FYI: I imagine you girls note the man behind Kiri. [;)] He's the new RTF "chairman of the board". I don't know whether that means the Coaching Board or a corporate-type thing. I couldn't make out his name when Shamil introduced him.

[quote user="dinara :D"][/quote]

giane: Check your yahoo mail. [H]

[quote user="giane"][quote user="paul_pipkin"]

FYI: I imagine you girls note the man behind Kiri. [;)] He's the new RTF "chairman of the board". I don't know whether that means the Coaching Board or a corporate-type thing. I couldn't make out his name when Shamil introduced him.

[quote user="dinara :D"][/quote]

[/quote]

[:O]  really? hmmm, sounds interesting! ty paul.. [Y]

 Now, I'm NOT ragging on the Charleston draw--looks fair enough. However, let me draw attention to one match-up: Maria Kirilenko vs Varvara Lepchenko in the first round. 

Previously, former Soviet émigrée Lepchenko rarely met the Motherlanders--lately I've noticed her pitted against Russians several times in early rounds.

AFTER she publicly praised Dementieva.  Stay tuned.

Originally Posted by: paul_pipkin

Originally Posted by: paul_pipkin

 Now, I'm NOT ragging on the Charleston draw--looks fair enough. However, let me draw attention to one match-up: Maria Kirilenko vs Varvara Lepchenko in the first round. 

Previously, former Soviet émigrée Lepchenko rarely met the Motherlanders--lately I've noticed her pitted against Russians several times in early rounds.

AFTER she publicly praised Dementieva.  Stay tuned.

FAMILY CIRCLE CUP
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
April 4-10, 2011
$721,000/Premier
Green Clay/Outdoors

Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Singles - First Round
(9) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 64 60
(15) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 62 26 76(6)
Edina Gallovits-Hall (ROU) d. (WC) Jamie Hampton (USA) 76(1) 75
(Q) Anna Tatishvili (GEO) d. Jelena Dokic (AUS) 75 26 64
(WC) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Renata Voracova (CZE) 36 64 62

Kiri at Miami:

And still, I've no problem with the draw overall--wouldn't expect one. Not that Charleston is any more devoted to fair play, but because it's very much a country-club environment. It's not so much that cheating is immoral--as that it's uncouth. lol!

A day before cameras roll, Kiri lost a tough three hour duel with Ana Tatishvili 57 75 63.

Bummer. But that is not my issue. Check it out:

Round 1: former Soviet émigrée Lepchenko--see above.

Round 2: Tatisvili--Georgian. (Need I say more?)

Round 3: Kiri if she'd won, but now the Georgian must meet Wickmayer--WTA's "bad girl", friend of Russians.

 Am I the only one who catches off these arrangements a whiff of agenda other than tennis?

Again, these rather "political" meets go down in the dark. Perhaps we should more closely scrutinize all of Kirilenko's draws? 

Originally Posted by: Baris1989

Please Kiri, beat the beast on Saturday!

I'll drink to that! 

Originally Posted by: paul_pipkin

Originally Posted by: Baris1989

Please Kiri, beat the beast on Saturday!

I'll drink to that! 

Kiri may now get another crack at her. 

Tuesday morning, Valkyre & I spied Masha practicing with Kiri. Masha and her team (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRTP4Kglz8 ) had been working on Court 4 in the hour before start time. Then she hooked up with Kiri at the chairs by Court 5. For about twenty minutes, the girls & their guys hit on Court 4. The logic of the exercise appeared to be Kiri's preparation.

A few hours later, Kiri whacked Julia Görges 62 63 in 1:15. Team Sharapova's input certainly did not hurt anything... 

Kiri is the most interesting thing I take away from Stanford. Her training in conjunction with Team Sharapova (spied on the in-house stream but UNREPORTED by media); Kiri was then the only one who seriously challenged Serena's passage thru to the final; Kiri & Vika now winning the doubles championship. 

