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Natasha Zvereva

Natasha Zvereva
Наташа Зверaва
Natasha Zvereva 2010.jpg
Country (sports)  Soviet Union (1988–1991)
 Belarus (from 1992)
Residence Minsk, Belarus
Born (1971-04-16) 16 April 1971 (age 45)
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro May 1988
Retired 2002
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money US$ 7,792,503
Int. Tennis HoF 2010 (member page)
Singles
Career record 434–252
Career titles 4 WTA, 3 ITF
Highest ranking No. 5 (22 May 1989)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open QF (1995)
French Open F (1988)
Wimbledon SF (1998)
US Open QF (1993)
Doubles
Career record 714–170
Career titles 80 WTA, 3 ITF
Highest ranking No. 1 (7 October 1991)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open W (1993, 1994, 1997)
French Open W (1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997)
Wimbledon W (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997)
US Open W (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals W (1993, 1994, 1998)
Olympic Games Bronze medal.svg Bronze medal (1992)
Mixed doubles
Career titles 2
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open W (1990, 1995)
Wimbledon F (1991)
US Open F (1990)

Natasha Zvereva, or Zverava, (born Natallya Marataŭna Zvierava; Belarusian: Наталля Маратаўна Зверава; 16 April 1971) is a former tennis player from Belarus. Zvereva was the first major athlete in the Soviet Union to demand publicly that she should be able to keep her tournament earnings. The team of Zvereva and Gigi Fernández won more women's doubles titles and Grand Slam women's doubles championships than any other team since that of Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

On 12 July 2010, Zvereva was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame alongside Fernández.

Zvereva used a baseline, counter-punching style centered around topspin and her double-handed backhand. She had great hands, used a variety of spins, and was willing to rush the net and volley. Though Zvereva's talent was never in doubt, she often suffered from lapses in concentration during matches and in her confidence as a singles player.

As a junior, Zvereva won the Wimbledon girls singles title in 1986, defeating Leila Meskhi in the final 2–6, 6–2, 9–7. Zvereva also won the US Open girls singles championship in 1987, beating Sandra Birch in the final 6–0, 6–3.

After turning pro, Zvereva won four WTA Tour singles titles and 80 WTA Tour doubles titles. Eighteen of them were in Grand Slam tournaments: five at Wimbledon, four at the US Open, five at the French Open, and four at the Australian Open. She won those Grand Slam doubles titles with four different partners: Gigi Fernández, Martina Hingis, Pam Shriver, and Larisa Savchenko Neiland. She achieved non-calendar year Grand Slams twice: in 1992–93 with Fernández and in 1996–97 with Fernández (three tournaments) and Hingis (Australia).


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Wikipedia

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