Svetlana Kuznetsova

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (March 2008)

**Svetlana Kuznetsova**

Nickname(s)	Sveta Kuzzi
Country	Russia
Residence	St. Petersburg, Russia
Date of birth	June 27, 1985 (1985-06-27) (age 22)
Place of birth	Leningrad, Soviet Union now St. Petersburg, Russia
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+¹⁄₂ in)
Weight	73 kg (160 lb/11.5 st)
Turned pro	2000
Retired	Active
Plays	Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money	$ 9,347,346
Singles
Career record:	326-133
Career titles:	9 WTA, 1 ITF
Highest ranking:	No. 2 (September 10, 2007)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open	QF (2005)
French Open	F (2006)
Wimbledon	QF (2003, 2005, 2007)
US Open	W (2004)
Doubles
Career record:	181-67
Career titles:	13 WTA
Highest ranking:	No. 3 (June 7, 2004)
Infobox last updated on: June 9, 2008.

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (Cyrillic: Светлана Александровна Кузнецова (help·info); born June 27, 1985) is a Russian professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 4. She won the 2004 US Open singles title and was the runner-up in singles at the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open, losing both finals to Justine Henin in straight sets.

The surname Kuznetsova (feminine form for Kuznetsov) has the -tsov, -tsova syllable accented in Russian.

[edit] Family life

Kuznetsova was born in Leningrad. Her father Alexandr Kuznetsov has coached five Olympic and world cycling champions. Her father's protégés include her mother, Galina Tsareva, a six-time world champion and holder of 20 world records, and Svetlana’s brother, Nikolai Kuznetsov, a silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Kuznetsova also tried out cycling in her early years, but it bored her. She focused on tennis instead and was sent to Spain when she was 13 years old for better training and coaching.

[edit] Tennis career

[edit] Doubles

Kuznetsova is a frequent doubles player and has been ranked as high as third in the world (in June 2004). Kuznetsova teamed with Australia's Alicia Molik to win the 2005 Australian Open, defeating Americans Lindsay Davenport and Corina Morariu in the final. Kuznetsova has reached five other Grand Slam doubles finals, with Martina Navratilova, Elena Likhovtseva, and Amelie Mauresmo as her partners.

[edit] Singles

[edit] 2004

Kuznetsova won her only Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, where she defeated countrywoman Elena Dementieva in straight sets in an all-Russian final (the second in history after the Anastasia Myskina-Dementieva final at the French Open of the same year).

[edit] 2005

At the US Open, Kuznetsova lost to Ekaterina Bychkova, becoming the first female defending champion at the US Open to lose in the first round.^[1]

[edit] 2006

After an 18-month title drought, Kuznetsova won the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida on April 1 beating Maria Sharapova 6–4, 6–3. At the French Open, Kuznetsova defeated 17 year old Czech Nicole Vaidisova in the semifinals 5–7, 7–6(5), 6–2 but lost in the final to Justine Henin.

At Wimbledon, Kuznetsova survived a second-round match against Czech Kveta Peschke 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 but lost in the third round to eventual quarterfinalist Li Na 3–6, 6–2, 6–3.

After a month layoff because of an abdominal injury, Kuznetsova returned to the tour at the Tier I Rogers Cup in Montreal. She lost a close two-set match to Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals. At her next tournament, the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut, Kuznetsova lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Henin.

At the US Open, Kuznetsova reached the fourth round where she lost to Jelena Jankovic. During the remainder of the year, Kuznetsova won singles titles at the Tier III Wismilak International in Bali, beating Marion Bartoli in the final, and the Tier II China Open in Beijing, defeating Mauresmo in the final.

[edit] 2007

Kuznetsova lost in the final of the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California to Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova. Reaching the final improved her ranking to a career high of World No. 3.

In May, she reached the final of another Tier I tournament, the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin, losing to Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in a very tight match after defeating World No. 1 Justine Henin in the semifinals. Kuznetsova also reached the final of the Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome before losing to Jankovic.

Kuznetsova reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon but lost to 26th-seeded and three-time champion Venus Williams 6–3, 6–4.

