Elena Dementieva

Born on October 15, 1981 in Moscow, Russia
Elena Dementieva (Russian: Елена Вячеславовна Дементьева, Elena_dementieva.ogg jɪˈlʲenə dʲɪˈmʲentjɪvə ); is a professional tennis player from Russia who has won two Olympic medals in singles, including the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She has also reached the finals of two Grand Slam events. As of 23 February 2009, she is ranked World No. 4.

"I am not at all tempted by the title of 'Tennis Lolita'. I am trying to prove myself on the court and not off the court."

"When you play you don`t even think about the score. You`re trying to win every single point. I was trying to stay focused."

"It`s really a great start to the year no matter whether it`s an exhibition or not. I was trying to play my best and I really did it."

"I feel much stronger now and I know what it takes to reach a grand slam final. I just feel I need to take one more step and I think I can do that this year."
- Elena Dementieva

Blonde, tall and cute, Elena is almost the stereotype of the blonde hottie. She has a cheery demeanor on the court, giving her an irresistible schoolgirl charm, especially when she ties her hair in a ponytail.

She throws her arms up for joy when she scores, and contorts her face into a poignant grimace when she loses, always desirable in her range of emotions. And in a sexy Yonex tennis dress that show off her legs, the word "love" acquires a double meaning.

She played and won her first international tournament, Les Petits Aces, in France, at the age of 13. In domestic tournaments back home, she was usually the winner or at least a runner-up. Elena always remained among the top four women in her country, along with Anna Kournikova, Ekaterina Sysoeva, and Anastasia Myskina.

Under the wing of Sergei Pashkov in the Central Red Army Club (which gladly took her in this time), Elena grew as a player. She radically retransformed her technique and learned how to dominate the courts, developing her crushing two-handed backhand. On August 25, 1998, she turned professional.

Her rise in the sport was electrifying. Ranking #182 in 1998, she climbed to #62 in 1999, and hit #12 in 2000. That year, she represented Russia in the Sydney Olympics, leading her compatriots in the opening ceremonies. She went into the semi-finals with a strong game, where her only setback was a set down against Jelena Dokic. Elena recovered, beating Dokic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Dementieva is an offensive baseline player. Her primary groundstroke is her forehand, which she hits hard and flat. In particular, her running forehand, which she rarely misses, is a key weapon for Dementieva when she's on the defensive. Dementieva is also known for her athleticism and speed around the court. Dementieva makes few net approaches except to return drop shots from her opponents or to take advantage of weak returns from her opponents with drive volley winners.

Dementieva's primary weakness is her serve, which can be inconsistent in tight situations. However, she has shown improvement in this area since 2008, committing fewer double faults and occasionally managing aces. Dementieva also squanders her chances of closing matches sometimes, resulting in a huge number of her matches having to go on to a third set.

SINGLES
Winner (13):
2009 - Auckland, Sydney;
2008 - Dubai, Olympics, Luxembourg;
2007 - Istanbul, Moscow;
2006 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Los Angeles;
2004 - Hasselt;
2003 - Amelia Island, Bali, Shanghai;
1998 - ITF/Buchen-GER;
1997 - ITF/Istanbul 3-TUR; 1996 - ITF/Jurmula-LAT.
Finalist (14):
2009 - Paris [Indoors];
2008 - Berlin, Istanbul;
2006 - Indian Wells;
2005 - Charleston, Philadelphia;
2004 - Miami, Roland Garros, US Open, Moscow;
2002 - 's-Hertogenbosch;
2001 - Acapulco, Moscow;
2000 - Olympics.

DOUBLES
Winner (6):
2005 - Los Angeles (w/Pennetta);
2003 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Krasnoroutskaya);
2002 - Berlin, San Diego, Moscow, Tour Championships (all w/Husarova);
1997 - ITF/Istanbul 3-TUR, ITF/Tbilisi-GEO, ITF/Batumi-GEO (all w/Myskina).
Finalist (7):
2006 - Berlin (w/Pennetta);
2005 - Sydney (w/Sugiyama), US Open (w/Pennetta);
2002 - Paris [Indoors], Indian Wells, US Open (all w/Husarova);
2001 - Moscow (w/Krasnoroutskaya).

ADDITIONAL
Russian Fed Cup Team, 1999, 2001-03, 2005-06, 2009;
Russian Olympic Team, 2000, 2004, 2008.


Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 64 kg (140 lb; 10.1 st)
Turned pro 25 August 1998
Plays Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$ 11,110,274

Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova

Born on June 7, 1981
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova (Russian: Anna_kournikova.ogg Анна Сергеевна Ку́рникова, Anna Sergeevna Kurnikova) is a semi-retired Russian professional tennis player and model. Her celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis players worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on the Internet search engine Google.

Has anyone ever looked better in a tennis outfit (we are so grateful for those short white skirts)? Not likely -- Anna Kournikova is sculpted like a goddess. The tennis court was her stage, where she simultaneously (and successfully) flirted with and stunned thousands of admirers. This Russian pinup had the power of filling up arenas when she was scheduled to play. How many women can be credited with the same feat?

Men's magazines like FHM always have included her among the hottest women, and she was named Sexiest Woman in the World in FHM's 100 Sexiest Girls poll in 2002. Her sex appeal has also managed to sell calendars, and the Sports Illustrated issue with Anna Kournikova on the cover was one of the highest-selling issues the magazine has ever published. So it looks like Anna Kournikova's sexiness is unanimous: it doesn't get much hotter than her.

Awards
Appeared on July 5, 2004, Forbes Magazine Celebrity 100 list at No. 82 (along with S. Williams at No. 63, V. Williams at No. 77, Henin-Hardenne at No. 81 and Clijsters at No. 84)

Ranked No. 6 on 2003 Top 10 Most-Marketable Female Athletes, as published by Sports Business Daily (determined by a poll of 60 marketers, sponsorship consultants and members of media): No. 1 S. Williams, No. 2 Annika Sorenstam (golf), No. 3 Mia Hamm (soccer); No. 4 V. Williams, No. 5 Lisa Leslie (basketball)

Most popular sports figure of 2000 and 2001, according to Web site searches by Lycos users

Named FHM Magazine's 2002 Sexiest Woman in the World

Featured in the 2004 40th Anniversary Edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

In 1986, Anna became a member of the prestigious Spartak Tennis Club, coached by Larissa Preobrazhenskaya. In 1989, at the tender age of eight, Anna began appearing in junior tournaments, and by the following year, was attracting attention from tennis scouts across the world. Anna signed a management deal at age ten and went to Bradenton, Florida to train at Nick Bollettieri's celebrated tennis academy.

Following her arrival in the United States, Anna exploded onto the tennis scene, making her the internationally recognized tennis star she is today. At the age of 14, she went on to win the European Championships and the Italian Open Junior tournament. Anna also beat out the competition to win the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl, becoming the youngest player ever to win the 18 and under division at that tournament. By the end of the year, Anna was crowned the ITF Junior World Champion U-18 and Junior European Champion U-18.

In 1994, Anna Kournikova received a wild card into ITF tournament in Moscow qualifications, but lost to the third seed Sabine Appelmans.

Kournikova debuted in professional tennis at age 14 in the Fed Cup for Russia, the youngest player ever to participate and win. In 1995, she turned pro, and won two ITF titles, in Midland, Michigan and Rockford, Illinois. At age 15, she made her grand slam debut, when she reached the fourth round of the 1996 U.S. Open, only to be stopped by then-top ranked player, Steffi Graf, eventual champion. After this tournament, her ranking jumped from No. 144 to debut in Top 100 at No. 69.

Kournikova was a member of the Russian delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1996, she was named WTA Newcomer of the Year, and she was ranked No. 57 in the end of the season.

In 2000, Anna Kournikova broke into the top 10, reaching No. 8 in singles. She was also ranked #4 in doubles at the end of the season.

In singles she reached the finals of the Kremlin Cup, where she lost to Martina Hingis. She also reached eight semifinals and seven quarter finals. She was again more successful in doubles. She played the finals of the mixed doubles at the US Open, partnering with Max Mirnyi.

With Julie Halard-Decugis, she won the tournament in Gold Coast, Australia. Partnering with Barbara Schett, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. With Natasha Zvereva, she lost in the finals at Indian Wells. They also won at Hamburg. She lost in the finals at San Diego, partnering with Lindsay Davenport. With Martina Hingis, she won at Zürich, the Kremlin Cup, and at Philadelphia and the WTA Championships.

