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Anastasia Rodionova
Country	Australia
Residence	Melbourne, Australia
Date of birth	12 May 1982
Place of birth	Tambov, Soviet Union
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 51⁄2 in)
Turned pro	1997
Plays	Right, two-handed backhand
Career prize money	US$800,339
Official web site	Official site
Singles
Career record	265–225
Career titles	6 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 63 (16 April 2007)
Current ranking	No. 97 (1 February 2010)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open	2R (2007, 2008)
French Open	1R (2006, 2007)
Wimbledon	2R (2006)
US Open	3R (2006, 2009)
Doubles
Career record	171–179
Career titles	2 WTA, 11 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 36 (September 8, 2008)
	Last updated on: December 10, 2009.

Anastasia Rodionova (Russian: Анастасия Ивановна Родионова) (Pron: Rodi-o-nova) (born 12 May 1982 in Tambov, Soviet Union) is an Australian professional female tennis player. She competed for Russia prior to gaining Australian Citizenship

She won the 2000 Russian Championships 18s in singles and doubles.

She was a finalist in Wimbledon 2003 in mixed doubles with Andy Ram.

She reached her second WTA Tour semifinal at the Guangzhou International Women's Open in September 2007. In the quarterfinal, she defeated the top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues. She then lost to Tzipora Obziler in the semifinal. It was her first appearance at this level in five years, after making her first WTA Tour semifinal at Quebec City, Canada in September 2002.

Anastasia moved to Australia in 2005 but due to a requirement of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), played for Russia at all tournaments excluding grand slams until she was granted Australian Citizenship on December 10, 2009.^[1]

Anastasia underwent major hip surgery in September 2008 in Melbourne^[2] to treat an injury that she had carried since Wimbledon 2003.

Anastasia is an Official Ambassador for Guide Dogs Victoria since January 2009 and regularly visits puppies in training when home in Melbourne.

[edit] Major Career Achievements

Career-High Singles – 63 (April 16, 2007), Career-High Doubles – 36 (September 8, 2008).

Winner of 8 ITF tournaments (singles): 2009 – Ipswich (Australia), Bundaberg (Australia); 2005 – Albuquerque (USA), Nuriootpa (Australia); 2004 - Stockholm (Sweden), Vaduz (Liechtenstein); 2002 – Coatzacoalcos (Mexico); 2001 – Maglie (Italy).

Semifinalist in 2 WTA tournaments (singles): 2007 - Guangzhou (China); 2002 - Quebec City (Canada).

Quarter-finalist in 4 WTA tournaments (singles): 2008 - Bangalore(India); 2006 – Tashkent (Uzbekistan); 2003 – Casablanca (Morocco), Pattaya City (Thailand).

Winner of 2 WTA tournaments (doubles): 2007 - Estoril, Portugal (w/Ehritt-Vanc); 2005 - Quebec City, Canada (w/Vesnina).

Winner of 12 ITF tournaments (doubles): 2009 - Biarritz, France (w/Chan); 2006 – Putignano, Italia (w/Аr.Rodionova), Augusta, GA-USA (w/Poutchek), Tunica Resorts, MS-USA (w/Poutchek), Nuriootpa-AUS (w/Ar. Rodionova).

Finalist in 5 WTA tournaments (doubles): 2007 - Fes (w/Ehritt-Vanc), Tashkent (w/Poutchek); 2006 - Bangalore (w/Vesnina); 2005 - Tashkent (w/Voskoboeva); 2001 - Sopot (w/Beygelzimer).

Finalist in 1 tournament (mixed): 2003 - Wimbledon (w/Ram).

[edit] Biography

Anastasia Rodionova started to play tennis at age 7, but she was introduced to tennis much earlier. Her father Ivan was an amateur player so instead of toys, Anastasia had tennis balls in her pram. He coached her until 18 years old when she left Tambov, Russia and moved to Germany to practice for 3 years before returning to Moscow to live in 2003. She has resided in Melbourne, Australia with her partner Lorne Padman since 2005. Anastasia's sister Arina has also been a professional tennis player since 2004.

[edit] Early Career 1996-2000

In 1996 Anastasia played her first professional ITF tournament in Sochi, Russia (home city of the forthcoming 2014 Winter Olympics) easily passing qualification but losing in the main draw to the top seed. It was a great induction to professional tennis, but her first amateur tournament was played much earlier in Tashkent when she was 8 years old.

In 1998 Anastasia celebrated turning 16 years old by making the singles semifinals in a Czech Republic ITF tournament and winning a doubles title in Minsk, Belarus.

In 1999 she made her debut on the WTA Tour in Tashkent, where she won a round in qualifying singles.

[edit] 2001

During the week of her 19th birthday in 2001 and with a ranking of only 239, she won her first ITF singles title in Italy - winning all 5 matches against higher ranked players. In the same year Anastasia played her first Grand Slam event at Wimbledon. She also made the WTA doubles finals in Sopot, Poland, semifinals in Bratislava and captured 2 ITF doubles titles in Cholet, France and Tbilisi, Georgia.

[edit] 2002

Anastasia won her 2nd ITF tournament title in Mexico, semi-final in Quebec, Canada at a 3rd tier WTA tournament and quarter-final in the Grand Slam doubles at Wimbledon. She also won 2 ITF tournament titles in doubles in Italy and Mexico.

