henin Beats Mauresmo For Fourth Career Dubai Title

2007-02-26T20:53:00.001Z

Justine Henin of Belgium holds the trophy after she beat Amelie Mauresmo of France in their final tennis match for Dubai Duty Free Open 24 February 2007. Henin won 6-4, 7-5.

DUBAI, UAE - When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That was the theme throughout the week in Dubai as a somewhat rusty Justine Henin played her way back into top form, and on Saturday night extended her undefeated streak in the Middle Eastern paradise to 16-0 with her fourth Dubai Duty Free Women's Open title. She downed Amelie Mauresmo in an intense final, 64 75.

The championship match, played under the lights of the beautiful Dubai Tennis Stadium, was a tight affair save the first and final moments. The top-seeded Henin broke twice to jump ahead 4-1 in the first set; Mauresmo, the No.2 seed, got one break back then nearly pulled even, holding points to close to 4-all, but was unable to capitalize. The second set was a tight one as well as the players remained on serve throughout most of it; but again it was the Belgian who pulled through in the crunch, holding, breaking and holding on a 12-point, three-game tear for her 16th straight win at the $1.5 million, Tier II event.

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Mauresmo beats Clijsters in final

2007-02-18T17:36:00.001Z

French Amelie Mauresmo celebrates as she won the final against Kim Clijsters at the Antwerp Proximus Diamond Games WTA tennis tournament, 18 February 2007. Amelie Mauresmo won 6-4, 7-6 and the racket of 1700 diamonds, of a weight of 17 kg and wich values 1 million euro, as she won the tournement for the third time in 3 years.

Top seed Amelie Mauresmo spoiled Kim Clijsters' last appearance on home soil with a straight-sets win in the Diamond Games final in Antwerp.

Mauresmo won 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to become the first player to win a hat-trick of Antwerp titles, and for that feat also won a diamond-studded racquet trophy.

"I said all week I didn't think about it, but honestly I thought about it the whole week," said Mauresmo.

Clijsters was playing her last match in Belgium before retiring later in 2007.

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Belgium's Kim Clijsters wipes a tear as she lost against France's Amelie Mauresmo at the final of the Diamond games in Antwerp, Belgium, Sunday Feb. 18, 2007. Kim Clijsters bid a tearful farewell to her Belgian fans Sunday after losing at her last tournament on home turf before retiring later this season.

But her serve soon let her down again as Mauresmo took the first set, before both players broke serve twice in the second.

Clijsters fought back from two break points down in the tie-break to level at 4-4 before Mauresmo won three points in a row.

"Enjoy the beautiful racquet, you deserve it and I am sure it will find a nice place in your house," said Clijsters.

"You always play well here and you are a terrific player."
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Clijsters & Mauresmo reach final

2007-02-18T00:06:00.001Z

Belgium's Kim Clijsters returns the ball during the semi-finals of the Proximus Diamond Games against France's Tatiana Golovin at the Sportpalace in Antwerp, Belgium, Saturday Feb. 17, 2007. Klijsters won the match 6-4, 6-3.

Kim Clijsters ensured that her last match on Belgian soil will be a tough encounter when she set up a Diamond Games final against Amelie Mauresmo.

French top seed Amelie Mauresmo battled to a 6-3 3-6 6-2 win over Russia's Anna Chakvetadze in the first of Saturday's semi-finals in Antwerp.

And Clijsters, 23, then gave her home crowd what they wanted by defeating France's Tatiana Golovin 6-4 6-3.

Clijsters is playing her final Belgian event before retiring later in 2007.

"Tomorrow will be a very emotional day and I am just glad that I am still here to enjoy it and am in the final," said Clijsters.

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Clijsters reaches Antwerp semis

2007-02-17T00:38:00.000Z

Belgian Kim Clijsters celebrates after defeating Serbian Ana Ivanovic during their quarter final match at the Proximus Diamond Games WTA tennis tournament in Antwerp, 16 February 2007. Clijsters defeated Ivanovic 6-2, 6-1 and qualify herself for the half-final.

Second seed Kim Clijsters cruised into the semi-finals of the Diamond Games in Antwerp with a 6-2 6-1 thrashing of Serbian eighth seed Ana Ivanovic.

The Belgian, in her final tournament on home soil before she retires at the end of the year, now meets Tatiana Golovin who beat Elena Likhovtseva 7-6 7-5.

Russia's Anna Chakvetadze upset in-form third seed Nadia Petrova 6-3 6-4 to set up a semi-final with Amelie Mauresmo.

Top seed Mauresmo of France beat Russian Dinara Safina 6-1 6-3.

I am just focusing on each day and each game, Kim said.

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Clijsters wins Diamond Games opener

2007-02-15T15:19:00.000Z

Belgian Kim Clijsters celebrates after wining the second round match of the Proximus Diamond Games WTA tennis tournament against Russian Olga Poutchkova in Antwerp, 14 February 2007. Clijster won 6-0, 6-2.

ANTWERP, Belgium -- Kim Clijsters won the first match of her last home tournament Wednesday, beating Olga Poutchkova 6-0, 6-2 to advance into the quarterfinals of the Diamond Games.

Despite a recent recovery from the flu and a sore hip, the second-seeded Belgian won easily and enjoyed a standing ovation from the 10,000-strong crowd at the Sports Palace.

"It is so nice when everyone is backing you like that," said Clijsters, who grew up near the venue.

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Tennis star named UN ambassador

2007-02-15T15:04:00.000Z

Ms Sharapova said she was delighted with her new role

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has been named as a goodwill ambassador for the UN development agency, UNDP.

The 19-year-old will focus on projects dealing with the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Signed on for a symbolic $1 (51 pence) the world's top-ranked female player said it was "one of my proudest contracts ever".

Ms Sharapova immediately gave $100,000 to projects tackling the world's worst nuclear accident.

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Petrova reaches Antwerp quarters

2007-02-15T14:56:00.000Z

Russian Nadia Petrova shows a clinched fist after defeating compatriot Vera Zvonareva during their second round match at the Proximus Diamond Games WTA tennis tournament in Antwerp, 15 February 2007.

Third seed Nadia Petrova beat fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Diamond Games in Antwerp.

Petrova, who is going for back-to-back titles after winning in Paris last week, will next meet compatriot and seventh seed Anna Chakvetadze.

Elena Likhovtseva progressed when fourth seed Elena Dementieva withdrew because of illness trailing 6-2 1-1.

Top seed Amelie Mauresmo plays Virginie Razzano later on Thursday.

Petrova claims Paris Open title

2007-02-11T21:02:00.000Z

Russia's Nadia Petrova holds her trophy after winning over Czech Lucie Safarova at the end of their WTA Paris Indoor Open tennis final match, 11 February 2007 at the Pierre de Coubertin stadium. Petrova won the final 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Nadia Petrova came from a set and a break down to beat Czech player Lucie Safarova in the Paris Open final.

