Anastasia Ivanovna Rodionova (Russian: Анастасия Ивановна Родионова; born 12 May 1982) is a Russian-born Australian former professional tennis player.
Rodionova won eleven doubles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as eight singles and 13 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. On 16 August 2010, she reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 62. On 8 September 2014, she peaked at No. 15 in the doubles rankings.
Her greatest career achievements came in doubles, having reached the finals of the mixed-doubles event at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships with Andy Ram and the semifinals of the women's doubles event at the 2010 US Open with Cara Black.
Rodionova suffers the ignominious distinction of being one of just four players in WTA history to be defaulted from a tournament, after hitting a ball towards spectators at the 2007 Western & Southern Open.
Her younger sister Arina is also a tennis professional, and the two sisters have intermittently contested doubles tournaments together, with modest success. Their most notable achievements as a team came at the 2010 Malaysian Open and 2015 Monterrey Open, succumbing in the super tie-break in the finals of both tournaments.
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Biography
Rodionova started to play tennis at age seven, but she was introduced to tennis much earlier. Her father Ivan was an amateur player so instead of toys, Rodionova had tennis balls in her pram. He coached her until 18 years old when she left Tambov and moved to Germany to practice for three years before returning to Moscow in 2003. She has resided in Melbourne since 2005. Her sister Arina has also been a professional tennis player since 2004.
Career
2006–2007
In 2006, after reaching the second round in the second tournament in Los Angeles, Rodionova entered the top 100 for the first time in her career. At the US Open, she became one of the leading players after making it to the third round (her best result in singles at a Grand Slam tournament to date). This catapulted Rodionova 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.
In 2007, Rodionova played a whopping 28 WTA tournaments. At the Australian Open, she reached the second round but lost to world No. 2 and eventual finalist, Maria Sharapova. In Miami's Tier-I tournament, Rodionova took more games off the eventual tournament champion Serena Williams in her second-round defeat than any other player in that tournament. At the Estoril Open, Rodionova won her second title in doubles with Andreea Ehritt-Vanc from Romania. Together they also made the finals in Morocco. In the first Tier-level tournament in Los Angeles, Rodionova made the semifinals, partnering Tatiana Poutchek. In Guangzhou, she reached the singles semifinal but was unable to finish the match due to heat stroke. At the Tashkent Open, Rodionova once again teamed up with Tatiana Poutchek making the final, but lost in three sets to Ekaterina Dzehalevich and Anastasiya Yakimova. She ended the year ranked 78th place in singles.
2008
Rodionova started the new season in New Zealand, but 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, Rodionova began preparations for the Australian Open. There, she played under the Australian flag for the first time and reached the second round, losing to Katarina Srebotnik. ((cn)) In the next few tournaments of Pattaya, Doha and Dubai, Rodionova struggled with her vision with three first-round defeats in singles, but made a doubles semifinal 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 No. 20 in the world, Sybille Bammer from Austria, on the way to the quarterfinal, where she went down to Serena Williams. She carried that confidence through the US series, passing qualification in Miami and reaching the second round, and making the third round in Charleston, losing to Jelena Janković.
May 2008 saw the beginning of a spate of injuries that significantly hampered the rest of the year, taking first-round honours in tournaments that she would have otherwise performed much more brightly. Movement did not restrict her as much in doubles and she made quarterfinals in a Moscow ITF, semifinals in New Haven, third round in the US Open, and semifinals in Guangzhou. However, it was clear that without major hip surgery, her career would forever be handicapped.
So Rodionova underwent major hip surgery in September 2008 in Melbourne to treat an injury that she had carried since Wimbledon 2003.
2009
Results were restricted significantly for the first half of the year, while Rodionova strengthened her hip and built on-court fitness following the hip operation. She sustained a badly sprained ankle during first-round singles at Los Angeles in July and was forced to retire. Rodionova represented Australia at the US Open and equalled her career-best third 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. Her final tournament for 2009 was in Poitiers, France and she ended the season ranked back inside the top 100 at No. 97.
2010
Rodionova started the year at the Brisbane Open, falling in qualifying but making the doubles final. Then she played Sydney, where she fell in the last round of qualifying to Kimiko Date-Krumm. At the Australian Open, Rodionova lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova 1–6, 2–6, but partnered with Vera Dushevina to make the third round of doubles, knocking off fifth seeds Nadia Petrova and Sam Stosur en route. Rodionova then played numerous tournaments in Asia and Arab Emerates highlighted by a quarterfinal showing at Kuala Lumpur, and second round loses at Dubai and Pattaya City. Rodionova lost in qualifying for the Indian Wells Masters but qualified for the main draw of the Miami Masters.
