Elena Dementieva
Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva (Russian: Елена Вячеславовна Дементьева, jɪˈlʲenə dʲɪˈmʲentjɪvə (help·info); born 15 October 1981) is a Russian professional tennis player, who has won two Olympic medals in singles, including the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Her performance at the Olympics is the strongest of any competitors in recent times, with an 11–2 record. She has also reached the finals of two Grand Slam events. Her career high ranking was World No. 3 which she achieved on April 6, 2009. As of 24 August 2009, she is ranked World No. 4.
Early and personal lifeDementieva was born in Moscow to Viatcheslav, an electrical engineer, and Vera, a teacher, both recreational tennis players. She was rejected by Dynamo Sports Club and the Central Red Army Tennis Club at the age of 7, before enrolling at Spartak Tennis Club, where she was coached for 3 years by Rauza Islanova, the mother of Marat Safin and Dinara Safina. She then moved to the Central Red Army Club with Sergei Pashkov, when she was 11. She is now coached by her mother Vera and her older brother Vsevolod. She has homes in Monaco, Moscow and Boca Raton, Florida, and enjoys snowboarding, baseball, reading and traveling.
She is currently dating Russian hockey player Maxim Afinogenov.
Dementieva was the cover girl for Marie Claire Russia's January 2009 issue.
Playing styleDementieva 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 or to take advantage of weak returns from her opponents. She has no particular favourite surface, as her playing ability allows her to adapt easily on each surface. Her poorest results however have been on grass courts.
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 large number of her matches having to go on to a third set.