The Russian won 4-6 6-1 6-4 against Safarova, who beat Svetlana Kuznetsova and ex-world number one Justine Henin on her way to the final.

Unseeded Safarova, 20, took the first set in 30 minutes and broke to go 1-0 up in the second.

But Petrova then won six games in a row to win the second set and broke twice in the third set to clinch victory.

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Petrova powers into Paris quarter-finals

2007-02-09T06:22:00.000Z

Russian's Nadia Petrova returns a forehand to her German opponent Martina Muller at Paris WTA Open. Petrova won 6-1, 6-2.

PARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Russian Nadia Petrova made light work of Germany's Martina Muller to reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Open with a merciless 6-1 6-2 victory on Thursday.

Fourth seed Petrova, who will play compatriot Dinara Safina for a place in the last four, wrapped up a straightforward win in 51 minutes.

The world number seven, who beat Safina in their two previous meetings, built her success on a highly reliable serve and broke her opponent four times.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Anna Chakvetadze recovered from a shaky start to reach the last eight with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory over Spaniard Anabel Medina.

Eighth seed Chakvetadze will next play either holder Amelie Mauresmo or Nathalie Dechy, who meet in an all-French second round clash later on Thursday.

Medina converted one of her two break points to edge the first set but Chakvetadze's efficient groundstrokes eventually saw the Russian through after two hours and nine minutes.

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The Russian showed no signs of her loss to Serena a few weeks ago, winning 90% of her first serve points; an amazing ratio for a big server such as herself.

She only faced one break point throughout the match, and saved it with ease. Nadia was even better on break point conversions, winning 4 of 6 of the break points she faced.

Nadia’s next match will be against Russian compatriot Dinara Safina. This is definately a more difficult match for Nadia, who really hasn’t played too many top players as of yet. However, if Nadia keeps up her consistent first serves, and keeps the errors to a minimum, she just may bury Safina before the match even begins. I see Nadia winning in 2-3 sets. She’ll have to be in control of her emotions, or at least be in better control than the often emotionally unstable sister of the emotionally unstable Marat Safin. If that intangeble alone is in Nadia’s favor, I see her marching into the semis, where she’ll most likely play HUGE crowd favorite, Amelie Mauresmo.

Unfortunately, Nadia will be unable to move up in the rankings, even if she wins. However, the better she does here, the closer the gap will be between her and Swiss Miss Martina Hingis.

A good showing here would pave the way for her return to the top 5. All in all, a great match by Nadia to beat Muller, and here’s hoping for an even better pummling against Safina!!
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Mauresmo marches through in Paris

2007-02-09T05:32:00.000Z

France's Amelie Mauresmo chats with her coach Loic Courteau during her WTA Paris Open tennis match against her French opponent Nathalie Dechy in Paris. Mauresmo won 6-3, 6-2. Players have mixed feelings about the WTA's latest experiment with coaches, aimed at spicing up the game for spectators. For several months, the WTA has allowed players to call on their coaches during matches. But while some have taken to the new initiative, others have steadfastly blanked it.

Amelie Mauresmo came through an all-French encounter against Nathalie Dechy 6-3 6-3 to keep her title defence at the Paris Indoor Open on track.

The second seed dominated Dechy and wrapped up victory in one hour and 22 minutes to set up a quarter-final with Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

"I haven't played much these last few months so I'm trying to put things back in place," Mauresmo said.

"I don't think it will take too long because I feel good physically."

Chakvetadze set up a meeting with Mauresmo by defeating Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 4-6 6-4 6-4.

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Henin through after early jitters

2007-02-09T05:28:00.001Z

Belgium's Justine Henin returns a backhand to her French opponent Emilie Loit during their WTA Paris Open match in Paris.

Top seed Justine Henin came from a set down to beat Emilie Loit in the second round of the Paris Open on Wednesday.

Looking rusty in her first match since November, Henin was unable to stop her French opponent taking the first set.

But the world number two found her form after that and claimed the second set with a wonderful drop volley before cruising through the decider.

Henin served 14 aces in total to complete a 3-6 6-2 6-2 victory and secure a place in the quarter-finals.

"In the first set I just wasn't playing. I didn't take the initiative," said Henin. "I waited a while and then my level rose. I was very happy after that.

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Hingis races to record fifth Tokyo title

2007-02-04T19:44:00.000Z

Switzerland's Martina Hingis holds up the winner's trophy during an awarding ceremony after the final match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in Tokyo 04 February 2007.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Former world number one Martina Hingis thrashed Serbia's Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-2 to win a record fifth Pan Pacific Open title on Sunday.

The Swiss second seed completely outclassed Ivanovic, wrapping up a one-sided final in 71 minutes to capture her third singles title since returning full-time to the WTA Tour in 2006.

"Winning (tournaments) is twice as sweet this time around definitely," Hingis told reporters. "It used to be so normal for me in 1997 and 1998.

"I never thought I'd have the chance to win tournaments again. This time it feels like I really deserve it. I'm more proud this time round."

It was also a 43rd career singles title for Hingis, who previously won in Tokyo in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002 and was a losing finalist on three other occasions.

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Hingis beats Dementieva to face Ivanovic in tennis final

2007-02-03T17:15:00.000Z

Switzerland's Martina Hingis returns the ball against Russia's Elena Dementieva during their semi-final match at the Pan Pacific Open tournament in Tokyo. Hingis beat Dementieva 6-4, 6-3.(AFP/Toshifumi Kitamura).

TOKYO (AFP) - Former world number one Martina Hingis has beaten defending champion Elena Dementieva for a place in the final of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament against Ana Ivanovic.
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The Swiss second seed, seeking a record fifth Tokyo indoor title this week, avenged her loss in last year's final with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the Russian third seed.

Ivanovic, the fifth seed from Serbia, received a free ticket to the final after current world number one Maria Sharapova of Russia pulled out of her semi-final match with a left hamstring injury at 6-1, 0-1.

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Sharapova Pulls Out of Pan Pacific Open

2007-02-03T16:17:00.000Z

Top-seeded Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova (L) receives a massage from a trainer during her semi-final match against Ana Ivanovic of Servia in the Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament in Tokyo, 03 February 2007. Sharapova retired from the match due to injury after 1-6, 0-1.

Top-ranked Maria Sharapova retired during the second set of her Pan Pacific Open semifinal against Ana Ivanovic on Saturday because of a hamstring injury.

After dropping the first set 6-1, the Russian star consulted with her trainer. She won the first game of the second set before retiring.

'It's disappointing to have to finish this way,' Sharapova said. 'I started to feel pain in the second game of the first set. I tried to go on, but you can't get away with it when you are playing against a top player.'

Fifth-seeded Ivanovic of Serbia will face second-seeded Martina Hingis in the final on Sunday.

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Maria Sharapova entered the Family Circle Cup

2007-02-01T01:01:00.001Z

Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates winning a point during her fourth round match against Vera Zvonareva of Russia on day eight of the Australian Open 2007 at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia.