In doubles, she and her sister Arina reached the finals of the Malaysian Open. The Rodionova sisters defeated top seeds Yan Zi and Alisa Kleybanova in straight sets in the second round. However, in the finals, they lost to second seeds Zheng Jie and Chan Yung-jan in a close two-setter and match tie-breaker.
Rodionova's debut for the Australian Fed Cup team was in Kharkov, Ukraine, on 24 April 2010, where she opened the tie with an emphatic win over Alona Bondarenko, coming back from losing the first seven games. This gave Australia a commanding 1–0 lead that set up Sam Stosur for two straight forward wins in her singles matches for a 3–0 defeat of Ukraine, securing Australia's place in World Group I for 2011. Rodionova also partnered with Rennae Stubbs to win the final rubber of doubles after Alicia Molik won her substituted singles match, giving Australia a decisive 5–0 victory in the tie.
In the French Open, Rodionova defeated Ekaterina Makarova in the first round in straight sets. Then caused an upset in the second round by defeating the 22nd seed Vera Zvonareva. However, she lost in the third round against fellow Australian Jarmila Groth, in three sets.
At Wimbledon, Rodionova defeated Anne Keothavong in the first round and then upset the 19th seed Kuznetsova in the second round, before falling to the ninth seed Li Na, 1–6, 3–6.
Rodionova's next tournament was at the Cincinnati Open, where she entered as a qualifier, but lost in the first round to Vera Dushevina. However, in the doubles tournament, she partnered with Cara Black, as the eighth seeds. They won their first-round match against the Spanish pair Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja. In the second round, Rodionova and Black defeated Meghann Shaughnessy and Elena Vesnina. They were defeated in the quarterfinals by the second seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta.
2011
Anastasia made her 2011 debut at the Brisbane International. She drew Bojana Jovanovski in the first round and lost in three sets. She continued her partnerships with Cara Black as they advanced to the semifinals before losing to Alisa Kleybanova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She was next granted a wildcard to play in the Sydney International where she lost to eighth seed and eventual champion Li Na. At the Australian Open, she played Flavia Pennetta in the first round and lost. Anastasia and Cara beat three doubles teams before losing to Nadia Petrova and Liezel Huber. In mixed doubles, she partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi and won two matches. They were unable to play in the quarterfinals due to an injury Bhupathi sustained in his men's doubles game.
Her next tournament is at the Indian Wells Open, where she lost to qualifier and doubles partner Monica Niculescu in the first round. In doubles, Rodionova and Nicelescu lost to 1st seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta in the opener. Anastasia next played at a $100k event in the Bahamas, where she was the seventh seed. She drew Ukrainian qualifier Olga Savchuk in the first round, and ended up prevailing in a tough three-set match. She lost to eventual champion Anastasiya Yakimova in the second round. In doubles, she partnered with her sister Arina, and lost to No. 2 seeds Edina Gallovits-Hall and Monica Niculescu in the first round. Her next tournament was the Sony Ericsson Open. She lost to Johanna Larsson in her first-round match. In doubles, she partnered with Chuang Chia-jung and lost in the first round to wildcards Andrea Petkovic and Ana Ivanovic in three sets.
She began her clay-court season at the Charleston Open where she defeated Zuzana Ondrášková in the first round in three sets. This was Rodionova's first singles win in the 2011 WTA Tour. In doubles, she partnered with Alla Kudryavtseva. They beat wildcards Shelby Rogers and Patty Schnyder in the opener. In the second round, they lost to eventual champions Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina. Following the Family Circle Cup, Anastasia participated in Fed Cup and lost both singles matches to Lesia Tsurenko and Olga Savchuk. Her and Jarmila Gajdošová also lost their doubles match. Rodionova travelled to Portugal to compete in the Estoril Open. She played Alla Kudryavtseva and lost in three sets. In doubles, she paired with her sister and beat No. 3 seeds, Yan Zi and Zhang Shuai. They were forced to withdraw from their quarterfinal match due to a left adductor injury Anastasia suffered beforehand. She then played at the Madrid Open. As the seventh seed in qualifying, she breezed past compatriot Casey Dellacqua in straight sets. She then lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives in the qualifying competition. In doubles, playing with Nadia Petrova, she beat Vera Dushevina and Tatiana Poutchek in the first round. In round two, they lost to Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina. Anastasia continued her clay-court season by playing qualifying at the Internazionali d'Italia as the ninth seed. She easily defeated Vania King 6–0, 6–3. In the final round, she faced second seed Zheng Jie and lost the first set; however, she ultimately won 3–6, 6–2, 7–5 in 2 hours and 17 minutes. In the first round of the main draw, Rodionova defeated Yaroslava Shvedova 6–4, 6–4. She was up against world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, in the second round. In doubles, Rodionova and Petrova advanced to the quarterfinals before losing. She then lost in the first round of the Brussels Open. At the French Open, she caused a major upset in the first round by defeating doubles partner and 26th seed Nadia Petrova in three sets. She was up against Edina Gallovits-Hall next. In doubles, Rodionova and Petrova seeded ninth played Alberta Brianti and Petra Martić. Competing in mixed doubles with Mark Knowles, they lost to the eventual champions Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky in the first round.