During the North American summer hard court season, Kuznetsova won the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in unusual circumstances. She led Francesca Schiavone 6–2 in the quarterfinals before Schiavone retired; led Elena Dementieva 4–6, 6–3, 3–0 before Dementieva retired; and was behind Agnes Szavay 4–6, 3–0 when Szavay retired.

Poised for a shot at the 2007 US Open

At the US Open, second-seeded Maria Sharapova and fourth-seeded Kunznetsova were placed in the bottom half of the draw. Therefore, the two would have played in the semifinals had form held. However, because of Sharapova's loss in the third round to 30th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, Kuznetsova as the highest seeded player remaining in the bottom half became favored to reach the final. Kuznetsova defeated Klara Zakopalova in the first round and French player Camille Pin in the second round 6–3, 4–6, 6–0. Kuznetsova then defeated Spanish player Anabel Medina Garrigues and Belarussian teen Victoria Azarenka in the next two rounds to advance to the quarterfinals. This was the first time she had advanced beyond the fourth round since she won the event in 2004. Kuznetsova then defeated Szavay in the quarterfinals and Anna Chakvetadze in the semifinals 3–6, 6–1, 6–1. Kuznetsova described the first set of that match as "embarrassing." In the final, Kuznetsova lost to Henin in straight sets, making numerous unforced errors. Nevertheless, her performance at the US Open caused her ranking to rise to a career-high World No. 2.

Kuznetsova then went on to compete for Russia in the Fed Cup, winning both her rubbers and and in the process helping Russia to retain the cup.

After reaching the semifinals in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Germany, losing to Tatiana Golovin 6–2, 6–4, she reached the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup, her best finish at the principal Russian tournament on the WTA Tour.

At the Sony Ericsson Championships, Kuznetsova lost to Sharapova (5–7, 6–2, 6–2), Ivanovic (6–1, 4–6, 7–5) and Daniela Hantuchova (7-6(7), 6-0) in the round-robin stage and therefore did not advance to the semifinals. It was her third appearance at the end-of-the-year championships and the third time she failed to advance.

[edit] 2008

Kuznetsova lost the final in Sydney to World No. 1 Justine Henin. Kuznetsova was the second seed at the Australian Open but lost in third round to Agnieszka Radwanska 6–3, 6–4.

She defeated Jelena Jankovic at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships to reach the finals, but lost to compatriot Elena Dementieva 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

At the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Kuznetsova received a bye in the first round before defeating each of her next three opponents in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6–2, 6–4. Then, Kuznetsova stunned Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, 6–3, 5–7, 6–2. Sharapova had not lost during 2008 until that point. In the final, Kuznetsova lost to top-seeded Ana Ivanovic in straight sets. In the Sony Ericsson Open the next week, Kuznetsova reached the semifinals but lost to defending champion and eventual winner Serena Williams.

Her clay court season was marred with inconsistency, as she lost in the third round of the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin to Alona Bondarenko 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. In the third round of the Tier I event Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, she was stunned by qualifier and eventual runner-up Alize Cornet of France 6-2, 6-4.

At the French Open after that, Kuznetsova eased into the semifinals without dropping a set, dispatching the likes of Vania King, Nadia Petrova, Victoria Azarenka and Kaia Kanepi along the way. However, she failed to find form against the recent Berlin winner Dinara Safina as she crumpled to a 6-3, 6-2 defeat.

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Record against top players

Kuznetsova, as of April 28, 2008, has a 1–6 record against Kim Clijsters [1], a 2-16 record against Justine Henin [2], a 4–4 record against Maria Sharapova [3], a 4–4 record against Amelie Mauresmo [4], a 2–2 record against Martina Hingis [5], a 2–3 record against Lindsay Davenport [6], a 0–1 record against Jennifer Capriati [7], a 4–3 record against Venus Williams [8], a 1–4 record against Serena Williams [9], a 1–0 record against Mary Pierce [10] a 3–2 record against Jelena Jankovic [11], a 3–1 record against Nadia Petrova [12], a 5–4 record against Elena Dementieva [13], a 2–4 record against Anastasia Myskina [14], and a 1–5 record against Ana Ivanovic [15].