WTA tour; Top ten players in 2010 – Part two
Here is the second part explaining the season- end top ten players on the WTA tour in 2010.
9. Elena Dementieva
Born on15 October 1981 in the city of Moscow, Elena Dementieva is a former tennis player from Russia who announced her retirement from the tour after competing at the year ending WTA Tour Champions back in October. The Russian ended the season as well as
her career ranked number nine in the world.
The 29-year-old Elena started her 2010 campaign by representing Russia in the Hopman Cup along with her partner Igor Andreev. She lost her first clash in the Round Robin stage at the hands of Sabine Lisicki before getting the better of Yaroslava Shvedova
and Laura Robson. The Russian, however failed to reach the title battle as both of them finished third in the group.
She next played at the Medibank International and did well to reach the finals beating Dinara Safina and Victoria Azarenka on her way. In the title battle, the Russian got the better of then world number one Serena Williams in two sets. The final match score
was 6–3 6–2. By virtue of this victory, the right hander registered her name as the first woman since Martina Hingis to win the Medibank International on two occasions in a row.
Seeded number five at the year’s opening Grand Slam; the Australian Open in Melbourne, Elena thrashed out Vera Dushevina, her compatriot fellow, in the first round in straight sets. In the next round, she was bundled out of the event by eventual runner-up
Justine Henin from Belgium in two sets. The final match score was 5–7, 6–7 (6).
Elena’s next competition was the Open GDF Suez, held in Paris, where she made her way into the final round for the second time in a row. In the title battle, the Russian played extremely well and thus came from behind to beat Lucie Safarova in three sets.
The final match score was 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–4.
At the Barclays Dubai Tennis tournament, the 1.80 meters tall pulled out of her second round clash against Daniela Hantuchova as a result of her shoulder injury while trailing behind at 6–4, 1–1.
The third seed Elena at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia couldn’t go beyond the third round as she was toppled by Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in two sets. The final match score was 6–1, 7–6(5).
At the French Open in Roland Garros, Elena overpowered Petra Martic, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Aleksandra Wozniak and Chanelle Scheepers to make her way into the semi final round. In the final four battle, the Russian met the seventh seed and eventual winner
Francesca Schiavone of Italy who took the first set before Elena retired as a result of torn left calf muscle.
The injury prevailed and thus the professional tennis ace from Russia withdrew from Eastbourne as well as the grass court Grand Slam tournament at the All England Club.
The Monte Carlo resident made a comeback on the tour by playing at the Bank of the West Classic where she was seeded number two to win the title. She breezed into the quarters before losing at the hands of former world number one Maria Sharapova in three
sets.
At the year’s final major, the United States Open in New York, Elena was crushed in the fourth round by her Australian foe Samantha Stosur in straight sets.
Her last competition of the season was the WTA Tour Championships, where the right hander successfully qualified on the third occasion in a row. The Russian however, couldn’t go beyond the round robin stage as she fell to Caroline Wozniacki as well as Francesca
Schiavone, two sets each. Elena only managed to win a single match at the season ending tournament as she dismissed Samantha Stosur in three sets. The final match score was 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(4).
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