2012
Rodionova began her 2012 season at the Brisbane International, where she fell in the second round of qualifying. She received a wildcard to play in the main draw of the Hobart International. Anastasia defeated Gréta Arn in the first round, but fell to countrywoman Jarmila Gajdošová in three sets in the second.
In the Australian Open, Rodionova lost to then-world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, in the first round. At the Pattaya Open, she advanced to the second round where she played fourth seed Maria Kirilenko. Rodionova was two points from winning before Kirilenko fought back for victory in a final-set tiebreak. Rodionova fared even better in doubles, winning the title alongside Sania Mirza. The doubles crown in Pattaya marked Rodionova's fourth WTA doubles title. At the Premier Qatar Open, she did not play singles. Instead, she played in doubles with Nuria Llagostera Vives as the fifth seeds. They lost in the semifinals to Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in three sets. She then fell in qualifying of the Dubai Championships, Indian Wells Open, and Miami Open. Rodionova then lost to Alizé Cornet in the second round of an ITF tournament.
Following this, she competed at the Family Circle Cup, a Premier-event on the WTA Tour. As a direct entrant in the main draw, she defeated Melinda Czink in the first round before stunning world No. 27, Anabel Medina Garrigues, in straight sets, in the second round. She was beaten by 2004 champion Venus Williams in the third round. Despite the loss, this was Rodionova's best performance of the year. In the Danish Open, she lost to Kaia Kanepi. She then traveled to Morocco to participate in the WTA's lone African event, the Fes Grand Prix where she suffered another defeat, to Chanelle Scheepers. She then lost in the qualifying rounds in Estoril. She continued her clay-court season, competing at the Madrid Open, where she qualified for the main draw, but lost in the first round to Czech Andrea Hlaváčková. This saw her ranking drop 14 spots to world No. 106. In Rome, she again qualified for the main draw before losing a disappointing match to in-form German Angelique Kerber. Rodionova then lost in the qualifying draw of the Brussels Open and in the first round of the main draw of the French Open.
Rodionova began her grass-court season at the Birmingham Classic. She won her first round match, scoring a patchy 7–6, 1−6, 6–1 win over world No. 466, Abigail Spears. She wouldn't progress much further, losing to Stéphanie Foretz Gacon in straight sets, in the second round. At the Nottingham Open, she lost in the first round of qualifying to former countrywoman Daria Gavrilova, retiring late in the second set due to a neck injury. At Wimbledon, she was drawn against then-world No. 1 Maria Sharapova and lost 2–6, 3–6.
2013
Rodionova began her 2013 season playing at the Auckland Open where she lost in the second round of qualifying when she was forced to retire against Maryna Zanevska. In the doubles tournament, she partnered with relative-comeback Cara Black and defeated three seeded teams along the way, to win her fifth WTA doubles title. At the Australian Open, Rodionova was the 19th seed in qualifying, losing in the second round of qualifying to Valeria Savinykh in three sets. It was the first time Rodionova failed to appear in the main draw of a Grand Slam since the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. In doubles, her and Cara Black lost in the third round to Nuria Llagostera Vives and Zheng Jie.
Rodionova continued on the WTA Tour, winning her way through qualifying in her next two tournaments in Pattaya City and Doha. In Pattaya City, she won her first round match against Vania King before losing to fourth seed Sorana Cîrstea. In Doha, she defeated Zheng Jie 6–2, 6–3 before losing to fourth seed Agnieszka Radwańska in the second round. Rodionova then fell in the first round of Dubai qualifying to Ekaterina Bychkova.
2014
While in singles she continued playing in the style of the previous season, Rodionova showed progressive results in doubles, when partnering with Alla Kudryavtseva the duo claimed three out of four tournaments. They also reached semifinals of Beijing and Cincinnati, and quarterfinals of Wimbledon, Miami, Doha and Wuhan. That gave the pair a ticket to the WTA Finals in Singapore, where they beat in the quarterfinals fourth-seeded Makarova/Vesnina in three sets before they were defeated by title defenders Hsieh/Peng, 6–1, 6–4.
Her best singles result came at the US Open, where she qualified and defeated Camila Giorgi, before losing a close match to No. 13 seed Sara Errani in round two.