Happy birthday!

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

its sharapova's burfdayy soon isn't it ?..late april ?..nearly 10yrs since winning "the big dubya" (@bud Collins).

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Another tennis beauty - Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea born 7 April 1990 - turning 24 today - second highest ranked Romanian player after Simona Halep. She achieved her career-high ranking of world no. 21 on 12 August 2013 and has appeared in the quarterfinals of the French Open and the final of the Rogers Cup. She's currently #27. Cîrstea is a power player with a deceptively good serve. Her groundstrokes are often erratic with an emphasis on going for a winner leading her to make a high amount of unforced errors per match but with a high number of winners. Cîrstea speaks Romanian, English, Spanish, and French. She's won 1 WTA singles title in 2008 in Tashkent beating Sabine Lisicki and 4 WTA doubles titles. Latest final was in Rogers Cup where she lost to Serena Williams.

Ice cream from your fathers factory

Recently, I saw a compilation of "top 25 beautiful women in sports"; in all sports taken
together and not just tennis. Three tennis players made it in that list.

#16 Maria Sharapova
#13 Ana Ivanovic
# 6 Maria Kirilenko

I am surprised that Sorana did not make it in that list.

Also, another player (I cannot think of her name), an European player who had some
promise (and was beautiful also) faded away due to recurring injury issues. I think her
last name (or first name) starts with G, something like Glovin or close to it. I just cannot
think of her name right now. I will need to jog my memory. If this rings a bell to anyone,
please chime in.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Maybe it was Tatiana Golovin you were thinking of.She was born in Russia,moved to the USA when she was young.

 

[Rose]

Maybe it was Tatiana Golovin you were thinking of.She was born in Russia,moved to the USA when she was young.

She was good looking so I think you've gotten the right player

 

[Front242]

Maybe it was Tatiana Golovin you were thinking of.She was born in Russia,moved to the USA when she was young.

Yeah, and used play for France lol. All over the place just like Russians playing for Kazakhstan! Still only 26 but back problems ended her tennis career like Safina. Sad.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Maybe it was Tatiana Golovin you were thinking of.She was born in Russia,moved to the USA when she was young.

Yes, it is her. When she was in prime, there used to be huge bill boards in France
with pictures of her, marketing various things. She is not just a pretty face. She had
reasonable tennis talent also.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Moxie]

I didn't know where to put this, but I didn't want Hoergren wouldn't miss it. Caro went to the Masters with newly died pink hair, caddied for her hubby to be, and sank an impressive 30 ft. putt:

https://tennis.si.com/2014/04/10/caroline-wozniacki-sinks-30-foot-putt-at-the-masters/

Nice job!

 

[Hoergren]

Todays birthday girl is a very welknown - Maria Yuryevna Sharapova born April 19, 1987 is ranked World No. 8. She turns 27 today.

She's the top Russian player. Here is a little about her past. A United States resident since 1994, as Martina Navratilova recommended professional training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. Sharapova's father took various low-paying jobs, including dishwashing, to fund her lessons until she was old enough to be admitted to the academy. She was signed by IMG, who agreed to pay the annual tuition fee of $35,000 for Sharapova to stay at the academy, allowing her to finally enroll at the age of 9. Sharapova first hit the tennis scene in November 2000, when she won the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the girls' 16 division at the age of just 13. Sharapova made her professional debut in 2001 on her 14th birthday on April 19, and played her first WTA tournament at the Pacific Life Open in 2002, winning a match before losing to Monica Seles. Her first WTA title came in Japan on 29 September 2003, where she won the Japan Open. Sharapova made her professional breakthrough in 2004 at age 17, when she defeated two-time defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final for her first Grand Slam singles title. Since then Sharapova has all in all won twenty-nine WTA singles titles, including four Grand Slam singles titles (been in 8 GS finals). World No. 1 in singles on five separate occasions, for a total of 21 weeks - first time on my birthday 22nd of August 2005. One of her lates gimmicks is her Sugarpova brand.

