WTA Stunners - Maria Kirilenko

Maria Kirilenko

Affectionately know as Makiri, Maria Kirilenko is another of the hugely successful generation of Russian female tennis players. She first came to world prominence at the 2006 Australian Open where she received huge media attention following her run to the third round. She has since been a regular in tennis and fashion magazines alike and is well know for wearing a range of Adidas sponsored outfits designed by British fashion designer Stella McCartney.

Early Life

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko was born in Moscow, Russia on January 25 1987. Maria started playing tennis at the age of seven. Soon after her father enrolled her at the famous tennis school at Moscow Central Stadium where she first showed signs of her potential. In less than one year after starting to play tennis Maria won her very first competition. At the age of twelve Kirilenko was spotted by former Ukrainian tennis player Elena Brioukhovets who along with help from Yevgeny Kafelnikov enrolled Maria on a three-year training program. The training proved to be a great success when in 2002 Kirilenko became one of the youngest winners of the Canadian Open and the US Open Junior Tennis Tournaments.

WTA Career

After falling in qualifying at the Princess Cup, Tokyo, Kirilenko made her WTA Tour debut in Bali in September 2002. Maria was also successful in qualifying and made the first round at the Japan Open and Pattaya City Tour events the same year.

In January 2003 Maria won her first ITF Circuit title at Boca Raton, United States. 2003 also saw Kirilenko reach her first WTA Tour Quarter final at Hyderabad, India in February where she lost to the eventual champion Tamarine Tanasugarn. In August the same year Maria made her Grand Slam main draw debut at US Open, reaching the third round where she was beaten by Amélie Mauresmo.

2004 saw Maria win her first Tour doubles title at Birmingham playing with fellow Russian Maria Sharapova. Maria also won her second ITF Circuit title at Saint-Gaudens, France, and made a lot of progress in WTA events before she was setback by injury and dropped down the rankings towards the end of the season. In December 2004 she played in a tennis exhibition in Tampa, Florida to raise money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund.

The 2005 WTA Tour season saw Kirilenko win her first Tour singles title at Beijing overcoming Lisa Groenefeld in the final, 6-3, 6-4. She played all four majors in a season for first time, reaching the second round at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Maria also won her second Tour doubles title at Tokyo (Japan Open) playing with Gisela Dulko. She finished the season ranked number 25 in the world.

The 2006 season saw Kirilenko break into the top 20 even though she failed to add anymore singles titles to Her Beijing success. Maria made her debut for Russia at the Fed Cup tournament in April 2006 in the World Group Quarter-Final tie against Belgium. Maria lost a singles rubber against 2005 US Open champion Kim Clijsters and won her doubles rubber against world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters partnering Dinara Safina. Although Russia ended up losing the tie 3–2. At the 2006 US Open, Kirilenko received the 20th seed for the tournament and reached the 3rd Round, eventually being defeated by Aravane Rezai.

In January 2007, she advanced to the third round at the Australian Open, before being defeated by third-seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. At the Acura Classic in San Diego, California, Kirilenko upset second seeded Jelena Janković of Serbia with a score of 6–2, 3–6, 7–5 to advance to the quarter-finals, before losing to fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6–2, 6–4. Partnering Martina Hingis she won the doubles title at the Qatar Total Open crushing Ágnes Szávay and Vladimíra Uhlířová in the final 6-1, 6-1. After unsuccessful attempts to get past the second round at the French Open and Wimbledon She made the third round at the U.S. Open. She then lost to the unseeded Julia Vakulenko of the Ukraine in straight sets, 6–2, 6–4. Kirilenko then appeared in the Sunfeast Open, Kolkata, India. There, she won her second WTA Tour singles title, defeating Daniela Hantuchova, Flavia Pennetta en route to the final where she beat unseeded Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine in straight sets 6–0,6–2. The next week in Seoul, Kirilenko, as the fourth seed also reached the final but lost a hard fought game to number one seed and current Wimbledon champion Venus Williams of the USA in three sets 3–6, 6–1, 4–6. Maria also added a third ITF Circuit title to her record with a triumph in Dubai in December and again finished the season ranked 25^th.

At the 2008 Australian Open, Kirilenko reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career, by beating number 6 seed Anna Chakvetadze in three sets (6–7, 6–1, 6–2). Her next opponent was Daniela Hantuchova, to whom she lost in three sets 1–6, 6–4, 6–4. Maria won three WTA Tier IV tournaments during 2008 the Estoril Open, Portugal, Barcelona KIA and Hansol Korea Open, Seoul. She also won the doubles titles in Estoril, partnering Flavia Pennetta and Cincinnati Masters partnering Nadia Petrova. 2008 also saw Kirilenko reach her highest ever singles ranking of 18, a feat she achieved in July.

Maria Kirilenko Links