Maria Sharapova, the most recognizable and highest paid female athlete in the world, has officially entered the 2007 Family Circle Cup.

At only nineteen years old, this two-time Grand Slam champion returns to Charleston with stellar career marks including 15 singles titles, a 239-56 win-loss record and over $9 million in winnings. Yesterday she regained the World No. 1 ranking, marking the 8th week in her career that she has held the top spot in women’s professional tennis. Since computer rankings were started in 1973, only 15 women have achieved the status of World No. 1 on the women’s professional tennis tour.

This year, the Family Circle Cup is proud to feature four members of that elite club who will be joining a host of other top players battling for one of the most coveted trophies in women’s tennis. With the addition of World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, this year’s Family Circle Cup player field now boasts four of the top five players in the world including Justine Henin-Hardenne, Amelie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

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“Maria is one of the most sought-after players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and her commitment to play this event takes the Family Circle Cup to a whole new level,” commented Robin Reynolds, Family Circle Cup Tournament Director. “Not only is she the world’s top female player, but Maria is also a celebrity that transcends tennis, and we are very pleased that she’ll be here in April.”

“I have very pleasant memories of my trip to Charleston four years ago and I’m looking forward to playing in the tournament and enjoying some time in the city,” noted reigning US Open Champion / World No. 1 player Maria Sharapova. “The Family Circle Cup has a great reputation on the Tour, especially with the players, so I’m excited to be coming back and starting my clay court season at such a wonderful event.”

Maria Sharapova first competed in the Family Circle Cup as a World No. 167 ranked qualifier in 2003 where she reached the first round of the main draw. Her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour victory came later that year at the Japan Open, then another in Quebec City, which propelled her through the rankings to finish at No. 32 in the world.

Sharapova thrust herself onto a world stage in 2004 when she claimed her first major title as the second youngest ladies champion in the open era at Wimbledon, then won the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships leading to a year-end career-high No. 4 ranking. She also received two major awards that year including the WTA Tour’s “Player of the Year” and “Most Improved Player of the Year”.

She repeated as the World’s No. 4 player in 2005 by reaching the quarterfinals or better in all 15 events in which she competed (including all four Grand Slams), winning three finals including her first Tier I title at Tokyo (Pan Pacific), reaching the semifinals of the Tour Championships, and becoming the 15th player in history to appear at the No. 1 spot which she held for a total of 7 weeks that year.

Sharapova’s best year to date came in 2006 as she earned a year-end World No. 2 ranking by reaching the semifinals or better in 13 of 15 starts, claiming 5 titles including three Tier I events and her second major at the US Open, and completed a 19-match win streak with a semifinal appearance at the Tour Championships. Her 59 match wins (second best in 2006) helped her to surpass the 200 career victory mark as she became the highest-earning Russian in Tour history, in addition to being named the Whirlpool “6th Sense Player of the Year”.

In addition to her many on-court tennis accolades, Maria Sharapova has become a worldwide celebrity who has appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated & ESPN magazines, was listed in Forbes magazine as one of the richest female athletes in the world, and was highlighted as one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People. She has also appeared in several other magazines including Vogue Italia, W, YM, Sport (as one of the Athletes to Watch Out for in the 21st Century), and Teen People (as one of 20 Teens Who Will Change the World), as well as other major publications such as USA Today. Sharapova has made appearances on numerous television shows such as NBC’s Today and Tonight Show, Entertainment Tonight, Live with Regis and Kelly, Inside Edition, ESPN’s Sportscenter and Cold Pizza, Fox and Friends, CBS’s Early Show and Craig Kilborn, MTV’s TRL, Access Hollywood and the Tour’s Magazine Show, among others.
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Sharapova sets sights on French Open

2007-01-30T13:26:00.000Z

Russia's Maria Sharapova speaks during a news conference ahead of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo January 30, 2007. REUTERS/Issei Kato.

TOKYO (Reuters) - What do you give a woman who is flying high on top of the world? If that woman is Maria Sharapova, it would be a French Open crown.

With Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles already tucked away in her locker, the Russian world number one is targeting victory in Paris this year following her return to the top of the rankings this week.

"Probably one of the biggest challenges is going to be the French for me," the 19-year-old told Reuters on Tuesday. "It's a challenge I'm really looking forward to."

"I had a terrible claycourt season last year because of injury. I shouldn't even have been at the French Open, but I tried.

"But I feel like I can do it this year. I'm definitely looking forward to it."

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New No. 1 Sharapova not celebrating

2007-01-28T02:11:00.000Z

Maria Sharapova, who will displace Henin-Hardenne officially as No. 1 on Monday, couldn’t find a way to prevent Serena Williams from winning her eighth slam title in the Australian Open.

MELBOURNE, Australia - This was not how Maria Sharapova wanted to celebrate her elevation to No. 1 in the rankings: sitting on a plane to Tokyo on Sunday after being on the receiving end of one of the most lopsided results in a Grand Slam final.

The Sharapova that looked so dominant while winning last year’s U.S. Open in straight sets over Justine Henin-Hardenne had no answers Saturday against a resurgent Serena Williams in the Australian Open, losing 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour.

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Williams cruises to victory in Aussie final

2007-01-27T14:13:00.000Z

Serena Williams captured her third Australian Open title. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP / Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Serena Williams answered her critics with an overpowering victory in the Australian Open final.

Unseeded and ranked 81st, Williams won for her eighth and most improbable Grand Slam title Saturday, beating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.

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Serena's performance a blast from the past

2007-01-27T13:57:00.000Z

Serena Williams polished off Maria Sharapova in 63 minutes. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

MELBOURNE, Australia - The charismatic Serena Williams has always been a bit of an enigma on court and off, but her personal struggles over the past three years have been as normal as anyone's who has lost a sibling.

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Maria takes strength

2007-01-26T22:09:00.001Z

Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates winning her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium on day eleven of the Australian Open 2007.

Friday, 26 January, 2007

Women's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova believes her early hurdle on the way to this year's Australian Open final has set her in good stead to raise a second consecutive Grand Slam trophy on Day 13.

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Serena and Maria centre stage on Day 13

2007-01-26T21:31:00.000Z

Maria Sharapova of Russia shows her frustration during her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters

Friday, 26 January, 2007.
With their head-to-head ledger locked at 2-2, Russian No.1 seed Maria Sharapova and two-time champion Serena Williams look set for a battle royal in Day 13's women's singles final at Australian Open 2007.
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Aussie Kim says her goodbyes

2007-01-25T17:09:00.000Z

Maria Sharapova left, of Russia embraces Kim Clijsters of Belgium after their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Thursday January 25.

Thursday, 25 January, 2007.
Kim Clijsters admitted the fact she had just played her last Australian Open match had not even sunk in as she came to terms with her heartbreaking semifinal loss to Russia's No.1 seed Maria Sharapova on Day 11 at Melbourne Park.

Clijsters is one of the most popular players ever to visit Australia and clearly had a packed Rod Laver Arena on her side as she fought for the right to face Serena Williams in Saturday's final in her last Australian Open campaign before her retirement at the end of this year.
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Clijsters' last stand?

2007-01-25T08:16:00.000Z

Kim Clijsters of Belgium waves to the crowd after her semifinal loss to Maria Sharapova of Russia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbo - Thursday January 25.

Kim Clijsters gets the chance to extend her last-ever Australian Open until the final match when she takes on Maria Sharapova in Thursday's second women's semi-final.

Crowd favourite Clijsters, who retires at the end of the year, knows she will have to improve on her quarter-final performance, when she hit 62 unforced errors in edging past good friend Martina Hingis 3-6 6-4 6-3.

"We always had good matches, good battles, close sets," Clijsters said of her match against Sharapova. "She's a great athlete and a good player.

"I just have to be there from the beginning. I can definitely not afford all the unforced errors against Maria because she just steps on top of you.
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Sharapova sets up Serena showdown

2007-01-25T07:54:00.000Z

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates winning a point during her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium on day eleven of the Australian Open 2007 at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images).

Maria Sharapova will meet Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open after she brushed aside the challenge of Kim Clijsters on Thursday.

Sharapova was in aggressive form as she saw off Clijsters 6-4 6-2 in the second semi-final at the Rod Laver Arena.

The Russian's big first serve and powerful groundstrokes were too much for the popular Clijsters, despite the partisan support of the Melbourne fans.

Sharapova said: "I managed to find the big first serves when I needed them."

With Clijsters due to retire at the end of this season, this was her last appearance as a player at the Australian Open.

After leaving the court to a prolonged standing ovation, she said: "Of course I'll miss it - it's been a pleasure playing here.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a better match today - I tried everything I had, but I came up against a better player."

Sharapova, the number one seed, had fallen at the semi-final stage in both of the last two Australian Opens.

But she sought to dominate Clijsters from the start, and the 2004 runner-up could not live with the younger woman's power.

She said: "I'm excited about the final - I had a tough one here with Serena a few years ago.

"But I'm a little sad, because Kim is such a great champion on and off the court."

Serena storms into final

2007-01-25T07:11:00.000Z

Serena Williams of the USA plays a backhand during her semi-final match against Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic on day eleven.

Thursday, 25 January, 2007

Serena Williams has become the first unseeded woman to make the Australian Open final for eight years, ousting Czech No.10 seed Nicole Vaidisova in straight-sets on Rod Laver Arena.

Williams, the 2003 and 2005 champion, overcame a slow start to take a tight match 7-6(5) 6-4 and set up a final showdown with either Kim Clijsters or Maria Sharapova.

Vaidisova got a break in the opening game of the match, before Williams snatched it back in the sixth game. The Czech teenager then broke again and she served for the set in the tenth game.

But Williams rescued a set-point and took it to a tiebreaker, where she won the first four points. Vaidisova rallied to square it at 5-5, but cost herself the set with a forehand into the net when Williams had set point.

The first three games of the second set went against serve, before Williams held for a 3-1 lead. A crucial double fault in Vaidisova's next service game handed Williams another break, and she soon had a grip on a spot in the final with a 5-1 advantage. The Czech held her next service game, and then got a break back with sensational backhand winner which left the American flat-footed.

The brave 17-year-old then saved four match points in her next service game, getting the scoreline back to 4-5. She rescued another as Williams served for the match, before Williams finally sealed it with an overhead smash.

Serena into final at Aussie Open

2007-01-25T07:00:00.001Z

Serena Williams of the USA celebrates winning a point during her semi-final match against Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic on day eleven.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - American Serena Williams continued her march toward a possible third Australian Open title, reaching the final with a thrilling 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over 10th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova.

Williams, who came into this tournament ranked 81st in the world, has a chance to become only the second unseeded Australian Open women's singles champion in the Open Era. She'll face either top seed Maria Sharapova or fourth seed Kim Clijsters for the title on Saturday.

Williams won the Aussie Open in 2003 and '05, and is trying for her eighth Grand Slam title. However, she almost fell behind a set on Thursday and was in danger of not reaching the final.

Vaidisova was ahead 5-4 and had a set point, but Williams saved it and the Czech hit a return into the net, allowing the American to break serve.

Then, Williams blew a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak, partly due to a pair of double faults. Vaidisova's four consecutive points evened it, but Williams came through with a backhand passing shot, and another unforced error by the Czech ended the opening set.

It looked as if Williams would breeze to the final with a 5-1 lead in the second set, but Vaidisova broke serve once to stay in the match. Vaidisova then saved five match points, the last one when a backhand by her was clearly wide, but Williams was out of challenges.

It didn't matter though, as Williams ended it on her sixth match point try, delivering an overhand smash winner.

01/25 00:13:07 ET

Sharapova, Clijsters to meet in semifinals

2007-01-24T15:05:00.000Z

Maria Sharapova, the reigning U.S. Open champion, beat 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters will meet in the semifinals of the Australian Open after each were victorious Wednesday, but both had to overcome plenty of unforced errors.

The top-seeded Sharapova, the reigning U.S. Open champion, beat 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze in an all-Russian matchup, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5. Sharapova had 41 unforced errors, but managed to capitalize on mistakes from her compatriot at Rod Laver Arena.

The fourth-seeded Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open titlist, then rallied to top No. 6 seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Belgian overcame 62 unforced errors to deny Hingis a chance at her fourth Australian Open championship.

Thursday's other semifinal will pit unseeded American Serena Williams against 10th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova.

Clijsters, who beat Hingis in the quarterfinals in Melbourne last year, took advantage of a double fault by her Swiss opponent in the final game of the match. Clijsters then drilled a passing shot to end it.

"This could have been my last match here," said Clijsters, who has already announced she will retire at the end of this year. "I'm very happy I get to play another one."

The number of unforced errors pointed to a Hingis win, but Clijsters was able to move into the semifinals for the fifth time since 2002.

"That was, I think, the only thing that I was seeing out there," Clijsters said of the miscues. "I really wasn't seeing the ball. The only thing you can do when you're not seeing the ball that well, and you feel like you're trying hard, is fight. I just worked for every point, and hopefully turned things around. I did."

For Hingis, she was trying to advance to her seventh final in Melbourne, having won the championship from 1997-99. She was the runner-up from 2000-02. The Swiss star missed the event from 2003-05 after she retired from the WTA Tour at the end of the 2002 season. She returned to the circuit in time for the start of the 2006 campaign.

"It's great to see her out here again," Clijsters said of Hingis. "I knew over the last year, she's definitely been improving. I knew it was going to be a tough one out there today. She's a good friend."

Sharapova, who is assured after this week of returning to the No. 1 ranking she last held in October 2005, moved to 44-15 lifetime in tour events against Russian players.

Chakvetadze held a 5-4 lead in the opening set, but couldn't break Sharapova the remainder of that set, and hit a forehand into the net to end the tiebreaker. Chakvetadze tried to fight back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set, breaking Sharapova once. However, Sharapova finally ended the match when Chakvetadze hit a return into the net.