Kiri is another part of my "something's going on" impression. Her profile in Russian tennis has had a recent uptick--in part because she's a virtual given to play with Andreev the new mixed doubles at the London Olympiad. But also because of her expressed wish to play women's doubles with Masha. For a serious effort, that would require a lotta practice--and maybe that has commenced.

Expect to see MORE of her over the coming year.

In a large WTA tournament in Tokyo, launched on Sunday, to determine all members Round of 16. Among them, three Russians - Vera Zvonareva, Maria Sharapova and Maria Kirilenko.

September 27, 2011, Tuesday. 19:21

Source: "Chempionat.com"Author: Artem Taimanov

Tournament in Tokyo for a long time is a fairly large and representative. Thus, from 2001 to 2008, it won Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina . But not the best location in the calendar

 

Tokyo, Japan. Toray Pan Pacific Open.

Singles. First round 
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia, 11) - Aranci Rus (Netherlands) - 6:4, 6:3. 
Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland, 9) - Misaki Doi (Japan, WC) - 6:1, 6:1. 
Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) - Flavia Pennetta (Italy, 15) - 3:6, 6:4, 6:4. 
Ana Ivanovic (Serbia, 12) - Anastasia Rodionova (Australia, Q) - 6:4, 6:0. Maria Kirilenko (Russia) - Erika Sema (Japan, Q) - 6:1, 6:0.Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) - Anastasia Yakimova (Belarus) - 6:2, 6:4.

immediately after the Australian Open, so gather in their whole deposit of tennis stars, despite belonging to the first category, but could not. In 2008 he moved to the fall, but the really important acquired a year later when he became one of the two largest Asian competition series. Passing tournament a week later in Beijing, however, has a much bigger prize pool and give a little more points, but in general the compositions of the capitals of Japan and China almost equal. More precisely, since it was last year. This time Tokyo has missed a number of strong female tennis players at once. For various reasons, the capital of Japan did not come Serena and Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters, Li Na and Elena Vesnina, Ksenia Pervak, Andrea Petkovic, Yanina Wickmayer, Roberta Vinci, Lourdes Dominguez Lino-, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Simon Halep and Sara Errani . In addition, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Francesca Schiavone, Nadia Petrova and Sabine Lisicki in advance refused to participate in this tournament. Thus, Tokyo has lost seven tennis players just out of the top 20. According to Maria Sharapova , someone decided not to come because of the March explosion at the plant: "Before the tournament has been much talk on this subject. Some speculated about whether it is safe to come here. I know that some of the players decided to play in Tokyo, because the tennis players were scared. " The others were not able to play in Japan because of injury. Since Beijing is currently only starring Venus Williams, Wickmayer, Mattek-Sands and Dominguez Lino, . A number of matches was held on Sunday. The truly surprising results they brought, lost only one seeded - Flavia Pennetta . Incidentally, in the second round of offender, Kaia Kanepi , easily sorted out with Coco Vandevege and went to Caroline Wozniacki . Of the Russians also played on Sunday only Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova , who won in two sets Aranci Eng - 6:4, 6:3. In fact, in Tokyo as a whole was a little Russian women - only four, two of them, Maria Sharapova and Vera Zvonareva , due to high numbers of planting started in the second round. In the first round is played in addition Pavlyuchenkova Maria Kirilenko , defeated Japanese girl Erika Sema , which has made ​​its way into the main draw through the qualification - 6:1, 6:0. Another rival, Kirilenko was the offender in its US Open, Samantha Stosur . Perhaps no one has yet managed to forget

