The Wailers "One Love/People Get Ready" noicon "One Love/People Get Ready" by The Wailers. This is a Ska version of the famous Bob Marley song.
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Ska ( /ˈskɑː/, Jamaican [skjæ]) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae.^[1] Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant music genre of Jamaica and was popular with British mods. Later it became popular with many skinheads.^[2][3][4][5]

Music historians typically divide the history of ska into three periods: the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s (First Wave), the English 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s (Second Wave) and the third wave ska movement, which started in the 1980s (Third Wave) and rose to popularity in the US in the 1990s.^[6]

Etymology[link]

There are different theories about the origins of the word ska. Ernest Ranglin claimed that the term was coined by musicians to refer to the "skat! skat! skat!" scratching guitar strum.^[7] Another explanation is that at a recording session in 1959 produced by Coxsone Dodd, double bassist Cluett Johnson instructed guitarist Ranglin to "play like ska, ska, ska", although Ranglin has denied this, stating "Clue couldn't tell me what to play!"^[8] A further theory is that it derives from Johnson's word skavoovie, with which he was known to greet his friends.^[9] Jackie Mittoo insisted that the musicians themselves called the rhythm Staya Staya, and that it was Byron Lee who introduced the term 'ska'.^[10]

Guitar and piano making a ska sound, like 'ska, ska,' that's why we call it SKA. The sound of the guitar and the piano, that's why we give it the name ska.

—Derrick Morgan^[11]

Ernest Ranglin described the difference between the R&B and the ska beat is that the former goes "chink-ka" and the latter goes "ka-chink".^[11]

History[link]

After World War II, Jamaicans purchased radios in increasing numbers and were able to hear rhythm and blues music from Southern United States cities such as New Orleans by artists such as Fats Domino^[12] and Louis Jordan.^[13]

File:Skank on Em64.png

Quarter note "skank" guitar rhythm^[14] Play (help·info), named onomatopoetically for its sound.

File:Ska-Rock Steady on D and Em64.png

Eighth note skank rhythm^[15]  Play (help·info).

The stationing of American military forces during and after the war meant that Jamaicans could listen to military broadcasts of American music, and there was a constant influx of records from the US. To meet the demand for that music, entrepreneurs such as Prince Buster, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, and Duke Reid formed sound systems. As jump blues and more traditional R&B began to ebb in popularity in the early 1960s, Jamaican artists began recording their own version of the genres.^[16] The style was of bars made up of four triplets but was characterized by a guitar chop on the off beat - known as an upstroke or skank - with horns taking the lead and often following the off beat skank and piano emphasizing the bass line and, again, playing the skank.^[1] Drums kept 4/4 time and the bass drum was accented on the 3rd beat of each 4-triplet phrase. The snare would play side stick and accent the third beat of each 4-triplet phrase.^[1] The upstroke sound can also be found in other Caribbean forms of music, such as mento and calypso.^[17]

One theory about the origin of ska is that Prince Buster created it during the inaugural recording session for his new record label Wild Bells.^[17] The session was financed by Duke Reid, who was supposed to get half of the songs to release. The guitar began emphasizing the second and fourth beats in the bar, giving rise to the new sound. The drums were taken from traditional Jamaican drumming and marching styles. To create the ska beat, Prince Buster essentially flipped the R&B shuffle beat, stressing the offbeats with the help of the guitar. Prince Buster has explicitly cited American rhythm & blues as the origin of ska, specifically Willis Jackson's song "Later for the Gator", "Oh Carolina", and "Hey Hey Mr. Berry".^[18]

The first ska recordings were created at facilities such as Studio One and WIRL Records in Kingston, Jamaica with producers such as Dodd, Reid, Prince Buster, and Edward Seaga.^[17] The ska sound coincided with the celebratory feelings surrounding Jamaica's independence from the UK in 1962; an event commemorated by songs such as Derrick Morgan's "Forward March" and The Skatalites' "Freedom Sound." Because the newly-independent Jamaica didn't ratify the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works until 1994 copyright was not an issue, which created a large number of cover songs and reinterpretations. Jamaican musicians such as The Skatalites often recorded instrumental ska versions of popular American and British music, such as Beatles songs, Motown and Atlantic soul hits, movie theme songs, or surf rock instrumentals. Bob Marley's band The Wailers covered the Beatles' "And I Love Her", and radically reinterpreted Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone".

Byron Lee & the Dragonaires performed ska with Prince Buster, Eric "Monty" Morris, and Jimmy Cliff at the 1964 New York World's Fair. As music changed in the United States, so did ska. In 1965 and 1966, when American soul music became slower and smoother, ska changed its sound accordingly and evolved into rocksteady.^[17][19] However, rocksteady's heyday was brief, peaking in 1967. By 1968, ska evolved again into reggae.

2 Tone[link]

The 2 Tone genre, which began in the late 1970s in the areas in and around the city of Coventry in England, was a fusion of Jamaican ska rhythms and melodies with punk rock's more aggressive guitar chords and lyrics.^[19] Compared to 1960s ska, 2 Tone music had faster tempos, fuller instrumentation and a harder edge. The genre was named after 2 Tone Records, a record label founded by Jerry Dammers of The Specials. In many cases, the reworking of classic ska songs turned the originals into hits again in the United Kingdom.

The 2 Tone movement promoted racial unity at a time when racial tensions were high in the UK. There were many Specials songs that raised awareness of the issues of racism, fighting and friendship issues. Riots in British cities were a feature during the summer that The Specials song "Ghost Town" was a hit, although this work was in a slower, Reggae beat. Most of the 2 Tone bands had multiracial lineups, such as The Beat (known as English Beat in North America and the British Beat in Australia), The Specials, and The Selecter.^[1] Although only on the 2 Tone label for one single, Madness was one of the most effective bands at bringing the 2 Tone genre into the mainstream.

[edit] Third wave

Europe, Australia, Asia and South America[link]

By the late 1980s, ska had experienced a minor resurgence of popularity in Britain, propelled by bands such as The Burial, The Hotknives and Potato 5, and the re-emergence of the traditional skinhead subculture, ska music festivals, and ska-friendly record labels such as Unicorn Records.^{[20][21][22][23][24]}

The early 1980s saw a massive international surge in ska's popularity, particularly in Europe. Germany proved to be one of the more notable countries, producing a large number of ska bands, record labels and festivals.^[21][25] Notable German ska bands included Skaos, Blechreiz and The Busters. Other prominent bands from Europe's late-1980s/early-1990s ska boom include Mr. Review and Mark Foggo's Skasters from Amsterdam, and Skarface from France.