Catch her kisses. So big cheer for one of the WTA queens today. May you have a healthy 2014 and pleasant day with lots of surprises.

 

[RJD11]

Just wanted to give a belated birthday shout out to Taylor Townsend who turned 18 a few days ago. She was born 4/16/1996. Watch out WTA Taylor is coming.

 

[Hoergren]

Maria celabrated with her team in typical German outfit e.g. Lederhosen :lolz:

 

[Hoergren]

Our next birthday player is Daniela Hantuchová born 23 April 1983. She is a Slovak tennis player and turns 31 today. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first WTA tournament, the Indian Wells Masters, defeating Martina Hingis in the final and becoming the lowest-ranked player to ever win the tournament. Well I'm sure you've forgotten that - he, he. She reached her highest ranking, fifth, in January 2003. Today she is #32. She's won 6 WTA titles. Hantuchová speaks fluent Slovak, Czech, English and German, as well as some Croatian and Italian and She was trained as a classical pianist. She is thought to be a perfectionist and puts a lot of pressure on herself during her training. Hantuchová appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition alongside Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin in a pictoral entitled Volley of the Dolls. In July 2012, she appeared nude in the 2012 edition of ESPN: The Magazine's "The Body Issue" - you can google that yourself She's won a career slam win in mixed doubles and been 3 times runner up in grand slam doubles finals.

Congrats to you Daniela may you have a healthy and nice 2014.

 

[Hoergren]

Our next birthday girl is our terrier from Italy - Sara Errani - who turns 27 today 29. April. As of 28 April 2014, she is ranked world no. 11 in singles and world no. 6 in doubles. She has won seven career singles titles, and 21 career doubles titles, including four Grand Slam championships and three Premier Mandatory/Premier 5 titles. In later years she's been in the Italian FED cup team with big succes. At the age of 12, her father sent her to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. In 2012 she got her breakthrough. Errani decided to change her racquet, switching from Wilson to Babolat. Several commentators cite the new racquet as a reason for her improved game and her entry into the top 10 of the WTA rankings. In the first five months of 2012, she won three singles titles, earning over $1.3 million in prize money. Errani herself dubbed her new racquet "Excalibur", named after the sword of King Arthur. Togethjer with her doubles partner Vinci she's done extremely well in AO being in the final for thre consequtive years winning the last two. Here she is in her festive dress WTA Championships - Istanbul 2012:

So congrats to our favorite doubles player - have a nice birthday and a happy 2014 and may it be the Italian way

 

[Hoergren]

Almost forgot our fiery birthday child today Dominika Cibulková born 6 May 1989. A Slovak tennis player. As of April 2014, she is ranked world no. 10. Known for her quick and aggressive style of play, she has won four career singles titles.
Cibulková has reached the quarterfinals or better of all four Grand Slam tournaments. The most notable achievement of her career to date was a finals appearance at the 2014 Australian Open. Cibulková became the first female Slovakian to reach the championship round of a Grand Slam.Cibulková's signature expression, "Pome," translates to "Let's go" or "Come on" in English. She began a clothing line featuring this statement in 2014. As always she has a beautifull smile for us:

Congrats with your 25th today and may you be spoiled with gifts and pleasant thoughts

 

[Hoergren]

One of USA's hopefulls has her birthday today - Christina McHale - born 11.05.1992, she turns 22 today. McHale has beaten numerous top WTA tour players, including two-time Grand Slam champions Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka, as well as Caroline Wozniacki (ranked World No. 1 at the time), former World No. 3 Nadia Petrova, 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová, two-time Indian Wells champion and former top 5 player Daniela Hantuchová, and 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli. Has been as high as #24 but are recently #55. Not many knows that her father John is an Irish American, while her mother Margarita was born in Cuba. Her family lived in Hong Kong from the time she was three until she was eight, and she speaks a degree of Mandarin Chinese. She has been homeschooled. She's been a runner up for her first title in Acapulco this year, but lost to Cibulkova in the final.

Many happy returns to you and may you have a healthy 2014.