"I was just very competitive," Sharapova said. "Against a girl like that, who gets a lot of balls back, it's just a matter of who can be a little bit smarter, who can get an extra ball back, who is a little tougher. I thought I did the job really well today."

As far as the semifinal matchups are concerned, Clijsters is 4-2 all-time against Sharapova, but the Russian has won the last two encounters. This will be the first meeting between Williams and Vaidisova.

Williams won the Aussie Open in 2003 and '05, and is trying for her eighth Grand Slam title.

01/24 08:15:30 ET

Serena guts out three-set win to reach Aussie semis

2007-01-24T13:41:00.000Z

Serena Williams continued her drive toward a third Australian Open title by rallying to beat Israeli Shahar Peer, 3-6, 6-2, 8-6.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - American Serena Williams continued her drive toward a third Australian Open title by rallying to beat Israeli Shahar Peer, 3-6, 6-2, 8-6, in the quarterfinals.

Williams, the 2003 and '05 champion in Melbourne, was behind 6-5 in the final set to the 16th seed, but broke back and then held serve at love before taking advantage of an unforced error to move into the semifinals after playing Peer for more than 2 1/2 hours.

Williams, who is unseeded at this event, moved into the round of four to play Nicole Vaidisova, who ended Lucie Safarova's magical run with a 6-1, 6-4 win in a battle between Czech players on Tuesday.

The lone American left at this tournament, Williams looked all but out after a poor first set. However, she was fortunate to survive as the 19-year-old Peer, the first woman from Israel ever to reach a Grand Slam ingles quarterfinal, converted just 3-of-13 break point opportunities. That included a 2-for-10 mark in the final set.

Williams bolted to a 4-1 lead in the final set, ending the fifth game with an ace. However, Peer came back to win the next three games. Williams' long forehand evened the match.

Peer nearly broke Williams in the ninth game, as the American fell behind 15-40, facing double-break point. Williams then fired a pair of aces to save those break points and then saved another on an unforced error by the Israeli. Williams eventually smashed another ace to hold serve.

However, after another game that went to deuce, Peer held serve for a 5-5 encounter. Peer then broke serve to move to the brink of a win, but Williams responded with a break to square the match again.

After Williams easily held serve, Peer fell apart in the final game. The Israeli hit a return long to set up match point, then hit a backhand wide to give Williams a chance to continue her title march.

Still, after the match, Williams was upset she blew such a big lead in the final set.

"I hate that situation, and I'm tired of being in that situation," a chuckling Williams said. "I don't know why I had to be in that situation today because I was up 4-1. All I had to do was hold. I didn't have to be there."

Williams, who overcame 49 unforced errors, is trying for her eighth Grand Slam title.

"It was definitely a hard-fought match," Williams said. "I wasn't playing my best tennis, so I'm excited that I was able to come through when I wasn't the best I could be today."

Vaidisova, the 10th seed, snuffed out Safarova, just two days after Safarova knocked off 2006 Aussie Open champion Amelie Mauresmo. The 17-year-old Vaidisova is through to her second Grand Slam semifinal, also reaching the round of four at the French Open last year.

"I've never played Serena before," Vaidisova said. "She's definitely a great champion. I expect a tough match from her."

The other half of the quarterfinals will be Wednesday. Reigning U.S. Open champion and No. 1 seed Maria Sharapova will take on 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze in an all-Russian matchup. Fourth seed Kim Clijsters will play No. 6 seed Martina Hingis, a three-time Melbourne titlist.

Sharapova, who is assured after this week of returning to the No. 1 ranking she last held in October 2005, is 43-15 lifetime in tour events against Russian players. That includes a 2-0 mark versus Chakvetadze, with the most recent meeting coming in 2005 in Los Angeles, when Sharapova rallied from a set down.

Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open champion, will compete in her fifth Aussie Open quarter (4-0), while Hingis will play in her ninth straight quarterfinal at this event (6-2). Hingis captured this Slam back-to-back-to-back from 1997-99 and was the runner-up from 2000-02. The Swiss star missed the event from 2003-05 after she retired from the WTA Tour at the end of the 2002 season. She returned to the circuit in time for the start of the 2006 campaign and has now reached the Aussie quarters the last two years.

The popular Clijsters topped Hingis in last year's Aussie Open quarters. The two stars have split eight career matchups, but Clijsters in 2-0 in their major meetings, with both wins coming last season. The Belgian star also topped the "Swiss Miss" in the '06 French Open quarters.

01/23 11:06:45 ET

Sharapova, Clijsters, Hingis reach Aussie quarters

2007-01-22T19:57:00.000Z

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - 01/22 11:30:22 ET.
U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova and her fellow former world No. 1s Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis secured berths in the 2007 Australian Open quarterfinals with fourth-round victories here on Monday.

The top-seeded Sharapova got past her 22nd-seeded fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-4 to win her 11th straight Grand Slam match. Sharapova hasn't lost in a major since she fell in the Wimbledon semifinals last summer. She ran the table at the U.S. Open last season, including a title match victory over current world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Sharapova will perform in her third straight Aussie Open quarter. The 19-year- old superstar's next opponent will be another fellow Russian, 12th-seeded Anna Chakvetadze, who upended eighth-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-1 on Day 8 at Melbourne Park. Schnyder had reached at least the quarterfinals here in each of the last three years. The 19-year-old Chakvetadze will play in her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The marquee quarterfinal here will pit a fourth-seeded Clijsters against a sixth-seeded Hingis. The 2004 Aussie Open runner-up Clijsters handled 15th- seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 7-5, while Hingis fought back to beat 19th-seeded Chinese Na Li 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. Hingis managed only eight winners in her come-from-behind victory, but Li uncorked 69 unforced errors to help the Swiss along.
Clijsters will compete in her fifth Aussie Open quarter (4-0), while the three-time Melbourne titlist Hingis will play in her ninth straight quarterfinal here (6-2). Hingis captured this Slam back-to-back-to-back from 1997-99 and was the runner-up from 2000-02. The Swiss star missed the event from 2003-05 after she retired from the WTA Tour at the end of the 2002 season. She returned to the circuit in time for the start of the 2006 campaign and has now reached the Aussie quarters the last two years.

The 2005 U.S. Open champion Clijsters is looking forward to the bout with Hingis.

"It's always a pleasure to play her again here," Clijsters said. "She's just a great champion."

Clijsters topped Hingis in last year's Aussie Open quarters.

01/22 11:30:22 ET

Mauresmo sent packing at Aussie Open

2007-01-22T00:39:00.000Z

Amelie Mauresmo of France shows her frustration during her fourth round match against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic on day seven of the Australian Open 2007 at Melbourne Park on January 21, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Defending champion and second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France was ousted from the Australian Open Sunday, losing in the fourth round in straight sets to Lucie Safarova.

Mauresmo's first meeting with the 19-year-old Czech turned into a one-sided affair, as Safarova came through with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at Rod Laver Arena.