The Australian ska scene flourished in the mid-1980s, following the musical precedents set by 2 Tone, and spearheaded by bands such as Strange Tenants and No Nonsense, both from Melbourne, and later The Porkers, from Newcastle.^[26] Some of the Australian ska revival bands found success on their national music charts, most notably Sydney's The Allniters, who had a #10 hit with a ska cover of "Montego Bay" in 1983.^[27]

Japan established its own ska and reggae scenes — the former colloquially referred to as J-ska — in the mid-1980s.^[28][29] The Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, formed in 1985, have been one of the most commercially successful progenitors of Japanese ska.^[30]

South America's ska scene started developing in the mid-1980s. South American ska bands typically play traditional ska rhythms blended with strong influences from Latin music and rock en Español.^[31] The most prominent of these bands is Los Fabulosos Cadillacs from Argentina. Formed in 1985, the band has sold millions of records worldwide, scoring an international hit single with "El Matador" in 1994 and winning the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative album.^[32]. Other notable bands include: JAS (Peru); Los Auténticos Decadentes (Argentina); Panteón Rococó, Inspector (band) and Maldita Vecindad (Mexico); and No Te Va Gustar (Uruguay);and Desorden Público (Venezuela).

North America[link]

By the early 1980s, influenced by 2 Tone, ska bands began forming throughout the United States.^[19] The Uptones from Berkeley, California and The Toasters from New York City — both formed in 1981 — were among the first active ska bands in North America, both credited with laying the groundwork for American ska and establishing scenes in their respective regions.^{[6][33][34][35]} While many of the early American ska bands continued in the musical traditions set by 2 Tone and the mod revival, bands such as Fishbone, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Operation Ivy pioneered the American ska punk subgenre, a fusion of ska and punk rock which typically downplayed ska's R&B influence in favor of faster tempos and guitar distortion.^[19][36]

Two hotspots for the United States' burgeoning ska scenes were New York City and Orange County, California. In New York, Toasters frontman Robert "Bucket" Hingley formed independent label Moon Ska Records in 1983. The label quickly became the largest ska independent record label in the United States, distributing titles from east coast bands like The Slackers, The Scofflaws and The Pietasters.^[37] The Orange County ska scene was a breeding ground for ska punk and more contemporary pop-influenced ska music, personified by bands such as Reel Big Fish, No Doubt and Sublime.^[38] It was here that the term "third wave ska" was coined and popularized by Tazy Phyllips (host of the Ska Parade radio show) to describe the new wave of ska-influenced bands which were steadily gaining notoriety.^[39][40] The San Francisco Bay Area also contributed to ska's growing popularity, with Skankin' Pickle, Let's Go Bowling and the Dance Hall Crashers becoming known on the touring circuit.

The mid-1990s saw a considerable rise in ska music's underground popularity, marked by the formation of many ska-based record labels, booking organizations and indie zines. While Moon Ska was still the largest of the United States' ska labels, other notable labels included Jump Up Records of Chicago, which covered the thriving midwest scene, and Steady Beat Recordings of Los Angeles, which covered Southern California's traditional ska revival popularized by the band Hepcat. Stomp Records of Montreal was Canada's primary distributor of ska music, carrying titles from Canadian bands such as The Planet Smashers, The Kingpins and King Apparatus.^[41] Additionally, many punk and indie rock labels, such as Hellcat Records and Fueled by Ramen, broadened their scope to include both ska and ska punk bands. Asian Man Records (formerly Dill Records), founded by Skankin' Pickle's Mike Park in 1996, started out primarily releasing skapunk albums before branching out and releasing early albums by punk bands Alkaline Trio and The Lawrence Arms.^[42]

In 1993, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones signed with Mercury Records, becoming the first American ska band to find mainstream commercial success, with their 1994 album Question the Answers achieving gold record status and peaking at #138 on the Billboard 200.^[43] In 1995, punk band Rancid, featuring former members of Operation Ivy, released the ska single "Time Bomb" which reached #8 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, becoming the first major ska hit of the 1990s and launching the genre into the public eye.^[44] Over the next few years, a string of notable ska and ska-influenced singles became hits on mainstream radio, including "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt, "Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish and "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, all of whom would reach platinum status with each of their respective albums. By 1996, third wave ska was one of the most popular forms of alternative music in the United States.^[44]

By the late 1990s, mainstream interest in third wave ska bands waned as other music genres gained momentum.^[45] Moon Ska Records folded in 2000, but Moon Ska Europe, a licensed affiliate based in Europe, continued operating in the 2000s, and was later relaunched as Moon Ska World. In 2003, Hingley launched a new ska record label, Megalith Records.

See also[link]

• Australian ska
• Christian ska
• List of ska musicians
• Rude boy
• Skank (dance)

Footnotes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Du Noyer, Paul (2003). "Ska". The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. New York City: Billboard Books. pp. 350–351. ISBN 0-8230-7869-8. 
• Neville Staple (2009) Original Rude Boy, Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-480-8

External links[link]

• Allmusic Section about third wave ska
• Ska's Third Wave Article from Furious.com
• SKAlovers.de Ska website for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• [1] Ska Website with news of Ska in Wales and UK
• Ska Information & Fan Zine

Agnieszka Radwańska

Radwańska at the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open
Country	Poland
Residence	Kraków, Poland
Born	(1989-03-06) 6 March 1989 (age 23) Kraków, Poland
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	56 kg (120 lb)
Turned pro	23 April 2005
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	US$8,962,458[1]
Singles
Career record	325–141
Career titles	10 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 3 (7 May 2012)
Current ranking	No. 3 (28 May 2012)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	QF (2008, 2011, 2012)
French Open	4R (2008, 2009, 2011)
Wimbledon	QF (2008, 2009)
US Open	4R (2007, 2008)
Other tournaments
Championships	RR (2008, 2009, 2011)
Doubles
Career record	107–84
Career titles	2 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 16 (10 October 2011)
Current ranking	No. 50 (28 May 2012)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2010)
French Open	QF (2009, 2010)
Wimbledon	3R (2007, 2011)
US Open	SF (2011)
Last updated on: 28 May 2012.

Agnieszka Radwańska [aɡˈɲɛʂka radˈvaɲska] ( listen) (born 6 March 1989 in Kraków) is a Polish professional tennis player. As of 28 May 2012, she is ranked world no. 3. Known for constructing points and making intelligent use of the court,^[2] she has won ten WTA singles titles.

