If you do not recognize the 5’ 11” woman that has moved into the quarterfinals of the 2012 French Open at the expense of the high profile defending champion, you are excused. The 24-year old Yaroslava Shvedova has been missing in action this year this season.

Yaroslava Shvedova

Her 2012 singles won-lost record is an unassuming 5 wins and 3 losses.  She is ranked 142^nd on the WTA singles circuit.  Of late, she seems to have been more interested in doubles than in singles. Her 2012 earnings from singles are $25,613. By comparison, Yaroslava Shvedova has earned $61,964 in doubles.  By the end of the French Open, those figures will change dramatically. Yaroslava has only figured prominently in the 2010 French Open.  Otherwise, her Grand Slam resume is modest at best.  But, at Roland Garros in 2012, she has pumped life into her tennis career.

Her fourth round defeat of defending French Open Champion, Li Na, has put Yaroslava on the tennis landscape and assured her of entry into tennis tournaments for the rest of this year and probably many more.

Yaroslava Shvedova was born in Moscow on 12 September 1987. She is now a Kazakhstani professional tennis player.

Slava comes from an athletic background. Her father, Vyacheslav, is a professional coach specializing in running, tennis and fitness.  He has coached his star daughter since her career began. Slava’s mother, Nurziya, was a professional runner, a world champion in the 100km marathon. That is a very credible gene pool upon which to draw.  Slava is not regarded as the most talented player on the tour, but as she reminded us in Paris, she is a fierce competitor that plays through points, and can close the deal.

Yaroslava Shvedova’ tennis career began at age 6. For the next two years, she embraces the game. She now trains at the National Tennis Center in Astana in Kazakhstan and at the CSKA club in Moscow. Slava played on the ITF tour for three years beginning in 2002.  She joined the WTA in 2005. Big things were expected of the long-legged baseliner.

In 2007, she cracked the top 100 for the first time.  She repeated the feat for two more years and broke into the top 50 in 2012. She reached the quarters at Roland Garros but lost to Jalena Jankovic. Her combined singles and doubles career prize money totals $2,335,207 USD.

Her physical attributes are on par with the top female players.  She is nearly six feet tall, weighs 150 pounds and is known for her two-handed backhand. She is well suited for doubles. Slava is fit, determined and progressing.  In a word, she is “dangerous.”

In 2010, she was a doubles finalist at Roland Garros but in her career, she has stamped her name on six doubles titles, including the doubles trophy at Wimbledon where she teamed with her best partner, Vania King.

At this year’s French Open, Yaroslava Shvedova has downed

Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4,6-4, Coco Vandeweghe 6-1,6-2, Elena Bogdan 6-1, 6-1 and the defending champion Li Na in three sets 3-6,6-3,6-0. Her next opponent is another six footer, hard-hitting Petra Kvitova, the fourth seed. While a decided underdog, it would be a mistake to discount Slava.

Playing with King in the doubles, the 3 seeds are on to the 4^th round.  This promises to be Yaroslava’s biggest paycheck, but not her last. A warning to Petra, bring your game.  This unseeded lass is no pushover.

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