In 2003, Anna Kournikova collected first grand slam match victory in two years at Australian Open. She defeated Henrieta Nagyová in the 1st round, and then lost to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the 2nd round. She withdrew from Tokyo due to sprained back suffered at Australian Open and did not return to Tour until Miami. Kournikova retired in the 1st round of Charleston due to left adductor strain.

She reached the semifinals at ITF tournament in Sea Island, before withdrawing from match versus Maria Sharapova due to adductor injury. She lost in the 1st round of ITF tournament in Charlottesville. She did not compete for rest of season due to continuing back injury

Kournikova's two Grand Slam doubles titles came in 1999 and 2002, both at the Australian Open in the Women's Doubles event with partner Martina Hingis, with whom she played frequently starting in 1999. Kournikova proved a successful doubles player on the professional circuit, winning 16 tournament doubles titles, including two Australian Opens and being a finalist in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open and at Wimbledon, and reaching the No.1 ranking in doubles in the Women's Tennis Association tour rankings. Her pro career doubles record was 200–71. However, her singles career plateaued after 1999. For the most part, she managed to retain her ranking between 10 and 15 (her career high singles ranking was No.8), but her expected finals breakthrough failed to occur; she only reached four finals out of 130 singles tournaments, never in a Grand Slam event, and never won one.

Playing style

• As a player, Kournikova was noted for her footspeed and aggressive baseline play, and excellent angles and dropshots; however, her relatively flat, high-risk groundstrokes tended to produce frequent errors, and her serve was sometimes unreliable in singles.
• Kournikova holds her racket in her right hand but uses both hands when she plays backhand shots. She is a good player at the net. She can hit forceful groundstrokes and also drop shots.
• Her playing style fits the profile for a doubles player, and is complemented by her height. She has been compared to such doubles specialists as Pam Shriver and Peter Fleming.

Anna Kournikova Quotes

“I think it's really important for me not to forget where I came from.”

"There are a lot of pretty girls. I am a tennis player first of all, that is why I am here, and if wasn`t producing results no one would notice me. "

"When I play, I feel like in a theatre, why should I look ugly then, because I`m a tennis-player? "

"You don`t think people would go on about my looks if I was No. 500 in the world instead of No.12, do you? Anyway, as I keep telling everyone, you can`t blame me for looking like this on purpose. "

"I`ve just done a commercial in the U.S. in which I talk about stocks, shares and bonds. Everyone is amazed. They ask me: `You really know about that stuff or did you just learn it for the commercial?` I tell them I wouldn`t do it unless I understood and had an interest. "

"I have a lot of boyfriends, I want you to write that. Every country I visit, I have a different boyfriend. And I kiss them all. "

"Do I consider myself sexy? It all depends on the way I`m feeling. When I`m happy inside, that`s when I feel most sexy. "

"A court is like a scene, people want to see attractive people."

"I'm like a menu at an expensive restaurant -- you can look at me, but you can't afford me."
- Anna Kournikova

Career Highlights

SINGLES
Winner: 1996 - ITF/Midland-USA, ITF/Rockford-USA.
Finalist (4): 2002 - Shanghai;
2000 - Moscow;
1999 - Hilton Head;
1998 - Miami.

DOUBLES
Winner (16): 2002 - Australian Open (w/Hingis),
Shanghai (w/J.Lee);
2001 - Sydney (w/Schett),
Moscow (w/Hingis);
2000 - Season-Ending Championships,
Filderstadt,
Zurich,
Philadelphia (all w/Hingis),
Gold Coast (w/Halard-Decugis),
Hamburg (w/Zvereva);
1999 - Australian Open,
Season-Ending Championships,
Indian Wells,
Rome,
Eastbourne (all w/Hingis);
1998 - Tokyo [Princess Cup] (w/Seles).

MIXED DOUBLES
Finalist (2): 2000 - US Open (w/Mirnyi);
1999 - Wimbledon (w/Bjorkman).

ADDITIONAL
Russian Fed Cup Team 1996-97,
2000. Russian Olympic Team 1996.