In 2007, Radwańska became the first Polish player to claim a WTA singles title when she won the Nordea Nordic Light Open. The following year, she became the first Polish player to reach the WTA Top 10. Radwańska has won two WTA Awards, being voted Most Impressive Newcomer in 2006, and Fan Favorite Singles Player in 2011. She has also reached five Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Personal life[link]

Agnieszka Radwańska was born in Kraków. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after her father introduced her to the sport. Her younger sister, Urszula, is also a tennis player. Radwańska has named Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis as inspirations. In 2009, Radwańska became a WTA ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. She has also studied tourism at universities in Kraków.^[3][4]

Career[link]

2005–2006: Early years[link]

Radwańska won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 2005, defeating Tamira Paszek. She went on to win the junior French Open title in 2006 with a victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.^[3] She played her first WTA tournament at the 2006 J&S Cup (later known as the Warsaw Open) in Warsaw, defeating Anastasia Myskina in her opening match. She advanced to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Elena Dementieva in three sets.^[5]

At the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, she lost in the fourth round to Kim Clijsters. She went on to drop a second-round match to Tatiana Golovin at the US Open. At the Fortis Championships Luxembourg tournament, Radwańska lost in the semifinals to Francesca Schiavone after defeating former world no. 1 Venus Williams in the second round and Dementieva in the quarterfinals.^[5]

2007–2008: Tennis firsts[link]

At the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open, Radwańska defeated her longtime idol,^[4] Martina Hingis, in a three-set third-round match. She exited in the fourth round following a loss to Tathiana Garbin.^[6]

In August 2007, Agnieszka Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA tour singles title, defeating Vera Dushevina in the final of the Nordea Nordic Light Open.^[3] She went on to upset defending champion Maria Sharapova in the third round of the US Open, losing to Shahar Pe'er in the fourth.^[6]

Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open, upsetting world no. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round, before eventually falling to Daniela Hantuchová.^[7] At the Pattaya Women's Open in Thailand, Radwańska won her second WTA singles title, beating Jill Craybas in the final. In May 2008, she won the Istanbul Cup on red clay with a victory over Elena Dementieva, earning her third WTA title. She then lost a fourth-round French Open match to Jelena Janković.

On grass, Radwańska won the International Women's Open in Eastbourne, defeating Nadia Petrova in the final. At Wimbledon, she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round, then lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. At the Olympics in Beijing, Radwańska lost a second-round match to Francesca Schiavone. She went on to reach the fourth round of the US Open, losing to Venus Williams. She later went to the 2008 WTA Tour Championships as an alternate and replaced Ana Ivanovic after the latter withdrew. She defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets. Radwańska ended the year as the first Polish woman to surpass US $1 million in career prize money, as well as the first to be ranked world no. 10.^[7][3]

2009–2010[link]

Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Medibank International Sydney, losing in three sets to eventual champion Elena Dementieva. She was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Kateryna Bondarenko.^[8]

At the 2009 BNP Paribas Open, she defeated Samantha Stosur and Aleksandra Wozniak en route to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. At the Sony Ericsson Open, she lost a three-set fourth-round match to Venus Williams. She reached the fourth round of the 2009 French Open, falling in three sets to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. She and Urszula also reached the quarterfinals in doubles. She went on to reach her second consecutive quarterfinal at Wimbledon, falling to Venus Williams.

She reached her first semifinal of the 2009 season in Tokyo, where she fell in three sets to eventual champion Maria Sharapova. She reached her first final of the year in China, losing in straight sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova.^[8]

Radwańska and her doubles partner Maria Kirilenko reached the semifinals of the 2010 Australian Open, losing to the world no. 1 pairing of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in three sets.^[9] In Indian Wells, Radwańska won her fifth straight match against Marion Bartoli, and went on to upset Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals before losing to Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals. Radwańska entered the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, defeating world no. 1 Ana Ivanović en route to a quarterfinal loss aganist Venus Williams.^[9]

At the 2010 French Open, she defeated Elena Baltacha in the first round, but her unsuccessful clay court season continued as she suffered a loss to Yaroslava Shvedova in the second round. At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, she lost a fourth-round match against Li Na.^[9]

Due to a stress fracture in her foot, Radwańska's 2010 season ended at the China Open, where she lost a three-set match to Angelique Kerber.^[10]

2011: Ascent[link]

Radwańska reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Kim Clijsters.^[11] She went on to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells, where she lost to Victoria Azarenka, and the quarterfinals in Miami, losing to Vera Zvonareva. However, she won the Miami doubles title with Daniela Hantuchová, defeating Nadia Petrova and Liezel Huber. She went on to reach the fourth round of the 2011 French Open, losing to Maria Sharapova for the sixth consecutive time.

At the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open, Radwańska advanced to the final and defeated rival Vera Zvonareva in straight sets. With the victory, she earned her first title since winning in Eastbourne in 2008. At the 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto, she once again defeated Zvonareva in the third round, coming back from a 0–4 deficit in the second set. She went on to lose a three-set semifinal match against Samantha Stosur.^[11]

After defeating her sister Urszula in the first round of the US Open, she was upset in the second round by eventual semifinalist Angelique Kerber.^[12] She avenged this loss at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, defeating Kerber in three sets before advancing to the final, where she won her third straight match against Vera Zvonareva, earning her first Premier 5 title.

At the 2011 China Open, she defeated Zheng Jie, Sofia Arvidsson, Ana Ivanović, and Flavia Pennetta in straight sets, before winning a three-set final against Andrea Petkovic. She qualified for her first season-ending championship at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, taking the 8th spot when Marion Bartoli was unable to win the title in Moscow.

Going into the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, Radwańska was labeled by the media as one of the hottest players on tour.^[13][14] She dropped a three-set opening match to Caroline Wozniacki. She then won her fourth straight match against Vera Zvonareva, coming back from a 3–5 deficit in the third set and saving three match points. To advance to the semifinals, she needed to win at least one set against Petra Kvitová, but eventually lost in straight sets. She ended the year ranked 8th with a 46–18 record, and was named WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.^[11]

2012: Entering the Top 3[link]

During the first four months of 2012, Radwańska won two singles titles and amassed a record of 28–5, defeating all opponents but world no. 1 Victoria Azarenka.^[15]

Following losses in the Apia International, the Australian Open, and the Qatar Total Open, she won her first title of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Julia Görges in straight sets. After advancing to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells, she reached a new ranking of world no. 4.^[16] Her second title came at the Sony Ericsson Open, where she defeated Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Marion Bartoli in the semifinals, advancing to a championship match against Maria Sharapova. Radwańska won the championship without losing a set throughout the tournament.^[17][16]

Her fifth loss of the season, and fifth to Azarenka, came in the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.^[17] She then entered the Mutua Madrid Open, where she lost to Azarenka in the semifinals, securing the world no. 3 ranking.^[18] At the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, she lost her opening-round match to Petra Cetkovská, marking her first loss of the year to someone other than Azarenka. In the final of the Brussels Open, Radwańska defeated Simona Halep in straight sets, winning her third WTA title of the year and tenth in her career. Seeded 3rd at the French Open, she defeated Venus Williams in the second round but fell in the third to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Rivalries[link]

Radwańska vs. Zvonareva[link]

Radwańska and Zvonareva following the 2011 Pan Pacific Open final.

Radwańska has a rivalry with Russian player Vera Zvonareva,^[19][20] which began in 2007. Radwańska leads the series 4–2.^[21]

Throughout their meetings, Radwańska has proven able to match Zvonareva's pace and movements around the court.^[22] Zvonareva is considered the more powerful of the two, while Radwańska has been noted as more focused at times,^[14][22] utilizing what Sports Illustrated's Courtney Nguyen dubbed "selective aggression" during the pair's 2011 matches.^[23]

Their first match occurred during the 2007 Kremlin Cup, with Zvonareva winning in straight sets. The two did not play again until the 2011 season, when Radwańska won four of their five matches—including the finals of the Mercury Insurance Open and the Pan Pacific Open. Their final meeting of 2011 was an acclaimed match at the WTA Championships.^[24][25] Trailing 3–5 in the third set, Radwańska saved three match points and went on to win 1–6, 6–2, 7–5. The victory marked her fourth straight win against Zvonareva, who she described as "very consistent and always tough to beat."^[26]

Radwańska vs. Azarenka[link]

Radwańska and Victoria Azarenka first played in 2006. Azarenka leads their head-to-head 11–3. During the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, Radwańska won their first meeting in straight sets. The two would go on to meet regularly in the following seasons, often in quarterfinal or semifinal matches. Throughout the first quarter of 2012, the only player to defeat Radwańska was Azarenka.^[17][27]

Playing style and equipment[link]

Radwańska hitting a crouching forehand.

Radwańska's primary weapons include a mixture of slices and lobs, along with her ability to hit the ball at a variety of angles.^[22][28] She also makes use of a disguised drop shot, often swung with the same motion as a normal stroke during a rally.^[29] She is also noted for her crouching shots, during which she quickly drops in place to return or redirect a low ball, along with her use of an overhead backhand while on defense.^[22][29]

Radwańska is known for her speed and scrambling ability, as well as her tendency to construct the point before hitting a winner.^[22][2] Tennis commentators, including former pro Wojciech Fibak, have compared her playing style to that of Martina Hingis, with Fibak describing her as "a natural mover who understands the geometry of the court".^[30] Radwańska has cited Hingis as an inspiration.^[4] She and Hingis had their lone career meeting in 2007, with Radwańska winning in three sets.^[31]

Radwańska uses Babolat Pure Drive Lite GT racquets, and is sponsored by Lotto apparel.^[3]

Coaching team[link]

In 2011, Radwańska began working with Fed Cup coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who replaced her father. Borna Bikic, a veteran coach on the WTA Tour, briefly joined them in 2012.^[32]

Career statistics[link]

Singles performance timeline[link]

Awards[link]