Also sent packing was third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, who lost to 16th seed Shahar Peer of Israel, 6-4, 6-2. Kuznetsova, a former U.S. Open champ and last year's French Open runner-up, committed 23 unforced errors.

...more

Nadia out of Australian Open

2007-01-19T18:56:00.000Z

Melbourne Australia, January 19, 2007.
Nadia - S.Williams 6-1, 5-7, 3-6.

Two-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams has kept her hopes of a third title at Melbourne Park alive with a stirring come-from-behind win over Russian No.5 seed Nadia Petrova on Rod Laver Arena. Williams, the 2003 and 2005 champion, was staring down the barrel of a third-round exit with Petrova one set and a break up in the second. But a combination of Williams' power and Petrova's nervy service game saw the unseeded American rally to take a gripping match.
The current world No.81 was in early trouble, as Petrova grabbed two first-set service breaks to sew up the opener in just 29 minutes. Williams responded to grab a 3-0 advantage in the second, but just as she looked set to get back in the game, Petrova won the next four games to take a stranglehold on the match.

But in a decisive period, both women's struggled to hold serve, and Williams managed to level up before a Petrova double fault in the 12th game handed Williams the set.

Williams got the first break of the third, but Petrova broke back immediately. But the Russian again faltered, losing her serve, and giving Williams the opening she needed to seal the match.

Petrova defeat Dulko

2007-01-19T02:29:00.000Z

Australian Open Round 2: Petrova def. Dulko 6-1, 6-2.

With a barrage of powerful serves and groundstrokes, Nadia completely demolished Gisela Dulko on the court today. Before the start of the match, I was a little worried that Nadia's movement would be affected by her nagging abdominal injury. However, Nadia used her powerful shots to take away time from Dulko.

In the first set of the match, Nadia raced to a 5-0 lead after struggling to hold serve in the third game. It looked like Nadia was about to serve her opponent the bagel, but she just missed out. Nadia took full advantage of Dulko's weak serves, many of which clocked in at just above 80 mph. There must have been at least two or three games in which Petrova broke to love.

Round Three: Nadia Petrova vs Serena Williams

The third round match will be a tough one. Nadia will be taking on two time Australian Open champion, Serena Williams. Williams comes to the Australian Open in much better shape than a year ago when she lost in the third round to Daniela Hantuchova. In the first round, Williams defeated the 27th seeded Mara Santangelo of Italy in style; only losing three games. Her match last night was much tougher than expected, but Williams prevailed 7-6, 6-2 over qualifier Anne Kremer of Luxembourg.

Despite having played a very limited schedule last year, it would be foolish of Petrova to underestimate Serena Williams. There are five very important keys to this match. The player who excels with the serve, the return of serve, break point conversions, and the movement will have the advantage.

* SERVE
Nadia has one of the biggest serves in the game. It will be crucial for Petrova to have a high percentage of first serves because Williams will pounce on any weak second serves. Nadia is also going to have to depend on her serve to win her a lot of cheap points (aces). Serena's serve will also be a big factor in this match. In her two previous matches, Williams' powerful firs serve has been a major weapon. Nadia is going to have to get a good read on the serve immediately.

* RETURN OF SERVE
Too many times I have seen Nadia have difficulty putting the ball into play during crucial points. If she gets nervous, she is going to have to play it safe by giving her self a good margin for error. Instead of netting or hitting the return of serve wide, Nadia should go down the middle. It will be very important for Nadia to make Serena play on every shot.

* MOVEMENT
Although both players look/are unfit at the moment, Nadia has the edge in this department. Williams movement is still relatively shaky and Nadia has got to take full advantage of it by moving her from side to side as much as possible.

* BREAK POINT CONVERSIONS
This is probably the single most important aspect of the match. Nadia has got to convert when she has the chance to go up a break. Both players have only been broken once so far.

*BODY LANGUAGE
Nadia tends to be very hard on herself when she commits errors. It's ok to be hard on yourself, just as long as it stays off the court. Nadia must not let Serena sense any nerves, tension, or negativity. If Nadia makes an error, she should not slap her thigh, or throw her racket. If Serena smells blood, Nadia is doomed.

Ultimately, the winner of this match will be the player that plays with aggression.

It has come to my attention that Nadia made some comments during her press conference about her upcoming match with Serena Williams. The article below is written by Matthwe Cronin of TennisReporters.net.

Petrova showing no fear with Serena looming

On Friday, the two will a face off in a highly anticipated third-round match. The fourth-seeded Petrova is looking to break though and win her first Grand Slam title, while Williams is trying to show the world that she still has elite stuff.

The winner will receive a huge boost of confidence, while the loser will get on a plane and wonder where her career is headed.

Petrova is a no-nonsense sort; good-natured and rarely cagey. She says what she thinks, consequences be dammed.

She doesn't believe Williams is that serious about her tennis anymore and she's planning on taking advantage of it.

"They haven't been doing so great," said Petrova, adding older sister Venus to the mix. "They've had lots of injuries and they are not in the best shape of their life. It looks like everything is leading to the end of their career because they are quite busy; they have talks shows, books, and clothing lines. It looks like they are focused on other things and they have already done their job on court. It looks like they are finishing playing tennis. The motivation probably isn't there."

Petrova has had problems too, but not with motivation. She's been through numerous coaches over the past year and has moved residences more than a couple times. She just ended her experiment living back in Moscow, proving you cannot go home again, especially when the traffic is stifling and you are not comfortable with new slang in your native language.

She's now living in Cyprus, where one of her coaches, Tatiana Matokhniuk, has a club. But she'll be moving to Monaco, shortly. That gorgeous locale has a nice situation set up for foreign athletes — a zero percent tax bracket.

Petrova is still a little unsettled. She wants a more relaxed life, but is also intensely driving herself toward the top.

She's the fifth seed here in Melbourne, but few are picking her to win the title. When asked whether she really belonged in the same sentence with favorites Maria Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo, and Kim Clijsters, she bristled.

"I don't feel like I'm just visiting the top five. I'm comfortable where I am," she said. "I'll stay there as long as I like to."

Petrova realizes she hasn't won a Grand Slam yet (or even reached a final). She feels that everything is coming together for her and she could be correct. Just over a year ago she was called a complete underachiever for failing to win a title of any kind. Then she won her first crown in October of 2005 and last year, she took down one top 10 scalp after another.

An injury curtailed her plans at the French Open and Wimbledon and for most of the summer, but she finished the year strong. The 5-foot-11 inch Russian finished the year with five titles and a top five ranking.

She's now called by some the best player not to have won a Grand Slam, which she takes as a compliment.

"I appreciate that people say (that) and hopefully one day it will happen," she said. "I'll try to make my best out of it. I'd like to push the limits further and see if I can stay focused and play well during a two-week period. I'm more relaxed and in control of situations. I'm not going bananas."