Birthday: 6/7/1981
Nickname: Murzik (“My Little Pet” in Russian)
Birthname: Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova
Hookups: Enrique Iglesias, Sergei Federov
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Assets: fitness, flexibility, tan Russianness
Vices: Hockey Players
Sign: Gemini
Height: 5'8
Job: Tennis Player, Model
Hobbies: Tennis
Ethnicity: White
Country of Origin: Russian Federation
Weight : 56 kg (120 lb)
Turned pro : October 1995
Plays : Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money : US$3,584,662
Official website :
http://www.kournikova.com/

Elena Dementieva

Born on October 15, 1981 in Moscow, Russia
Elena Dementieva (Russian: Елена Вячеславовна Дементьева, Elena_dementieva.ogg jɪˈlʲenə dʲɪˈmʲentjɪvə ); is a professional tennis player from Russia who has won two Olympic medals in singles, including the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She has also reached the finals of two Grand Slam events. As of 23 February 2009, she is ranked World No. 4.

"I am not at all tempted by the title of 'Tennis Lolita'. I am trying to prove myself on the court and not off the court."

"When you play you don`t even think about the score. You`re trying to win every single point. I was trying to stay focused."

"It`s really a great start to the year no matter whether it`s an exhibition or not. I was trying to play my best and I really did it."

"I feel much stronger now and I know what it takes to reach a grand slam final. I just feel I need to take one more step and I think I can do that this year."
- Elena Dementieva

Blonde, tall and cute, Elena is almost the stereotype of the blonde hottie. She has a cheery demeanor on the court, giving her an irresistible schoolgirl charm, especially when she ties her hair in a ponytail.

She throws her arms up for joy when she scores, and contorts her face into a poignant grimace when she loses, always desirable in her range of emotions. And in a sexy Yonex tennis dress that show off her legs, the word "love" acquires a double meaning.

She played and won her first international tournament, Les Petits Aces, in France, at the age of 13. In domestic tournaments back home, she was usually the winner or at least a runner-up. Elena always remained among the top four women in her country, along with Anna Kournikova, Ekaterina Sysoeva, and Anastasia Myskina.

Under the wing of Sergei Pashkov in the Central Red Army Club (which gladly took her in this time), Elena grew as a player. She radically retransformed her technique and learned how to dominate the courts, developing her crushing two-handed backhand. On August 25, 1998, she turned professional.

Her rise in the sport was electrifying. Ranking #182 in 1998, she climbed to #62 in 1999, and hit #12 in 2000. That year, she represented Russia in the Sydney Olympics, leading her compatriots in the opening ceremonies. She went into the semi-finals with a strong game, where her only setback was a set down against Jelena Dokic. Elena recovered, beating Dokic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Dementieva is an offensive baseline player. Her primary groundstroke is her forehand, which she hits hard and flat. In particular, her running forehand, which she rarely misses, is a key weapon for Dementieva when she's on the defensive. Dementieva is also known for her athleticism and speed around the court. Dementieva makes few net approaches except to return drop shots from her opponents or to take advantage of weak returns from her opponents with drive volley winners.

Dementieva's primary weakness is her serve, which can be inconsistent in tight situations. However, she has shown improvement in this area since 2008, committing fewer double faults and occasionally managing aces. Dementieva also squanders her chances of closing matches sometimes, resulting in a huge number of her matches having to go on to a third set.

SINGLES
Winner (13):
2009 - Auckland, Sydney;
2008 - Dubai, Olympics, Luxembourg;
2007 - Istanbul, Moscow;
2006 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Los Angeles;
2004 - Hasselt;
2003 - Amelia Island, Bali, Shanghai;
1998 - ITF/Buchen-GER;
1997 - ITF/Istanbul 3-TUR; 1996 - ITF/Jurmula-LAT.
Finalist (14):
2009 - Paris [Indoors];
2008 - Berlin, Istanbul;
2006 - Indian Wells;
2005 - Charleston, Philadelphia;
2004 - Miami, Roland Garros, US Open, Moscow;
2002 - 's-Hertogenbosch;
2001 - Acapulco, Moscow;
2000 - Olympics.

DOUBLES
Winner (6):
2005 - Los Angeles (w/Pennetta);
2003 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Krasnoroutskaya);
2002 - Berlin, San Diego, Moscow, Tour Championships (all w/Husarova);
1997 - ITF/Istanbul 3-TUR, ITF/Tbilisi-GEO, ITF/Batumi-GEO (all w/Myskina).
Finalist (7):
2006 - Berlin (w/Pennetta);
2005 - Sydney (w/Sugiyama), US Open (w/Pennetta);
2002 - Paris [Indoors], Indian Wells, US Open (all w/Husarova);
2001 - Moscow (w/Krasnoroutskaya).