2006 WTA Tour Most Impressive Newcomer of the Year[3] 2011 WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player[3] References[link] ^ "Agnieszka Radwanska Career Statistics". wtatennis.com. http://www.wtatennis.com/page/Player/Stats/0,,12781~11530,00.html.  ^ a b Sengupta, Jaydip (16 February 2012). "Agnieszka Radwanska: The fan favourite". gulfnews.com. http://gulfnews.com/sport/tennis/agnieszka-radwanska-the-fan-favourite-1.981671. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  ^ a b c d e f g "WTA Profile". wtatennis.com. http://www.wtatennis.com/player/agnieszka-radwanska_2257889_11530. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  ^ a b c Bodo, Pete (31 March 2012). "Born This Way". tennis.com. http://blogs.tennis.com/tennisworld/2012/03/by-pete-bodo-miami-shes-plays-in-so-lackadaisical-manner-as-to-appear-apathetic-on-the-rare-occasion-when-she-hits-a.html. Retrieved 3 April 2012.  ^ a b "2006 Results". tennis.com. http://www.tennis.com/players/player_stats.aspx?player_name=Agnieszka+Radwanska. Retrieved 15 January 2012.  ^ a b "2007 Results". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/tennis/player/results/_/id/405/year/2007/agnieszka-radwanska. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ a b "2008 Results". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/tennis/player/results/_/id/405/year/2008/agnieszka-radwanska. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ a b "2009 Results". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/tennis/player/results/_/id/405/year/2009/agnieszka-radwanska. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ a b c "2010 Results". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/tennis/player/results/_/id/405/year/2010/agnieszka-radwanska. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ Tennis – Yahoo! Eurosport. Uk.eurosport.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 24 April 2011. ^ a b c "2011 Results". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/tennis/player/results/_/id/405/year/2011/agnieszka-radwanska. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ "Radwanska falls in second round of US Open". The Wall Street Journal. 31 August 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/AP871637dddb2047a0b6b369a6e3b12ad5.html. Retrieved 1 September 2011.  ^ Bodo, Peter (October 2011). "Peter Bodo Blog Archive". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/tennis/blog/_/name/bodo_peter/month/october-2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  ^ a b Sharma, Suhani (27 October 2011). "Radwanska outclasses Zvonareva in a thriller, keeps SF hopes alive in Istanbul". tennisearth.com. http://www.tennisearth.com/news/tennisNews/Radwanska-outclasses-Zvonareva-in-a-thriller-keeps-SF-hopes-alive-in-Istanbul-302629.htm. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  ^ "Azarenka to meet Sharapova in Stuttgart finale". foxnews.com. 28 April 2012. http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/04/28/azarenka-to-meet-sharapova-in-stuttgart-finale/. Retrieved 29 April 2012.  ^ a b Robertson, Linda (31 March 2012). "Agnieszka Radwanska has vast repertoire". Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/31/v-fullstory/2725553/agnieszka-radwanska-has-vast-repetoire.html. Retrieved 1 April 2012.  ^ a b c "2012 Results". CBSSports.com. http://www.cbssports.com/tennis/players/playerpage/1109008/2012/agnieszka-radwanska. Retrieved 14 April 2012.  ^ "Radwanska Moves On, Lepchenko Up Next". wtatennis.com. http://www.wtatennis.com/news/20120510/radwanska-moves-on-lepchenko-up-next_2256076_2767862. Retrieved 10 May 2012.  ^ "Radwanska Too Solid, Zvonareva Eyes No.2". wtatennis.com. 30 September 2011. http://www.wtatennis.com/news/20110930/radwanska-too-solid-zvonareva-eyes-no2_2256076_2467668. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ "Stosur & Zvonareva reach last four at WTA Championships". BBC. 28 October 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/15501900.stm. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ "Head to Head with Zvonareva". tennis.com. http://www.tennis.com/livescores/head2head.aspx?id1=48931&id2=48217. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ a b c d e Tignor, Stephen (27 October 2011). "Istanbul: Radwanska d. Zvonareva". tennis.com. http://blogs.tennis.com/racquet_reaction/2011/10/istanbul-radwanska-d-zvonareva.html. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  ^ Nguyen, Courtney (26 October 2011). "WTA Championships Day 3 preview". Sports Illustrated. http://tennis.si.com/2011/10/26/wta-championships-day-3-preview/. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  ^ "Vera Zvonareva – Agnieszka Radwanska". Yahoo!. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/livematch/491152.html. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ "Zvonareva close to Istanbul exit". rt.com. 28 October 2011. http://rt.com/sport/tennis/radwanska-zvonareva-kvitova-wozniacki-wta-championships-istanbul-947/. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ "Radwanska Rallies Past Zvonareva On Day 3". wtachampionships.com. 27 October 2011. http://www.wtachampionships.com/page/LatestNews/Read/0,,12910~2496831,00.html. Retrieved 19 November 2011.  ^ Grant, Robert (24 January 2012). "Radwanska seeks balance in Azarenka rivalry". theage.com.au. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/radwanska-seeks-balance-in-azarenka-rivalry-20120123-1qdyz.html. Retrieved 24 January 2012.  ^ "Agnieszka Radwanska Bio". tennis.com. http://www.tennis.com/players/player_bio.aspx?player_name=Agnieszka+Radwanska. Retrieved 28 March 2012.  ^ a b "Patricia Mayr – Agnieszka Radwanska". Yahoo. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/livematch/450439.html?order=ratings. Retrieved 25 March 2012.  ^ Clarey, Christopher (20 June 2009). "New Words on Women’s Tennis Tour – Polish Spoken Here". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/sports/tennis/21polish.html. Retrieved 24 April 2011.  ^ "Head to Head with Hingis". wtatennis.com. http://www.wtatennis.com/headtohead/martina-hingis_2255881_3491/0,,12781~3491~11530,00.html. Retrieved 3 April 2012.  ^ "Radwanska hires Dokic's former coach". tennis.com. 22 January 2012. http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/news.aspx?articleid=15981&zoneid=25. Retrieved 16 February 2012.  External links[link] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Agnieszka Radwańska Official website Agnieszka Radwańska at the Women's Tennis Association Agnieszka Radwańska at the International Tennis Federation Agnieszka Radwańska at the International Tennis Federation Junior Profile Agnieszka Radwańska at the Fed Cup Awards Preceded by Sania Mirza WTA Newcomer of the Year 2006 Succeeded by Ágnes Szávay Preceded by Maria Sharapova WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year 2011 Succeeded by Incumbent v t e French Open girls’ singles champions 1968 Lesley Hunt 1969 Kazuko Sawamatsu 1970 Veronica Burton 1971 Elena Granatourova 1972 Renáta Tomanová 1973 Mima Jaušovec 1974 Mariana Simionescu 1975 Regina Maršíková 1976 Michele Tyler 1977 Anne Smith 1978 Hana Mandlíková 1979 Lena Sandin 1980 Kathy Horvath 1981 Bonnie Gadusek 1982 Manuela Maleeva 1983 Pascale Paradis 1984 Gabriela Sabatini 1985 Laura Garrone 1986 Patricia Tarabini 1987 Natalia Zvereva 1988 Julie Halard 1989 Jennifer Capriati 1990 Magdalena Maleeva 1991 Anna Smashnova 1992 Rossana de los Ríos 1993 Martina Hingis 1994 Martina Hingis 1995 Amélie Cocheteux 1996 Amélie Mauresmo 1997 Justine Henin 1998 Nadia Petrova 1999 Lourdes Domínguez 2000 Virginie Razzano 2001 Kaia Kanepi 2002 Angelique Widjaja 2003 Anna-Lena Grönefeld 2004 Sesil Karatantcheva 2005 Ágnes Szávay 2006 Agnieszka Radwańska 2007 Alizé Cornet 2008 Simona Halep 2009 Kristina Mladenovic 2010 Elina Svitolina 2011 Ons Jabeur v t e Wimbledon (Open Era) girls' singles champions 1968 Kristy Pigeon 1969 Kazuko Sawamatsu 1970 Sharon Walsh 1971 Marina Kroshina 1972 Ilana Kloss 1973 Ann Kiyomura 1974 Mima Jaušovec 1975 Natasha Chmyreva 1976 Natasha Chmyreva 1977 Lea Antonoplis 1978 Tracy Austin 1979 Mary Lou Piatek 1980 Debbie Freeman 1981 Zina Garrison 1982 Catherine Tanvier 1983 Pascale Paradis 1984 Annabel Croft 1985 Andrea Holíková 1986 Natalia Zvereva 1987 Natalia Zvereva 1988 Brenda Schultz 1989 Andrea Strnadová 1990 Andrea Strnadová 1991 Barbara Rittner 1992 Chanda Rubin 1993 Nancy Feber 1994 Martina Hingis 1995 Aleksandra Olsza 1996 Amélie Mauresmo 1997 Cara Black 1998 Katarina Srebotnik 1999 Iroda Tulyaganova 2000 María Emilia Salerni 2001 Angelique Widjaja 2002 Vera Dushevina 2003 Kirsten Flipkens 2004 Kateryna Bondarenko 2005 Agnieszka Radwańska 2006 Caroline Wozniacki 2007 Urszula Radwańska 2008 Laura Robson 2009 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 2010 Kristýna Plíšková 2011 Ashleigh Barty Top ten tennis players v t e World rankings · Top ten tennis players as of 28 May 2012 ATP singles ATP doubles WTA singles WTA doubles Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Roger Federer Andy Murray Jo-Wilfried Tsonga David Ferrer Tomáš Berdych Janko Tipsarević Juan Martín del Potro Mardy Fish Max Mirnyi Daniel Nestor Bob Bryan Mike Bryan Michaël Llodra Nenad Zimonjić Leander Paes Mariusz Fyrstenberg Marcin Matkowski Robert Lindstedt Victoria Azarenka Maria Sharapova Agnieszka Radwańska Petra Kvitová Serena Williams Samantha Stosur Li Na Marion Bartoli Caroline Wozniacki Angelique Kerber Liezel Huber Lisa Raymond Květa Peschke Katarina Srebotnik Yaroslava Shvedova Vania King Elena Vesnina Sara Errani Roberta Vinci Sania Mirza v t e Women's Tennis Association: Top ten European female singles tennis players as of 28 May 2012 1. Victoria Azarenka (1 ) 2. Maria Sharapova (2 ) 3. Agnieszka Radwańska (3 ) 4. Petra Kvitová (4 ) 5. Marion Bartoli (8 ) 6. Caroline Wozniacki (9 ) 7. Angelique Kerber (10 ) 8. Vera Zvonareva (11 ) 9. Francesca Schiavone (12 2) 10. Sabine Lisicki (13 1) v t e Women's Tennis Association: Top ten Polish female singles tennis players as of April 2, 2012 Agnieszka Radwańska (4 ) Urszula Radwańska (95 3) Marta Domachowska (176 10) Sandra Zaniewska (220 27) Magda Linette (251 2) Katarzyna Piter (343 8) Justyna Jegiołka (374 1) Patrycja Sanduska (390 15) Paula Kania (409 25) Katarzyna Kawa (469 4) Persondata Name Radwanska, Agnieszka Alternative names Short description Tennis player Date of birth 6 March 1989 Place of birth Kraków, Poland Date of death Place of death