Outside of a few glitches in her strokes, Petrova has the weapons to do major damage. Not only is she a tremendous athlete, but she is lethal on the ground, can serve a ton and is a more than fair volleyer.

But that won't mean much if she can't get on top of Serena early For all the warts in her game right now, Williams almost never chokes and cherishes close battles. Plus, she's 5-1 against Petrova and beat her when they played here in 2005. Serena won the title that year, her last tournament win.

Serena knows this is a crucial contest and she's planning to shake the rust off overnight

"It's definitely a step up," Serena said. "I feel excited and ready. She has a really solid game, and she's been doing nothing but moving forward and improving her ranking and her style and her play. She's no slouch. She's always posed a good challenge for me. I know her game. It's always good to play someone that you know their game and you know what to expect, so that's good going into this match. At this point I have no other choice and no other option (but to shake the rust off)."

On current form, Petrova should be able to string Serena out from the baseline and coax her into numerous errors. However, if Serena has a massive serving day, which she is certainly capable of, and forces the match into tiebreakers or a third set, then Petrova's mental make-up will be severely tested.

But there's one thing the Russian guarantees — she has no fear of the occasion.

"She always fights and is very strong," Petrova said. "She still know how to win and has been through a lot of difficult situations. But the (Williamses) beat a lot of players because even before going on court, other players might feel they are weaker and they lose before they start because of their names. But their reputation isn't the same. Some young players still fear them, but the good players don't."

I hope Petrova can back up her comments with a win over Serena. If Nadia loses this match, she will look foolish for making these remarks. Petrova has just added more fuel to fire. The match is two days away and you can already feel the intensity. The stakes will most certainly be high on Friday.

Best of luck to Nadia!!

Nadia reached the Australian Open third round

2007-01-18T00:02:00.000Z

Melbourne, January 18th, 2007
Russian fifth seed Nadia Petrova reached the Australian Open third round with an impressive 6-1 6-2 win over Argentina's Gisela Dulko on Wednesday.
Petrova, who had lost both their previous matches, overpowered her South American opponent from the back of the court, securing victory in 59 minutes on Vodafone Arena.

Nadia played a near perfect match yesterday against Gisela Dulko 6-1, 6-2. Nadia was fierce on serve, winning 72% if her first serves and 61% of her second serves. That’s a great stat for someone who relies heavily on her big serve to construct the point. Winners to errors, Nadia had 1 more error than winner (16-17), but Gisela only hit 3 winners, and 20 errors! Nadia had another great day at the net, winning all but 2 points at the net (winning all 7 net points in set 2). Nadia was 100% on break point conversions, and only was broken once, saving 6 break chances throughout the match. Nadia played some grand tennis and will be playing Serena Williams next.

Serena is always a threat, whatever her ranking, whatever her fitness and whatever her attire. Nonetheless, Nadia comes into this match as the clear favorite; Serena being ranked 81 and Nadia being ranked 6 (seeded 5). The two last played at the 2005 AO, Serena winning on the way to her 2nd AO title. However, Nadia is definately the fitter of the 2, and played 2 great matches to start off this Grand Slam. Nadia also won Hopman Cup earlier this year, so she is certainly not without match experience this year. I would predict Nadia to win in 2 tough sets, but I think Serena could win a set if Nadia loses focus.

Nadia, you’re so close to the last 16! Serve big, stay focused and keep the errors to a minimum and you’re there!!!

NEXT - NADIA - SERENA WILLIAMS

News (January 15, 2007)

2007-01-16T21:47:00.000Z

January 15th 2007: Great news for Nadia Petrova as she won her 1st round at the Australian Open. She posted a 2 set win against Tamarine Tanasugarn, a 6-3, 6-2 win that now puts her up against Gisela Dulko.

In Greek:
15 Ιανουαρίου 2007:
Σπουδαία νέα για τη Νάντια Πετρόβα καθώς κέρδισε στον 1ο γύρο του Αυσταλιανού Όπεν. Νίκησε με 2-0 σετ (6-3,6-2) την Ταμαρίν Τανασουγκάριν και στην συνέχεια αντιμετωπίζει την Γκιζέλα Ντούλκο.

Nadia Petrova's Biography

2007-01-16T21:27:00.000Z

Nadia Petrova (born June 8, 1982, Moscow, Russia) is a professional tennis player from Russia. She turned professional and entered the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) top 100 in 1999. She entered the top 50 in 2000 and ended 2003 in the top 20.

Petrova won her first singles title in October 2005 and her second at Doha in 2006. On April 17, 2006, Petrova entered the top 5 in the world for the first time, one day after claiming her first Tier I title at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina. On May 15, she achieved a career high ranking of No. 3.

Petrova has won eleven doubles titles, including the WTA Tour Championships in 2004.

Petrova's father Victor was a leading hammer thrower, while her mother Nadezhda Ilyina won a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the 400 meter relay.

Petrova began playing on the Women's Tennis Association tour in 1998. She gained substantial attention when she defeated then World No. 1 Justine Henin Hardenne in the fourth round of the 2004 US Open.

On May 30, 2006, Petrova was defeated in the first round of the French Open by Akiko Morigami 6-2, 6-2. This was considered a major upset that may have been caused by an ankle injury Petrova suffered during training shortly before the tournament. She then withdrew from Wimbledon and did not win a match in the U.S. Open Series, going 0-3. At the 2006 U.S. Open, Petrova was upset in the third round by the 27th seeded Tatiana Golovin. At the Tier II tournament in Stuttgart, Petrova defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in a semifinal 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 before defeating Golovin 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final. This was Petrova's first tournament title since the Tier I German Open in May 2006 and resulted in her ranking returning to the top 5. Petrova then continued her return to form by reaching the final of the Kremlin Cup, a Tier I tournament in Moscow, by defeating Czech Nicole Vaidisova 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(3). In the final, Petrova was beaten by another Russian, Anna Chakvetadze 6-4, 6-4.

After a week off to recover from minor injuries, Petrova played in the Tier II tournament in Linz where she was the defending champion. As the second seed, Petrova dropped just nine games in her three matches to reach the final. Petrova received a bye into the second round where she defeated Israel's Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-1. Petrova then defeated Samantha Stosur 6-1, 6-3 and fourth seeded Nicole Vaidisova 6-1, 6-2. Petrova lost to top seeded Maria Sharapova 7-5, 6-2 in the final.

At the WTA Tour Championships in Madrid in November 2006, Petrova lost two of her three round robin matches and failed to advance to the semifinals. Her lone victory was over top ranked Ame'lie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-2.

Petrova teamed with Dmitry Tursunov to represent Russia as the top seeds in the 2007 Hopman Cup, an exhibition in Perth, Australia that ran from December 30, 2006, through January 5, 2007. Russia won the cup, defeating Spain in the final three matches to none.