Singles. Second round

Marion Bartoli (France, 7) - Ayumi Morita (Japan) - 6:3, 0:6, 6:3. Maria Sharapova (Russia 2) - Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) - 6:2, 7:5.Jelena Jankovic (Serbia, 8) - Barbora Zaglavova-Strytsova (Czech Republic) - 6:4, 6:2. Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 3) - Irina Vega (Romania) - 6:1, 6:3. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland , 9) - Angelique Kerber (Germany, Q) - 3:6, 6:3, 6:3.Vania King (USA) - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia, 11) - 6:4, 7:6 (8:6) . Kvitova Petra (the Czech Republic, 5) - Mandy Minnelli (Luxembourg, Q) - 6:2, 6:3. Ana Ivanovic (Serbia, 12) - Laura Robson (Britain, WC) - 7:5, 6:4. Vera Zvonareva (Russia, 4) - Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) - 7:5, 6:0. Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) - Dominik Tsibulkova (Slovakia, 14) - 6:4, 6:2. Maria Kirilenko (Russia) - Samantha Stosur (Australia, 6) - 6:2, 4:6, 6:4. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark, 1) - Jarmila Gajdosova (Australia) - 6:1, 6:7 (4:7), 6:3.

dramatic tie-break second set, won by Mary with a score of 17:15. True, the victory he has brought Russian woman, but previously she had twice beaten Australian - Doha 2005 and in final Seoul-2008. Samantha spent her first match after the triumph at the US Open - and the like, as a rule, you must still go through. Suffice it to recall the results, for example, Francesca Schiavone, Li Na and Petra Kvitovoa after their victories in the tournament "Grand Slam". As for Mary, she has managed in September to play in Canton, where reached the semifinals and lost to a future champion, Chanele Sheepers . Stosur beginning of the meeting rather uneven. From time to time she passed the beautiful strokes, but in general it allows too many errors. Mary acted confidently, consistently, when necessary, exacerbated the game and controlled the match. From 2-2 she took four consecutive gameness, and at the first break-Point made ​​a double mistake Samantha. Start of the second set was equally combat. By the way, until the middle of the party Kirilenko played brilliantly on the first pitch, all this time giving only a joke. In the sixth game of the presentation go haywire, but it still has not allowed an opponent Maria do break and then she took someone else's feed. Alas, immediately after the Russians began a double error, in particular, the break-points. Perhaps, she became nervous in anticipation of victory, maybe it was something else, but in any case it lost its two consecutive services from the account 40:15, and both finished with double gameness, as a result of giving set - 4:6. Stosur seems to be inspired after such a victory in the set, but keep a consistently high level of play failed. Kirilenko did not give up after a lost opportunity to win in two games, continued to look for their chances and were rewarded. In the fifth game of it did break, and then began to play more confident and put the squeeze on Samantha - 6:2, 4:6, 6:4. "I met Samantha a couple of weeks ago, so she knew how to play. After winning the tournament" Grand Slam "is always difficult to win the next competition," - said Maria. In the third round as she will play with Ana Ivanovic , who won in straight sets to Laura Robson .

Maria Kirilenko

Maria Sharapova kicked off in Tokyo, the match against Tamarine Tanasugarn . Incidentally, last year in Tokyo and Beijing, she won only one victory, then finished the season, so until January to defend her in the rankings, in fact, nothing. From the outset it was evident that the Thai do not have the speed of movement around the court - once Maria slightly inflate the rate, and the rally remained for her. Easily took the first set, Russian woman confidently start the second, making two breaks, but then in her game slump. The number of errors, strikes have become less sharp and deep, and Tamarine caught on his chance. Returning a break, then played Tanasugarn feed for the match, but immediately became nervous again, gave his game, and a second chance is not missed Maria - 6:2, 7:5. For reaching the quarter-finals Sharapova will lead the fight against Julia Görges. "Today I served very well. It was important, as a rival to read my game perfectly. In the second set I had a small decline. Tamarine began to play better, so I'm glad that I managed to win in two games, "- said Sharapova after winning. And Vera Zvonareva took the Tsvetana Pironkovoa revenge for defeat in the third round of the last

Tokyo champion from 2001:

Lindsay Davenport - 2001, 2003, 2004. 
Martina Hingis - 2002, 2007. 
Maria Sharapova - 2005, 2009. 
Elena Dementieva - 2006. 
Dinara Safina - 2008. 
Caroline Wozniacki - 2010.

