Anna Smashnova
Anna Smashnova (Hebrew: אנה סמשנובה, Russian: Анна Смашнова; born July 16, 1976) is a Belarusian-born Israeli former tennis player. She retired from professional tour after Wimbledon 2007.
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Country (sports) | ![]() |
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Born | Minsk, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union | July 16, 1976
Height | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) |
Turned pro | January 1991 |
Retired | July 2007 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Prize money | $2,274,431 |
Singles | |
Career record | 401–304 |
Career titles | 12 WTA, 7 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 15 (February 3, 2003) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | 3R (1995, 2003, 2005) |
French Open | 4R (1995, 1998) |
Wimbledon | 3R (2000) |
US Open | 3R (1994) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | 1R (2002) |
Olympic Games | 1R (2004) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 31–45 |
Highest ranking | No. 275 (July 10, 2006) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | 1R (2006, 2007) |
French Open | 1R (2005, 2006) |
Wimbledon | 1R (2005, 2006) |
US Open | 2R (2005) |
Smashnova reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 15 in 2003. She was in 13 finals, and won 12 of them. In addition, she won a junior Grand Slam title, the 1991 French Open girls' singles championship.
Early life
Smashnova was born in Minsk, Belarus SSR, is of Russian-Jewish descent.[1][2][3] Her father Sasha is an engineer, and her mother is Zinal. She has a brother, Yura, who is a software analyst.[1] Smashnova graduated from American International High School outside Tel Aviv in 1995.[1] She completed her service in the Israel Defense Forces in 1997.[1]
Her family immigrated to Israel in September 1990, after Freddy Krivine, one of the founders of the Israel Tennis Centers, invited her to immigrate.[1][4]
Tennis career
Smashnova began playing tennis when she was six. She became the No. 1 junior in the Soviet Union at the age of ten.[5] She was the number one junior in the Soviet Union from age ten until she moved to Israel at age 14.[1] She won the girls' Soviet Union youth championship in 1989 at the age of 14.[4]
After immigrating to Israel at age 15, Smashnova trained at the Israel Tennis Centers.[5][6] In 1991, she won the girls' singles title at the French Open at age 14.[7][1]
Smashnova was named Tennis Magazine/Rolex Watch Female Rookie of the Year in 1994.[1] At the 1994 French Open she upset world No. 5 Jana Novotná, 6–4, 6–2.[7] At the US Open in that year, she upset world No. 14 Lori McNeil in straight sets.[7] She reached the fourth round of the French Open in 1995 and 1998.[7][8]
At the 1996 Australian Open, she defeated world No. 15 Natasha Zvereva in three sets.[7] She won her first top-level WTA Tour singles title in 1999 at Tashkent. She won her second career title in 2000, winning the Sanex Trophy in Belgium. Smashnova defeated Anna Kournikova in straight sets in her semifinal match, and went on to win the final against top-seed Dominique Van Roost.[7][8]
She had a breakthrough in 2002, winning four titles and beating 11 players ranked in the top 20, including Jelena Dokić, Justine Henin, and Kim Clijsters. In January 2002, Smashnova defeated Tatiana Panova in the ASB Classic at Auckland and top-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn at the Canberra Classic. In March 2002, she upset world No. 13 Meghann Shaughnessy at Indian Wells. In April, she defeated world No. 7 Justine Henin in Miami, and world No. 9 Jelena Dokić in Charleston. In May at the German Open, she upset world No. 3, Kim Clijsters, and world No. 14, Daniela Hantuchová, both in three sets.[7]
On June 16, 2002, Smashnova defeated defending champion Iroda Tulyaganova at the Wien Energie Grand Prix. In August, she beat world No. 13 Elena Dementieva in San Diego. In September 2002, she beat Anna Kournikova in the finals of the Shanghai Open. According to The New York Times, Smashnova "was precise and controlled throughout the match, hitting perfect winners in stride... Kournikova didn't score a point until the third game of the first set when Smashnova hit a shot wide. 'She was like a wall today, hitting everything back', Kournikova said."[8] In October, she beat world No. 13 Chanda Rubin in Zurich. She played in the 2002 WTA Tour Championships, and lost in the first round to world No. 1 Serena Williams.[7]
On December 7, 2002, Anna married Claudio Pistolesi, her former coach (whom she later divorced), and played for a period of time as Anna Pistolesi and Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi.[8][4]
She won the 2003 Idea Prokom Open in Poland, beating Klára Koukalová in the finals in straight sets. Smashnova eliminated Karolina Šprem in the Nordic Light Open semifinal in Helsinki and defeated Jelena Kostanić in the final. At the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, she posted wins against Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva.[8] In October 2003, she defeated then world No. 13 Nadia Petrova in Moscow.[7]
She was on the Israeli Olympic Team in 2004.[1]
At the 2005 Australian Open, Smashnova defeated María Sánchez Lorenzo in the first round and Tamarine Tanasugarn in the second. She lost to Venus Williams (seeded eighth) in the third round.[8] In July 2006, Smashnova won her 12th tour title at Budapest, maintaining a 100% winning record in WTA Tour finals – a record she held alone for players who had won double-digit titles. This streak ended in August 2006, when she lost in the final of the Forest Hills Tennis Classic women's event to Meghann Shaughnessy.[7]
In March 2007, Smashnova announced on Israeli radio that she would retire from professional tennis after Wimbledon.[9] As it turned out, she lost in the first round to German Martina Müller by the "double bagel" scoreline, 0–6, 0–6.[7]
WTA career finals
Singles 13 (12–1)
Legend |
Grand Slam (0) |
Tour Championships (0) |
Tier I (0) |
Tier II (0) |
Tier III (3) |
Tier IV and V (9) |
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1. | June 13, 1999 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Hard | ![]() |
6–3, 6–3 |
Winner | 2. | July 23, 2000 | Knokke-Heist, Belgium | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 7–5 |
Winner | 3. | January 6, 2002 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2 |
Winner | 4. | January 13, 2002 | Canberra, Australia | Hard | ![]() |
7–5, 7–6(7–2) |
Winner | 5. | June 16, 2002 | Vienna, Austria | Clay | ![]() |
6–4, 6–1 |
Winner | 6. | September 15, 2002 | Shanghai, China | Hard | ![]() |
6–2, 6–3 |
Winner | 7. | August 2, 2003 | Sopot, Poland | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 6–0 |
Winner | 8. | August 10, 2003 | Helsinki, Finland | Clay | ![]() |
4–6, 6–4, 6–0 |
Winner | 9. | May 22, 2004 | Vienna, Austria | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 3–6, 6–2 |
Winner | 10. | July 17, 2005 | Modena, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
6–6 ret. |
Winner | 11. | August 31, 2005 | Budapest, Hungary | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2 |
Winner | 12. | July 30, 2006 | Budapest, Hungary | Clay | ![]() |
6–1, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1. | August 26, 2006 | Forest Hills, United States | Hard | ![]() |
6–1, 0–6, 4–6 |
ITF finals
Singles: 17 (7–10)
$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 25 November 1991 | Ramat HaSharon, Israel | Hard | ![]() |
4–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 2. | 11 July 1993 | Erlangen, Germany | Clay | ![]() |
6–3, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 3. | 29 November 1993 | Ramat HaSharon, Israel | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 2 June 1997 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 14 July 1997 | Getxo, Spain | Clay | ![]() |
6–3, 3–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 6. | 17 November 1997 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 7. | 6 October 1997 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | ![]() |
1–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 8. | 29 March 1998 | Woodlands, United States | Hard | ![]() |
6–2, 1–6, 5–7 |
Winner | 9. | 12 April 1998 | Athens, Greece | Clay | ![]() |
1–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 10. | 4 May 1997 | Cardiff, Great Britain | Clay | ![]() |
5–7, 4–6 |
Winner | 11. | 17 May 1998 | Porto, Portugal | Clay | ![]() |
6–2, 6–2 |
Winner | 12. | 4 October 1998 | Santa Clara, United States | Hard | ![]() |
2–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 13. | 3 October 1999 | Santa Clara, United States | Hard | ![]() |
2–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 14. | 17 October 1999 | Largo, United States | Hard | ![]() |
7–6(7–2), 6–1 |
Runner-up | 15. | 9 September 2001 | Fano, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
6–3, 1–6, 5–7 |
Runner-up | 16. | 16 September 2001 | Bordeaux, France | Clay | ![]() |
6–4, 1–6, 0–6 |
Winner | 17. | 11 June 2006 | Prostějov, Czech Republic | Clay | ![]() |
w/o |
Doubles: 2 (0–2)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 20 April 1997 | Bari, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | 17 November 1997 | Jaffa, Israel | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 1–6 |
Head-to-head records against other players
Smashnova's win-loss records against certain players who have been ranked world No. 10 or higher is as follows:
Players who have been ranked world No. 1 are in boldface.
Martina Hingis 0–2 Dominique Monami 2–0 Lindsay Davenport 0–4 Flavia Pennetta 4–0 / Karina Habšudová 0–2 / Jelena Dokić 1–3 Ai Sugiyama 1–3 Anna Kournikova 2–3 Jennifer Capriati 0–2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 0–1 Elena Dementieva 2–1 Daniela Hantuchová 3–2 Nadia Petrova 1–1 Dinara Safina 1–0 Anastasia Myskina 1–1 Amélie Mauresmo 1–6 Kim Clijsters 1–1 / / Monica Seles 0–2 Nicole Vaidišová 0–1 Jelena Janković 1–1 Venus Williams 0–3 Serena Williams 0–2 Justine Henin 1–2 Maria Sharapova 0–2
See also
References
- "Anna Smashnova" | WTA Tennis
- Day by Day in Jewish Sports History - Bob Wechsler
- American Jewish Year
- "Smashnova ends distinguished career with 6-0, 6-0 loss to Germany's Muller" - Haaretz
- "Sporting Heroes for 60 years: No. 17 Anna Smashnova," The Jerusalem Post.
- ITC Champions Archived October 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- "Anna Smashnova" | WTA Tennis
- "Smashnova, Anna (aka Anna Pistolesi)". Jews In Sports. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- "Smashnova to retire," Ynetnews.
- Fed Cup – Player Profile
External links
- Anna Smashnova at the Women's Tennis Association
- Anna Smashnova at the International Tennis Federation
- Anna Smashnova at the Fed Cup
- Jewish Virtual Library bio
- Jews in Sports bio