Marcin Gortat

Gortat with the Suns in 2011
No. 4 – Phoenix Suns
Center
Personal information
Born	(1984-02-17) February 17, 1984 (age 28) Łódź, Poland
Nationality	Polish
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 57th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Pro career	2003–present
Career history
ŁKS Łódź (2002–2003) RheinEnergie Cologne 99ers (2003–2007) Orlando Magic (2007–2010) →Anaheim Arsenal (2007) Phoenix Suns (2010–present)

Marcin Gortat was a member of the Poland national basketball team.

Marcin Gortat, pronounced "MAHR-cheen GOR-taht" (born February 17, 1984 in Łódź), also known as the Polish Hammer,^[1] is a Polish professional basketball player who plays the center position for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. The 6'11", 240 pound power forward/center is the son of boxer Janusz Gortat. He was a second-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 NBA Draft and was traded for future cash considerations to the Orlando Magic. Gortat started his career in ŁKS Łódź, then he played 3 seasons in RheinEnergie Cologne in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga. RheinEnergie Cologne won the domestic championship in 2006.

Early life[link]

In his youth, Marcin was frequent in athletics such as high jump and football. His father Janusz Gortat was a Polish boxer and a bronze medalist in light heavyweight during the Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976 Olympics, and the mother Alicja Gortat was a representative of the Polish national team in volleyball. He has an older brother Robert, who is also a boxer. Gortat grew up in Łódź together with his brother Filip. He graduated from Technical School in Łódź, Poland. Apart from Polish, he is fluent in English, German and Serbian.

NBA career[link]

On November 20, 2007, Gortat was assigned to play with the Anaheim Arsenal in the NBA Development League.^[2][3] He was recalled from the D-League on December 2^[4] and he played his first NBA game, for the Orlando Magic on March 1, 2008 against the New York Knicks. As of the end of the 2007–08 season, Gortat had appeared in 14 NBA games for the Orlando Magic, including eight playoff appearances. On April 16, 2008, in the Magic's last game of the 2007-08 NBA season, little-used Gortat played 28 minutes^[5] and registered a career-high 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 103-83 Magic win over the Washington Wizards.^[6] On December 15, 2008, starting in place of the injured Dwight Howard, Gortat played 28 minutes^[7] and topped his career highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds.^[8] On April 13, 2009, again starting in place of the injured Dwight Howard, Gortat played almost 43 minutes and topped his career high in rebounding with 18 rebounds and 10 points. On April 30, 2009, Gortat made his first playoff start in Game 6 against Philadelphia 76ers replacing Howard, who was suspended because of his actions in game 5. He had 11 points and 15 rebounds as the Magic eliminated their opponent 4-2. Later that year, the Magic made a run all the way to the NBA Finals, making Gortat the first Polish-born player to ever appear in the championship series.

On July 8, 2009, Gortat, a restricted free agent, signed an offer sheet for five years and $34 million with the Dallas Mavericks. The Magic retained Gortat by matching the offer sheet on July 13, 2009. Gortat was "very disappointed" to have to stay with the Magic, since serving as backup to Howard would mean limited playing time, whereas playing for Dallas would likely mean being the starting center.^[9]

On December 18, 2010, Gortat was traded to the Phoenix Suns along with Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first-round draft pick, and $3 million, for former Magic player Hedo Türkoğlu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark .^[10]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Marcin Gortat at NBA.com
• Marcin Gortat at Basketball-Reference.com
• Marcin Gortat Official Site

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2012)

Angelique Kerber

Kerber at the 2011 US Open where she made her first Grand Slam semi-final
Full name	Angelique Kerber
Country	Germany
Residence	Kiel, Germany
Born	(1988-01-18) 18 January 1988 (age 24) Bremen, West Germany
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	2003
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	$1,925,260
Singles
Career record	284–169
Career titles	2 WTA, 11 ITF
Highest ranking	10 (21 May 2012)
Current ranking	10 (28 May 2012)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	3R (2010, 2012)
French Open	4R (2012)
Wimbledon	3R (2010)
US Open	SF (2011)
Doubles
Career record	44–44
Career titles	0 WTA, 3 ITF
Highest ranking	147 (23 April 2012)
Current ranking	173 (28 May 2012)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2008, 2011, 2012)
French Open	2R (2012)
Wimbledon	3R (2011)
US Open	1R (2007, 2010)
Last updated on: 28 May 2012.

Angelique Kerber (born 18 January 1988 in Bremen) is a professional German tennis player. Kerber has a career high ranking of world no. 10, achieved on 21 May 2012 and is currently the highest ranked German. She has competed as a professional since 2003, and has won 11 ITF titles, and two WTA titles at the 2012 Open GDF Suez and the 2012 e-Boks Open. She has also reached one Grand Slam semi-final at the 2011 US Open.

Personal life[link]

She is born in Bremen, to father Slawek Kerber and mother Beata, and has one sister. She started playing tennis at age 3, eventually joining the junior circuit, making inroads at events in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, but didn't win a junior title before 2003 at which point she turned professional at the age of 15. Kerber speaks German, Polish and English.^[1]

Career[link]

2003–2007[link]

In 2003 obtained her first top 100 victory by defeating Marion Bartoli in the qualifying draw of the WTA German Open 3–6, 6–3, 6–4.

In 2004 Kerber started the year by reaching the finals of an ITF event in Warsaw losing to Marta Domachowska 7–6, 3–6, 6–3 in the finals. She attained her first ITF title entering as a qualifier in Opole, Poland, by defeating Elena Tatarkova 6–2, 6–2 in the finals.

2005, Kerber competed in the ITF events and qualifying draw, she was able to reach one final in the ITF event in Monzon losing to Olena Antypina 6–3, 6–3.

2006 was a more successful year for the German as reached 4 ITF finals winning 3 of them, she reached the finals in Přerov, Czech Republic losing to Anne Keothavong 6–4, 7–5, she then won her three events in Saguenay, Canada she defeated Valérie Tétreault 5–7, 7–5, 7–6 in the finals and two in Great Britain in Glasgow defeating Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6–4, 6–2 and in French Irena Pavlovic in Jersey 2. 2006 was also the year that Kerber attained her first WTA tour Main Draw victory over Romina Oprandi 6–1, 4–6, 4–1 RET a world no. 48 at that time at the Gaz de France Stars before losing to Ana Ivanović.

