Ágnes Szávay

Infobox Tennis player


playername= Ágnes Szávay
nickname = Ági
country= HUN
residence= Monte Carlo, Monaco
datebirth= birth date and age|1988|12|29
placebirth= Kiskunhalas, Hungary
height= height|m=1.71
weight= convert|63|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
turnedpro= 2004
plays= Right; Two-handed backhand
careerprizemoney= US$1,044,115
singlesrecord= 156–68
singlestitles= 2 WTA, 3 ITF
highestsinglesranking= No. 13 (April 14, 2008)
AustralianOpenresult= 1R (2008)
FrenchOpenresult= 3R (2008)
Wimbledonresult= 4R (2008)
USOpenresult= QF (2007)
doublesrecord= 78–46
doublestitles= 2 WTA, 3 ITF
highestdoublesranking= No. 22 (September 24, 2007)
updated = August 25, 2008

Ágnes Szávay ( _hu. Szávay Ágnes, pronounced|ˈaːɡnɛʃ ˈsaːvɒ.i, born December 29, 1988) is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008. As of September 29, 2008, she is ranked World No. 26.

Background

Szávay was born in Kiskunhalas, Hungary and grew up in Soltvadkert, Hungary. She started to play tennis at the age of six, with her parents acting as her first coaches and managers. Her previous coaches were Zoltán Újhidy, Levente Barátosi, and Miklós Hornok. Currently, her coaches are József Bocskay and Zoltán Kuharszky. She has a younger sister, [http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/players/player.asp?player=100119670 Blanka] , who is five years younger than her and is also a professional tennis player.

Tennis career

2007

Szávay won her first career WTA-level tournament in singles in Palermo, Italy in July. The win caused her ranking to rise to World No. 37, which was the first time she had been included in the top 40. She also won one doubles tournament, the Tier III Budapest Grand Prix, with Vladimira Uhlirova.

In August, Szávay reached the final of the Tier II Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, Connecticut, defeating Daniela Hantuchová, Alona Bondarenko, and Samantha Stosur before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Szávay was leading Kuznetsova 6–4, 0–3 when Szávay had to retire from the match because of a back injury. [Eaton-Robb, Pat., [http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20070826/ca_pr_on_sp/ten_new_haven "Svetlana Kuznetsova wins Pilot Pen when Agnes Szávay retires with back injury"] , "Yahoo! News", 2007-08-25, Retrieved on 2007-09-03] At the conclusion of this tournament, she was ranked World No. 31, her highest-ever ranking.

Szávay then reached the quarterfinals of the US Open, defeating 32nd-seeded Michaëlla Krajicek and seventh-seeded Nadia Petrova before losing to Kuznetsova. She also reached the semifinals in women's doubles, teaming with Uhlirova.

At her first tournament after the US Open, Szávay reached the final of the Tier II China Open in Beijing. Szávay, the sixth seed, capitalized on the withdrawal of top-seeded Kuznetsova to reach the semifinals where she defeated Chinese player Peng Shuai to advance to her second career Tier II final. Szávay then defeated Jelena Janković to claim her first Tier II title. Szávay led 5–0 in the first set tiebreak before losing it 9–7. In the second set, Szávay saved a match point while trailing 5–1 with a second serve ace and then won nine consecutive games. [ [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1734 Back From The Brink in Beijing] ] Szávay moved into the top 20 due to this performance.

Szávay's year ended prematurely because of a thigh injury. In late September at the Tier IV Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, she was forced to retire from her quarterfinal match with Eleni Daniilidou while tied at one set apiece. She did not play on the tour the remainder of the year.

2008

Szávay began the year at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourt Tournament tournament in Gold Coast, Australia. Szávay and Dinara Safina, the third seeded team, won the doubles title, defeating the first and second seeded teams in the semifinals and final, respectively. [ [http://www.tennis.com.au/pages/image.aspx?assetid=RDM39445.8023712269 Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts main draw doubles] ] In singles, Szávay was the eighth seed but lost to unseeded Yuliana Fedak in the first round 3–6, 7–5, 6–2.

At the Australian Open in Melbourne, Szávay was seeded 20th but lost in the first round to Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 3–6, 6–4, 7–5.

Szávay then reached the final of the Tier II Open Gaz de France in Paris. She defeated second seeded Daniela Hantuchová in the quarterfinals and fourth seeded Elena Dementieva in the semifinals before losing to Anna Chakvetadze in the three-set final.

Szávay then lost in the first round of three consecutive tournaments. She lost to Alisa Kleybanova at the Tier II Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Ai Sugiyama at the Tier I Qatar Total Open in Doha, and Akiko Morigami at the Tier II Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

Szávay ended her four match losing streak by winning her first round match at the Tier II Sony Ericsson International in Bangalore, India before losing in the second round to Akgul Amanmuradova. She then lost in the second round (after receiving a first round bye) of the Tier I Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida to Elena Vesnina.

Szávay started the spring clay court season by reaching the quarterfinals in three consecutive tournaments. At the Tier II Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, Szávay lost to Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Szávay lost to Alize Cornet. At the Tier I Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin, Szávay lost to World No. 2 Ana Ivanovic in three sets.

Szávay then was upset in the second round of the Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome and the third round of the French Open in Paris.

At Wimbledon, Szávay was seeded fifteenth but lost in the fourth round to unseeded Jie Zheng of China 6–3, 6–4.

Szávay then was the top seeded player at two Tier III tournaments played on clay. At the Gaz de France Budapest Grand Pix, she lost in the second round after receiving a first round bye. At the Gastein Ladies tournament in Bad Gastein, Austria, she lost in the semifinals to fourth seeded Pauline Parmentier.

Szávay was upset in the early rounds of four hard court tournaments during the summer. At the Tier IV Nordea Nordic Light Open in Stockholm, Szávay was seeded second but lost in the second round. Szávay was seeded eleventh at the Olympic Games in Beijing but lost to Zheng of China in the first round 4–6, 6–3, 7–5. Szávay was seeded fourth at the Tier II Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, Connecticut but lost in the second round to unseeded Amelie Mauresmo. Szávay was seeded thirteenth at the US Open but lost in the second round to Tathiana Garbin of Italy 5–7, 6–2, 6–3.

Career finals (17)

ingles (7)

Wins (5)

Doubles (10)

Wins (5)

*LQ = lost in the qualifying tournament.
*A = did not participate in the tournament.

References

External links

* [http://szavayagi.hu/ Homepage] hu icon
* WTA Tour profile for [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/players/playerprofiles/playerbio.asp?PlayerID=311872 Ágnes Szávay]
* [http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2007-06-21/200706211182430605625.html?promo=personalization Wimbledon 2007, Top Seed Szávay Qualifies]
* [http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1635 Szávay beats Hantuchova in New Haven]
* [http://www.resultsfromtennis.com/tennis-playerw-agnesszavay.html Szávayy statistics]