Nadia Petrova (Bio in Greek)

2007-01-16T18:09:00.000Z

Η Νάντια Πετρόβα (θα τη βρείτε ως Nadia Petrova στα Αγγλικά και ως Надежда Петрова στα Ρώσικα) είναι η αγαπημένη μου παίκτρια στο Τένις.
Μας έρχεται φυσικά από την Ρωσία. Γεννήθηκε στη Μόσχα ένα ωραίο καλοκαίρι στις 8 Ιουνίου του 1983. Έχει ύψος 1.78 μ (5' 10 1/4", για τους λάτρεις των ποδιών) και βάρος 65 κιλά (143 lbs.).
Έγινε επαγγελματίας παίκτρια του τένις το 1999, είναι δεξιόχειρας και κρατά με τα δύο χέρια την ρακέτα στο ανάποδο χτύπημα.

Ranking

2007-01-15T23:30:00.000Z

Current Ranking (15.01.2007):
1 J. HENIN-HARDENNE
2 M. SHARAPOVA
3 A.MAURESMO
4 S.KUZNETSOVA
5.K. CLIJSTERS
6.N. PETROVA
7 M.HINGIS
8 E.DEMENTIEVA
9 P. SCHNYDER
10 N.VAIDISOVA
WTA Full rankings

News (January 14, 2007)

2007-01-14T01:51:00.000Z

Russia's Nadia Petrova practices on Rod Laver Arena on the eve of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007.

Sydney Round 2: (4) Petrova vs Ivanovic

2007-01-08T11:27:00.000Z

Sydney, January 8, 2007.
Nadia's first opponent at the Sydney Medibank International will be Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. Petrova and Ivanovic have met on three previous occasions with Petrova taking the lead 2-1. Ana Ivanovic is definitely a good player, but she tends to crack under pressure. For Nadia to come out victorious in this match-up, she has got to come out firing from the first point. Ivanovic has a HUGE forehand, so it imperative for Nadia to attack the backhand as much as possible. It will be very important for Nadia to hold on her service games because Ivanovic's serve is also a big weapon. When there are opportunities for Nadia to take the lead, Nadia must not hesitate to convert. One big weakness in Ivanovic's game is her movement, if Nadia can move her from side to side as much as possible, Ivanovic will eventually tire.

Fortunately for Nadia, she is on a confidence high after winning Russia's first Hopman Cup last week. With every match that Nadia played, she just simply got better and better. She has had enough time to rest, so she should win this match in straight sets. 6-3 6-4.

With the draw down to the final 16, the competition is about to get much tougher.

Women's Singles Draw

(1) Mauresmo vs. Golovin (Mauresmo in 3)
Stosur vs. Jankovic (Jankovic in 2)

(4) Petrova vs. Ivanovic (Petrova in 2)
Fedak vs. (8) Vaidisova (Vaidisova in 2)

(7) Schnyder vs. Peer (Peer in 3)
Pratt vs (3) Clijsters (Clijsters in 2)

(6) Dementieva vs. Li (Dementieva in 3)
Srebotnik vs. (2) Kuznetsova (Srebotnik in 3)

Pictures -- Tournaments

2007-01-01T20:18:00.000Z

Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia, 2007	Sydney Medibank, Sydney, Australia, 2007
Stuttgart Grand Prix, Stuttgart, German, 2006	Stuttgart Grand Prix, Stuttgart, German, 2006

Stuttgart GP Title

2006-10-10T00:06:00.000Z

Nadia Petrova seizes Stuttgart GP title
9th Oct, 2006 09:13:20 AM

STUTTGART: Russian Nadia Petrova ended the run of unseeded French teenager Tatiana Golovin to claim the Stuttgart Grand Prix title with a 6-3, 7-6 win here on Sunday.

The fourth seed, who had lost all three previous meetings with Golovin, claimed her fifth title of the year after winning in Doha, Amelia Island, Charleston and Berlin.

Golovin earned the first break, taking a 3-2 lead when a double-handed backhand from Petrova fell marginally long and was called by the umpire.

The Frenchwoman failed to build on her advantage, however, when a netted forehand allowed Petrova to level at 3-3, and the Russian broke again to lead 5-3 when Golovin made a backhand error.

Petrova missed several first serves as the match progressed, and her second serve was often weak and duly punished by Golovin. But it was Petrova who broke to lead 2-1 in the second set when a deep ball forced Golovin to net a double-handed backhand.

But Petrova struggled to maintain her lead, fighting off a break point in the next game and then failing to win a break point for 4-1 when Golovin struck a fine crosscourt forehand winner.

Golovin’s persistence finally paid off when she levelled at 4-4, but the biggest drama of the match came in the last few points.

At 4-4 in the tiebreak, Petrova fell and injured her right ankle while trying to change direction. After play was held up for several minutes while the ankle was taped the Russian broke Golovin on the next point, and then won a lengthy rally to go up 6-4.

A disappointed Golovin hurled her racquet to the ground and Petrova claimed victory on the next point when a ball from Golovin landed long.

Pictures: Stuttgart Grand Prix, Stuttgart, German, 2006

Nadia Wins Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

2006-10-09T00:51:00.000Z

Written by Lawntennisnews
Published October 08, 2006

Stuttgart, Germany — Nadia Petrova won the final of the $650,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart after defeating Tatiana Golovin in straight sets.

The Russian took a spin around centre court in the red Porsche Targa 4 after winning 6-3 and 7-6 (4). In the first set, Petrova’s service game was broken in the fifth game but Golovin could not take the lead after she had to face a re-break for three all. Petrova broke again in the eighth game and took a 5-3 lead. She served out and took the first set hitting an ace on 40-love.

In the second set, Golovin started with winning her service with a love game and an ace, but in the third game, Petrova broke the French service game when Golovin hit the net twice on deuce.

Petrova took a 3-1 lead, but after a double fault and two errors, Golovin tied to 4-all in the second set. Both players held on to their service game after that had to play a tie-break.

The Russian took a 3-1 lead in the tie and Golovin tied to 4-all hitting a winner. Petrova fell, stayed down for a little while, and asked for the WTA trainer for some treatment.

After coming back on court Petrova hit a winner for 5-4, and serving for her first match point, Golovin hit a return forehand long. The Russian was on matchpoint, 6-4. She had one service left to take the tie-break, the set, the match and the Porsche. After a rally that could have gone both ways, Golovin hit the ball long. Petrova realized she won another WTA title and the red Porsche, after she saw the ball passing her by and landing behind the baseline.

“I was really not sure about winning this match,” Petrova said, looking back to her victory. “It was such a relief when I saw the ball flying out. She almost hit my body and I saw the hand of that line judge calling it out.”

“I do have a few pains in my body here and there, a couple of things did really hurt in my body today. But Tatiana was tired as well.

“My advantage was that she has not won a title, the first one is always the hardest. There is always more pressure to win your first title.

“I feel this moment is a big change for me. I had a tough talk with my coach in China. It was all about being focused. I think forgetting about distractions and being focused is the key for me. That helped me a lot.

“Now I am going to enjoy this, go home to my family and friends and play Moscow,” the new Porsche Tennis Grand Prix champion Nadia Petrova said at the press conference.