[edit] 2003

Anastasia made her 1st Grand Slam final, playing mixed doubles with Andy Ram at Wimbledon and went down in a tight match second round singles match against number 5 in the world, Jennifer Capriati in Miami.

[edit] 2004

Anastasia won 2 more ITF titles in singles - in Sweden and in Liechtenstein, where she also won in doubles.

[edit] 2005

Anastasia won her 5th and 6th ITF singles titles (USA and Australia), 4 ITF doubles titles, 3 of them in consecutive weeks. She partnered Elena Vesnina to win her 1st WTA doubles tournament in Quebec, Canada.

[edit] 2006

After reaching the 2nd round in the 2nd tier tournament in Los Angeles, Anastasia entered the Top100 WTA rankings for the first time in her career. At the US Open she became one of the leading players after making it to the 3rd round (her best result in singles at a Grand Slam tournament to date). This catapulted Anastasia to 81 in the world. In doubles with Elena Vesnina she also reached the WTA tournament final in Bangalore, India and she captured her 11th ITF title in Italy in partnership with her sister Arina Rodionova.

[edit] 2007

In 2007 Anastasia played a whopping 28 WTA tournaments. At the Australian Open Grand Slam she reached the 2nd round but lost to world number 2 and eventual finalist, Maria Sharapova. In Miami's Tier 1 tournament Anastasia took more games off the eventual tournament champion Serena Williams in her 2nd round defeat than any other person in that tournament. In the Estoril Open, Portugal, Anastasia won her 2nd title in doubles with Andrea Ehritt-Vanc from Romania. Together they also made the finals in Morocco. In the 1st tier tournament in Los Angeles Anastasia made the semi-finals, partnering with Tatiana Poutchek. In Guangzhou, China Anastasia reached the singles semi-final but was unable to finish the match due to heat stroke. At the Tashkent Open, Anastasia once again teamed up with Tatiana Poutchek making the final, but lost in 3 sets to Dzehalevich/Yakimova. Anastasia ended the year ranked 78th place in singles.

[edit] 2008

Anastasia started the new 2008 season in New Zealand, but it began unsuccessfully as she was forced to retire in the opening round due to eye problems, where she was experiencing double vision. After a short-course of treatment in Melbourne Anastasia began preparations for the Australian Open. There she played under the Australian flag for the first time and successfully reached the 2nd round losing to Katarina Srebotnik. In the next few tournaments of Pattaya, Doha and Dubai Anastasia struggled with her vision with three 1st round defeats in singles, but made a doubles semi-final with Arina at the Pattaya Open. Then success increased remarkably, resulting in her gaining several considerable victories over the multiple top 30 players. In India she defeated the number 20 in the world Sybille Bammer from Austria on the way to the quarter-final, where she went down to Serena Williams. She carried that confidence through the USA series, passing qualification in Miami and reaching the 2nd round and making the 3rd round in Charleston, losing to Jelena Jankovic.

Unfortunately May 2008 saw the beginning of a spate of injuries that significantly hampered the rest of her year, taking 1st round honours in tournaments that she would have otherwise performed much more brightly. Movement didn't restrict her as much in doubles and she made quarter finals in a Moscow ITF, semi-finals in New Haven, 3rd round in the US Open, and semi-final in Guangzhou. However, it was clear that without major hip surgery, Anastasia's career would forever be handicapped so in September she underwent a specialised operation in Melbourne and spent the remainder of the year in rehabilitation.

[edit] 2009

Results were restricted significantly for the first half of the year while Anastasia strengthened her hip and built on-court fitness following the major hip operation in September 2008. She sustained a badly sprained ankle during 1st round singles at Los Angeles in July and was forced to retire. Anastasia represented Australia at the US Open and equalled her career best 3rd round in singles before returning home to Melbourne to receive intensive treatment on a heavily injured ankle and torn leg muscle. She withdrew from the tournament in Seoul to complete treatment and rejoined the WTA Tour in Tokyo, Japan. Anastasia's final tournament for 2009 was in Poiters, France and she ended her season ranked back inside the Top 100 at 97.

[edit] Equipment, apparel and endorsements

Anastasia's racquet is Wilson's [K]-Factor model and she wears Wilson shoes. Anastasia endorses Oakley eyewear on-court (Flak Jacket model with positive red iridium tent) and off-court (Oakley Liv model). Her favourite watch is the Oakley Jury Stainless Steel Bracelet Edition. Anastasia trains in Skins compression clothing.

[edit] Major finals

[edit] Grand Slam finals

[edit] Mixed doubles: 1 (0-1)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents in the final	Score in the final
Runner-up	2003	Wimbledon	Grass	Andy Ram	Martina Navratilova Leander Paes	3–6, 3–6

[edit] Titles

[edit] Singles

Legend
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (0)
Tier II (0)
Tier III (0)
Tier IV & V 0)
ITF Titles (6)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	May 13, 2001	Maglie	Clay	Maja Palaversic	6–2, 6–4
2.	April 7, 2002	Coatzacoalcos	Hard	Zuzana Hejdova	6–3, 4–6, 6–4
3.	May 16, 2004	Stockholm	Clay	Anne Kremer	7–6, 6–4
4.	June 13, 2004	Vaduz	Clay	Yvonne Meusburger	1–6, 6–3, 7–6
5.	September 25, 2005	Albuquerque	Hard	Maureen Drake	6–2, 6–3
6.	November 20, 2005	Nuriootpa	Hard	Greta Arn	6–3, 6–1