ADDITIONAL
Russian Fed Cup Team, 1999, 2001-03, 2005-06, 2009;
Russian Olympic Team, 2000, 2004, 2008.


Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 64 kg (140 lb; 10.1 st)
Turned pro 25 August 1998
Plays Right; Two-handed backhand
Career prize money US$ 11,110,274

CAMILLE PIN

Born 25 August 1981 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes
Camille Pin is a French tennis player. As of 15 January 2007, she is ranked No. 62 on the WTA Singles Tour.

“Initially, I was trying to stand close to the baseline, and was making mistakes.”

“It is a bit tough to get back into the match after two days of rest. It was tough to make my body wake up. I was feeling very tired.”
-Camille Pin

Camille's 2006 season was rather successful, for a player ranked lower than the top 100 in the women's tour. After a second-round loss to Serena Williams in the Australian Open, she made 3 ITF tour event finals, taking one of the titles at Lexington. She also made some reasonable showings at official WTA Tour events, especially qualifying for the Tier I event at Indian Wells and making the second round. However her 2006 grand slam second round showing at the Australian Open would prove to be her best Grand Slam result of the year, falling in the first round of every other major to tough opponents.

Pin made headlines at the 2007 Australian Open, after playing top seed Maria Sharapova in the first round and coming within two points of winning the match. After recovering from a 0–5 deficit in the final set, Pin eventually lost with a final score of 3–6, 6–4, 7–9.

Pin dated male professional tennis player Arnaud Clément of France.

On 9 March 2008, Camille won the Hilton Cup, defeating American Asia Muhammad 6–4, 6–1.

She is not tall, but she has talent and besides this a pretty face. Over 500,000 dollars were won until now from tennis . She has to train hard and give her best on the tennis court and this ay she can win titles and matches.

SINGLES

Winner:
2008 - ITF/Las Vegas, NV-USA;
2006 - ITF/Lexington, KY-USA;
2005 - ITF/College Park, MD-USA;
2004 - ITF/Lexington, KY-USA;
2003 - ITF/Saint Raphael-FRA;
2002 - ITF/Joue-les-Tours-FRA, ITF/Saint Raphael-FRA;
2000 - ITF/Vilamoura-POR.

Semifinalist (4):
2008 - Guangzhou;
2007 - Auckland;
2006 - Tokyo [Japan Open];
2004 - Vancouver.

Quarterfinalist (7):
2008 - Estoril, Stockholm;
2007 - Prague, Fès, Tokyo [Japan Open], Bangkok;
2006 - Bangalore.

DOUBLES
Winner:
1998 - ITF/Dinan-FRA (w/Vedy), ITF/Zadar-CRO (w/Visic).

# Coached by Jacques-Olivier Moers; practices with Lagardère Paris Racing Team
# Baseliner who prefers hardcourts; best asset is consistency
# Father, Claude, is a retired teacher; mother, Florence, is a retired engineer; has two older sisters, Valérie and Raphaelle
# Began playing at age 5 when parents took her to a nearby club
# Speaks French, English and a little Spanish
# Favorite movie is Gladiator; favorite actor is Jack Nicholson
# Favorite type of music is rock; favorite band is U2
# Favorite food is Japanese; favorite drink is red wine
# Enjoys skiing, scuba diving, shopping, going to the cinema and reading
# Most memorable experience was playing Sharapova at the 2007 Australian Open
# Superstition is to stop wearing an outfit if she loses three times in a row with it
# Person most admired is Amélie Mauresmo, because she is "a great person and reached No.1"
# Goal is to reach Top 30.

Country :- France
Residence :-Nice, France
Date of birth :-25 July 1981 (1981-07-25)
Place of birth :-Nice, France
Height :-1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight :-53 kg (120 lb; 8.3 st)
Turned pro :-1999
Plays :-Right-handed
Career prize money :-US$837,527
Career record:- 327–292
Career titles:- 0 WTA (8 ITF)
Highest ranking:- No. 61 (8 January 2007)

Grand Slam results
Australian Open :- 2r (2004, 2006, 2008)
French Open :-1r (2001–2008)
Wimbledon :-1r (2006, 2007, 2008)
US Open :-2r (2007)