Wimbledon, made ​​even through personal meetings - 2-2. In the first set rossiyanke had a hard time, everything was decided only at the very ending. But in the second game advantage was entirely on the side of the Faith, which allowed an opponent to take only seven points - 7:5, 6:0. In the third round Zvonareva will meet Iveta Benesova , easily beating Dominika Cibulkova (6:4, 6:2). By the way, Benesova is likely to be included in the squad for the Czech Republic to the finals in the "Olympic" to be held in less than a month and a half, 5 and 6 November. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, unfortunately, come in 1 / 8 finals failed. Russian tennis player lost in straight sets Vane King. In the end a second party, it played a few match points, but still failed to win the tie-break - 4:6, 6:7 (6:8). American also appeared on Peter Kvitovu, which tries the first time since Wimbledon, winning two matches in a row. Other select matches Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska . Dane, defending the title here, started the tournament with a match against Jarmila Gajdosova. Easily took the first set, the second Carolina got to feed the match. Jarmila but, once on the verge of defeat, began to play much more confident and more active, Wozniacki, by contrast, began to make mistakes. Having played a double match points, Gaydoshova reached a tie-break, where there was more. In the third set tennis for quite some time going toe to toe, but with the score 3:4 Jarmila failed his game, and escape with a triple match points at the reception has failed. Carolina is the next game will have with Kiai Kanepi. As for Radwanska, she took revenge on Angelica Kerber for the recent defeat in the US Open. Agnieszka managed to win in three sets (3:6, 6:3, 6:3) and go to Jelena Jankovic . The winner of this match, by the way, in the quarterfinals will play either Wozniacki, Kanepi either. But it will be on Thursday, and on Wednesday in Tokyo, all matches will be 1 / 8 finals.

http://www.championat.co...ennis/article-97292.html 

Okay! Once again, we gotta wonder about something everyone has previously just "forgotten" to mention to us.  Photo from Vesnina's Twitter:

Vesnina at Fed Cup with Kiri and HER BROTHER, (or cousin--see below) Andrei Kirilenko--Russian-American ("dual" citizenship in 2011) CSKA forward, nicknamed AK47. (Initials plus jersey number.)

Read the story:

"How is it, sister?" Maria Kirilenko in a pair with Elena Vesnina lost the decisive match of the final in front of Andrei Kirilenko

Three match points the Russians saved before Kveta Peschke's next killer crosscourt brought victory to her team. Our girls, frustrated by the defeat, quickly run off into the locker room and the Czechs for a long time, holding hands, jumped for joy on the court. This holiday was supposed to be ours, but, alas, Moscow guest's proved to be stronger.

- Do not you know? Masha (Maria K) is - my sister. What are you laughing at? I'm serious!

Pushing me into the back of a huge palm close to the exit of the "Olympic," Andrei Kirilenko said this with such a look that I hesitated for a moment: but the truth is I know little about our basketball team's forward's family...?

- Native? (Birth-sister?)

- Of course. I'm just never even asked, but I do not advertise.

- And she asked you to come to the match?

- No, Vera Zvonareva called. We have known each other long , and she called the day before, invited me into the stands to cheer. And Masha does not like when I watch tennis from the audience. Shy ... 

Light twinkle in the eyes of the basketball player, but still he has dispelled my doubts. 
Going into the frosty air, tightly buttoned collar, Andrei jackets and quickly went to the car. Only in the "Olympic" finished third match of the final. Alas, not in our favor ... 

Full story at:

http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/491016 

Now, at Championat, the story changes to "cousin", with "sister" & "cousin" employed interchangeably.  

A. Kirilenko is come at the invitation of sister

About the impressions of the Federation Cup, kinship with Maria Kirilenko and Vera Zvonareva's charity - in an exclusive interview with basketball player Andrei Kirilenko.

November 7, 2011, Monday. 18:30

Author: Roman Semenov