2007 was a breakthrough year for Kerber as she won 4 titles defending her title in Seguanay defeating compatriot Sabine Lisicki 6–3, 6–4 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain over Petra Cetkovská 6–2, 1–6, 6–4 and ITF event in Turkey defeating Gaelle Widmer 3–6, 6–4, 6–1, in Přerov, Czech Republic defeating Klára Zakopalová 6–3, 1–6, 7–5. She also reached three other finals finishing runner-ups. 2007 was Kerber Grand Slam debut as she competed in the 2007 French Open losing to Elena Dementieva, 2007 Wimbledon losing to Anna Chakvetadze and the 2007 US Open losing to Serena Williams all in the first rounds. She reached her first Main Draw Quarterfinals at the 2007 Ordina Open losing to eventual champion Anna Chakvetadze 6–2, 6–2.

2008[link]

In 2008 Kerber attained her first Grand Slam victory in the 2008 Australian Open by beating Maret Ani 0–6, 6–3, 6–2 before losing to Francesca Schiavone 6–2, 6–3. She then reached the second round of the 2008 Pattaya Women's Open, third round of the 2008 Pacific Life Open and the second round of 2008 Sony Ericsson Open. She also lost in the first rounds of 2008 Estoril Open, 2008 Qatar Total Open, 2008 Qatar Telecom German Open and the 2008 French Open. She then reached the second round of the 2008 DFS Classic and 2008 Ordina Open. She lost in the first round of the 2008 Wimbledon Championships to Elena Baltacha. Kerber then lost 3 consecutive main draw matches. She then went back to ITF where she won two titles in Madrid, Spain defeating Estrella Cabeza Candela 6–1, 6–3 and in Saint Raphael, France defeating Séverine Beltrame 6–2, 6–1.

2009[link]

In 2009, Kerber only won 3 main draw matches in the 2009 Swedish Open over Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová and in the 2009 US Open over Andrea Petkovic before losing in both events to María José Martínez Sánchez in the 2009 İstanbul Cup over Alina Jidkova before losing to Olga Govortsova. In the ITF she won in Pozoblanco, Spain defeating Kristína Kučová 6–3 6–4 in the finals.

2010[link]

Kerber Practicing

In 2010, Kerber qualified for the 2010 Australian Open where she reached her first third round in a Grand Slam by upsetting Olga Govortsova 6–3, 6–3 and 23rd seed Aravane Rezaï 6–2, 6–3 before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in a close three-setter 3–6, 7–5, 6–4. She the reached her first WTA Tour finals in 2010 Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas losing to Mariana Duque Mariño 6–4, 6–3 after upsetting top-seed Gisela Dulko 7–5, 6–3 in the semi-finals. She then reached the second round of 2010 MPS Group Championships losing to Varvara Lepchenko. She also reached the third round of 2010 Family Circle Cup losing to Daniela Hantuchová 6–7, 7–5, 6–3 and the Quarterfinals of the 2010 Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem losing to Renata Voráčová 7–5, 6–2. At the 2010 French Open she lost in the second round to Aravane Rezaï 6–2, 2–6, 6–3. In grass she reached the third round of 2010 AEGON Classic losing to eventual champion Li Na and the first round of 2010 UNICEF Open losing to Justine Henin. She played in the 2010 Wimbledon Championships where she made it in the third round after defeating Sania Mirza 6–4, 6–1 and upsetting 13th seed Shahar Pe'er 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 then losing to Jarmila Groth 6–3, 7–5.

2011[link]

Kerber playing at the 2011 US Open where she made the semis

Kerber reached her first quarter-final of the year at the start of the season at 2011 Moorilla Hobart International before losing to Bethanie Mattek-Sands. That led to a six match losing streak which lasted until the 2011 The Bahamas Women's Open, where she reached the final before losing to Anastasia Yakimova. She then reached the second round at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open, losing to Francesca Schiavone. Kerber lost in the first round of Wimbledon to 17 year old Laura Robson 6–4, 6–7, 3–6.

Kerber entered the US Open ranked 92 in the world. After defeating young American Lauren Davis in three sets, she came up against 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round and pulled off a shock 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 result to advance to the third round for the first time. There, she faced unseeded Russian Alla Kudryavtseva, winning in straight sets, and followed it up with victory in the fourth round against Monica Niculescu, 6–4, 6–3. Appearing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, Kerber surprised 26th seed Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, to advance to the semi-final, where she lost against 9th seed, and eventual champion, Samantha Stosur 3–6, 6–2, 2–6. Kerber reached a career high ranking of 34 at tournament end.

2012[link]

Kerber's first tournament was the 2012 ASB Classic. She defeated Marina Erakovic in the first round 4–6, 6–4, 6–4. She defeated the fifth seed, Julia Görges, in the second round 6–2, 6–3. She then defeated top seed, Sabine Lisicki, in the Quarter-Final when Lisicki retired due to a back injury at a score of 6–4, 4–3. She lost her semi-final match to fourth seed Flavia Pennetta 1–6, 2–6.

At the 2012 Australian Open, Kerber was the thirtieth seed. In the first round, she defeated Wildcard Australian Bojana Bobusic 6–1, 6–3. In the second, she faced Canadian Stéphanie Dubois and she defeated her 7–5, 6–1. In third round, she faced fourth seed Maria Sharapova and lost 1–6, 2–6. She rose to her career high singles ranking of World Number 27.

At the 2012 Fed Cup, Kerber played for her country of Germany alongside Sabine Lisicki, Julia Görges and Anna-Lena Grönefeld and they faced the Czech Republic Fed Cup team. Her only match was a singles match which she played against Lucie Hradecká. She won the match 6–4, 6–4 producing Germany's only win in the play-off.

Her next tournament was the Open GDF Suez where she was the ninth seed and where she won her first ever WTA Title. In the first round, she faced Lucie Šafářová and won 6–2, 7–6. In the second round, she faced Monica Niculescu and beat her 6–3, 4–6, 6–3. She faced the number one seed Maria Sharapova in the quarter-final and beat her in straight sets with a score of 6–4, 6–4. This set up a semi-final match between unseeded Yanina Wickmayer. Kerber won the semi-final 6–7, 6–3, 6–4 to reach her second ever WTA final. She played second seed Marion Bartoli in the final. Kerber won the first set 7–6 and took a early 3–0 lead in the second. Bartoli came back to level the score at 5–5 and eventually took the set 5–7. Kerber shot to a 4–0 lead in the third and finished the set with a 6–3 score to close out the match.

Kerber playing in the 2012 Indian Wells Masters where she made the semis

She then entered the 2012 Qatar Total Open where she met and beat ninth seed Sabine Lisicki in the first round with a score of 4–6, 6–4, 6–1. She lost to unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round.

Kerber's next tournament was the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Receiving a bye in the 1st round as the 18th seed, she defeated up and coming Sloane Stephens in a miraculous comeback from 6–2 5–1 40–15 down;facing two match points in winning 2–6 7–5 6–4, advanced to the 4th round via W/O by Vania King, then produced another come from behind win against another dangerous player, Christina McHale, coming back from 4–1 down in the 3rd set and facing match points at 6–5 down to win 6–3 3–6 7–6, upsetting 8th seed Na Li in the quarter-finals 6–4 6–2 before her great week came to an end, losing to number one player in the world and eventual champion Victoria Azarenka 6–4 6–3. Her ranking improved to a career high of No.14 as a result of that fantastic run in California. As the 14th seed at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Kerber was expected to do well there, but was upset in her opener (received a bye in the 1st round) against Zheng Zie, 7–6 6–1.

Her next stop was at the E-Boks Sony Ericsson Open in Copenhagen where she was the 2nd seed. In her opener, she was pushed to the limit as she struggled past little known Stephanie Foretz Gacon, 4–6 6–2 7–5, she had to grind out two more 3 set wins against Anne Keothavong, 4–6 6–3 6–3 and dangerous fellow German Mona Barthel 6–2 0–6 7–5 (coming from 5–2 down in 3rd set and saving m.p's at 5–4 down) in her 2nd round and quarter-final matches, respectively. After three tough wins, she crushed 3rd seed and former world no.1 Jelena Jankovic 6–2 6–1 to reach her third career final (2nd this year). She won the title beating the top seed and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki with the score of 6–4, 6–4.

Kerber represented Germany in Fed Cup against Australia in Stuttgart, losing to world no. 5 Samantha Stosur 7–6 6–4 in a tough contest, and beating Olivia Rogowska 6–3 6–3. Germany lost the tie 3–2. In The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, she advanced to the quarter-finals, with wins over Roberta Vinci and 6th seed Caroline Wozniacki 6–2 6–1 before losing to 3rd seed Petra Kvitova 6–4 6–4.

WTA career finals[link]

Singles: 3 (2–1)[link]

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	21 February 2010	Bogotá, Colombia	Clay	Mariana Duque Mariño	4–6, 3–6
Winner	1.	12 February 2012	Paris, France	Hard (i)	Marion Bartoli	7–6(7–3), 5–7, 6–3
Winner	2.	15 April 2012	Copenhagen, Denmark	Hard (i)	Caroline Wozniacki	6–4, 6–4

Doubles: 1 (0–1)[link]

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1.	20 June 2008	's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands	Grass	Līga Dekmeijere	Marina Erakovic Michaëlla Krajicek	3–6, 2–6

Performance timelines[link]

Singles[link]

Key

Won tournament, or reached Final, Semifinal, Quarterfinal, Round 4, 3, 2, 1, played in Round Robin or lost in Qualification Round 3, Round 2, Round 1, Absent from a tournament or Participated in a team event, played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off, won a bronze or silver match at the Olympics. The last is for a Masters Series/1000 tournament that was relegated (Not a Masters Series).

Current through the 2012 Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Angelique Kerber

• Angelique Kerber at the Women's Tennis Association
• Angelique Kerber at the International Tennis Federation
• Official website

v t e Women's Tennis Association: Top German female singles tennis players as of 28 May 2012 1. Angelique Kerber (10 ) 2. Sabine Lisicki (13 1) 3. Andrea Petkovic (15 ) 4. Julia Görges (27 ) 5. Mona Barthel (32 ) 6. Tatjana Malek (164 1) 7. Annika Beck (165 1) 8. Sarah Gronert (166 1) 9. Kristina Barrois (196 3) 10. Dinah Pfizenmaier (198 4)

v t e Women's Tennis Association: Top German female doubles tennis players as of 28 May 2012 1. Julia Görges (32 ) 2. Anna-Lena Grönefeld (34 ) 3. Sabine Lisicki (53 4) 4. Kristina Barrois (66 ) 5. Jasmin Wöhr (68 ) 6. Andrea Petkovic (109 4) 7. Tatjana Malek (120 5) 8. Angelique Kerber (173 4) 9. Kathrin Wörle (191 2) 10. Karolina Nowak (332 3)

Mariya Koryttseva
Марія Коритцева

Koryttseva (left), with doubles partner Vera Dushevina, at the 2008 Fortis Championships Luxembourg
Country	Ukraine
Residence	Kharkiv, Ukraine
Born	(1985-05-25) May 25, 1985 (age 27) Kiev, Soviet Union
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	61 kg (130 lb; 9.6 st)
Turned pro	2001
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money	US$ 614,285
Singles
Career record	233–161
Career titles	0 WTA, 6 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 50 (August 18, 2008)
Current ranking	No. 133 (July 12, 2010)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	2r (2008)
French Open	2r (2009)
Wimbledon	1r (2008–2010)
US Open	1r (2008, 2009)
Doubles
Career record	174–111
Career titles	6 WTA, 17 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 39 (June 23, 2008)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	3r (2008)
French Open	3r (2008)
Last updated on: July 12, 2010.

Mariya Koryttseva (Ukrainian: Марія Коритцева, born May 25, 1985 in Kiev, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian female tennis player. Her career high ranking is No. 50 in the world, which she achieved on August 18, 2008.

Her biggest career highlight so far is a surprising run to the final of the 2007 Sunfeast Open held in Kolkata, India in September 2007. En route to her appearance in the final, she beat Monique Adamczak, Vania King, who had defeated the number one seed Marion Bartoli in the previous round, Tatiana Poutchek and Anne Keothavong. Her run came to an end at the hands of Maria Kirilenko, who beat her 6–0, 6–2 in the final. She lost the doubles finals as well.

As well as this run, she has won three doubles titles on the WTA Tour, two coming at Palermo, where she won with Giulia Casoni in 2005, and again with Darya Kustova in 2007. She won the 2008 ASB Classic with Lilia Osterloh. She was also the runner-up in doubles at Kolkata in 2007, where she lost the singles final, and lost the doubles final with Alberta Brianti to Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva.

On the ITF Tour, where she has played a vast majority of her career, she has won five singles titles, and more notably, a massive sixteen doubles titles. The most recent of these came at the $100k event in Kharkiv.

In the second round of qualifying for the 2008 Kremlin Cup Koryttseva beat Anastasia Pivovarova 6-3 6-7 7-5 in 3 hours and 55 minutes, making it the third longest match in the open era.

Ranked now at 165 on the WTA Tour, sees good news for the Ukrainian as currently Koryttseva is playing in BAKU where she won the opening two rounds and is facing Katerina Bonderenko (a fellow Ukrainian) Scores are currently locked at 4-4.