 

[Hoergren]

Ekaterina Makarova born on 7 June 1988 is a Russian professional tennis player. She achieved her career high ranking of number 19 on 7 January 2013. Makarova is a two-time Grand Slam champion in doubles competition, having won the 2012 US Open mixed doubles tournament with Bruno Soares, and the 2013 French Open with Elena Vesnina. She's currently ranked 23 in the singles ranking and 6 in doubles. She began playing when she was 6 and turned pro at the age of 15. Her worst years were 2009 and 10 where she e.g. had a losing streak of 7 tournaments in the first round. Since 2011 she's gone up and had a reasonable success especially in doubles where she won FO in 2013 and runner up AO 2014. 2 WTA titles and 4 in doubles.
Here she is smiling after her win over Vika in Eastbourne 2010

Happy birthday Ekaterina and may you have a good 2014 with nice surprises.

 

[Hoergren]

Nadezhda Viktorovna Petrova is one of our birthday kids today. She's turning 31. Today a little overseen because of 2013 - Injury-marred season (finishing No.102), but she's really one of the great players. Overall, she has won 37 WTA Titles, 13 in singles and 24 in doubles. In singles, Petrova reached a career-high ranking of world no. 3 in May 2006, and reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2003 and 2005. In doubles, she won the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in 2004 with Meghann Shaughnessy, and in 2012 with Maria Kirilenko. With Kirilenko, she also won the bronze medal in the women's doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics. As of 24 June 2013, Petrova was ranked world no. 16 in singles and world no. 3 in doubles. Current #370 in singles - only played 6 tournaments this year because of another throwback the loss of her mother, so she missed the Aussie start. She is #18 in doubles where she's played 4 tournaments - went to the semis in Doha. A big hand to her and a lot of good luck with the rest of 2014. We all hope you're looking forward and getting back to your form. Happy birthday Nadia.

 

[Hoergren]

Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is the other birtday kid turning 31 today. Today retired but still playing some legends tennis. Clijsters is a former world no. 1 in both singles and doubles.Clijsters won 41 WTA singles titles and 11 WTA doubles titles. She won four Grand Slam singles titles: three at the US Open, in 2005, 2009, and 2010 and one at the Australian Open in 2011. She was also runner-up in four Grand Slam singles tournaments and won the WTA Tour Championships singles title in 2002, 2003, and 2010. In doubles, she won the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2003. She was also runner-up in two Grand Slam doubles tournaments, one WTA Championships doubles tournament, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles tournament in 2001, She retired first time on 6 May 2007, but almost two years later, on 26 March 2009, she publicly declared her intent to return to the WTA tour for the 2009 summer hard court season. In only her third tournament back, she won her second US Open title, becoming the first unseeded player and wildcard to win the tournament, the first unranked player to win a Grand Slam and the first mother to win a major since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. One of the great ambassadors in tennis as she'll be in the years ahead - and who knows if she'll return as an active player again - only 31 - come on Kim at least in doubles

Here with both Jada and newborn Jack and Brian - happy birthday

 

[Hoergren]

A legend is turning 34 today - Venus Williams - hope some of the fans will write a few words about her:

I love this photo! It puts in perspective how many generations we have playing shoulder-to-shoulder at the WTA Tour. If you would see Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki today facing each other on the tennis court you would perceive them as equal rivals and forget that Woz was maybe just out of her diapers when Venus turned pro. In this photo Woz was 12 years old and Venus was 22. It could well be that Venus was already No.1 player at the time this photo was taken (she became No.1 in February 2002), while she sure already was a Grand Slam champion. Did little Wozniacki assume at the time that she would also climb to the No.1 spot in the rankings?! Anyway a great happy birthday to Venus today:

 

[kskate2]

^ Thanks for finding that pic of Caro. Despite what some people think, Venus is great for the women's tour. A humble ambassador and role model for the young players. I wish her a fun day and continued good health for the duration of her career.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

:heart: Happy Birthday to Venus, :heart: hope she plays until she is 40. :heart: