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Klára Koukalová

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Klára Zakopalová
Klara Zakopalova at the 2011 US Open
Country (sports) Czech Republic
ResidencePrague, Czech Republic
Born (1982-02-24) 24 February 1982 (age 42)
Prague, Czechoslovakia
now Czech Republic
Height1.66 m (5 ft 5+12 in)
Turned pro1999
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$1,391,603
Singles
Career record337–275
Career titles2 WTA (7 ITF)
Highest rankingNo. 27 (6 March 2006)
Current rankingNo. 44 (7 May 2012)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open3R (2003)
French Open2R (2004, 2005, 2008, 2010)
Wimbledon4R (2010)
US Open1R (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011)
Doubles
Career record21–57
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 96 (17 May 2009)
Last updated on: 10 January 2011.

Klára Zakopalová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈklaːra ˈzakopalovaː]; born as Klára Koukalová on 24 February 1982 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional female tennis player. She was born and still lives in Prague, the capital.

Career

In her career, Zakopalová has reached eight singles finals and won two, both in 2005: on grass in Rosmalen (Netherlands) and in September in Portorož (Slovenia) on hard court.

In January 2006, she played a comeback player Martina Hingis, at the WTA Tournament in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, whom she lost to in the second round. Zakopalová was seeded No.29 at the 2006 Australian Open but lost in the first round to Ekaterina Bychkova of Russia. In that year, Klara had ten first-round losses in singles and failed to win a doubles match.

In 2008, Zakopalová reached the final of the inaugural Cachantun Cup in Chile. She played the top seed Flavia Pennetta but was forced to retire due to an ankle sprain. This also forced her to withdraw from the next tournament in Bogotá, where she had made the quarterfinals in 2007.

Zakopalová 's biggest win came at the 2009 Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, Spain. She defeated World No. 1 and ten time grand slam champion Serena Williams, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1. Williams was also her first round opponent at the 2009 French Open, where Zakopalová lost 3–6, 7–6, 4–6.

Zakopalová gained another good win over a top 5 player, defeating Dinara Safina in the first round of the 2010 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open 7–6(1), 7–6(3).

In the first round of the 2010 Polsat Warsaw Open, Zakopalova caused a big upset by defeating 4th seed and World No.14 Marion Bartoli 4–6, 6–1, 6–2. She was then defeated by World No.205 Gréta Arn in the second round 6–4, 6–4.

At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, Zakopalova advanced to the 4th round for the first time at a Grand Slam. She scored upset wins over 18th seed Aravane Rezaï and 10th seed Flavia Pennetta before falling to qualifier Kaia Kanepi.

Zakopalova made the final at the 2010 e-Boks Danish Open where she lost to then World No. 3 Caroline Wozniacki. Zakopalova defeated Rossana De Los Rios, Tatjana Malek, Sorana Cîrstea, and Li Na en route to the final. After this tournament, could not match up her performance as she went on to do poorly her last four tournaments, only advancing to the second round in the 2010 Generali Ladies Linz where she lost to Patty Schnyder 6–2, 6–0.

Zakopalova started her 2011 season at the Moorilla Hobart International after having to withdraw from the Brisbane International. She made the semifinals in Hobart, upsetting the top seeded Marion Bartoli in the quarter finals, before falling to her doubles partner Jarmila Groth.

At the 2011 Australian Open, Zakopalova defeated American Melanie Oudin in 3 sets in the 1st round before falling to fellow Czech Lucie Safarova in 3 sets in the 2nd round. This was Zakopalova's first victory at the Australian Open since 2003.

Zakopalova was seeded 31st for the 2011 French Open, her first seeding at a slam since 2006. She was upset in the first round by Chinese-Taipei qualifier Chan Yung-jan.

After her defeat at Roland Garros, Zakopalova traveled to Copenhagen to defend her finalist points from the year before. Seeded 2nd, she was upset in the 1st round by German Kathrin Woerle.

Zakopalova then returned to the site of her greatest slam accomplishment, Wimbledon. Unseeded, she came from a set down to defeat British wild-card Emily Webley-Smith in the first round. In the second round she avenged her Australian Open loss by upsetting the 31st seed Lucie Safarova in three sets. In the third round, Zakopalova fell to eventual finalist Maria Sharapova 2–6 3–6.

After Wimbledon, Zakopalova made the semi-finals in Budapest where she lost to the eventual champion Roberta Vinci, and then made the quarter-finals in Palermo, Italy, where she lost to eventual finalist Polona Hercog.

Personal Life

On 6 June 2006, Klara married Czech football player Jan Zakopal.[1]

WTA Career Finals

Singles: 11 (2-9)

Legend: Before 2009 Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam tournaments (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (0) Premier Mandatory (0)
Tier II (0) Premier 5 (0)
Tier III (1/5) Premier (0)
Tier IV & V (1/2) International (0/2)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. 20 May 2001 Belgium Antwerp, Belgium Clay Germany Barbara Rittner 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 2. 14 July 2002 Morocco Casablanca,Morocco Clay Austria Patricia Wartusch 5–7, 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 3. 2 August 2003 Poland Sopot, Poland Clay Israel Anna Smashnova 6–2 6–0
Runner-up 4. 19 June 2004 Netherlands 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Grass France Mary Pierce 7–6(6), 6–2
Runner-up 5. 14 August 2004 Poland Sopot, Poland Clay Italy Flavia Pennetta 7–5, 3–6, 6–3
Winner 1. 18 June 2005 Netherlands 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Grass Czech Republic Lucie Šafářová 3–6, 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 6. 24 July 2005 Italy Palermo, Italy Clay Spain Anabel Medina Garrigues 6–4, 6–0
Winner 2. 25 September 2005 Slovenia Portorož, Slovenia Hard Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up 7. 17 February 2008 Chile Viña del Mar, Chile Clay Italy Flavia Pennetta 6–4, 5–4 ret.
Runner-up 8. 8 August 2010 Denmark Copenhagen, Denmark Carpet (i) Denmark Caroline Wozniacki 6–2, 7–6(5)
Runner-up 9. 26 September 2010 South Korea Seoul, South Korea Hard Russia Alisa Kleybanova 6–1, 6–3

Doubles: 5 (1-4)

Legend: Before 2009 Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam tournaments (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (0/0) Premier Mandatory (0/0)
Tier II (0/0) Premier 5 (0/0)
Tier III (0/1) Premier (0/1)
Tier IV & V (0/0) International (1/2)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. 17 September 2001 Canada Quebec City, Canada Hard (i) Czech Republic Alena Vašková United States Samantha Reeves
Italy Adriana Serra Zanetti
7–5, 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up 2. 25 July 2009 Slovenia Portorož, Slovenia Hard France Camille Pin Germany Julia Görges
Czech Republic Vladimíra Uhlířová
6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 3. 24 October 2009 Russia Moscow, Russia Hard Russia Maria Kondratieva Russia Maria Kirilenko
Russia Nadia Petrova
6–2, 6–2
Winner 1. 18 June 2011 Netherlands 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Grass Czech Republic Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová Slovakia Dominika Cibulková
Italy Flavia Pennetta
1–6, 6–4, [10–7]
Runner-up 4. 16 July 2011 Italy Palermo, Italy Clay Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková Italy Sara Errani
Italy Roberta Vinci
7–5, 6–1

Singles performance timeline

This table is current through

Tournament 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 W–L
Australian Open 3R 1R 2R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 2R 4–10
French Open 1R 2R 2R 1R A 2R 1R 2R 1R 4–8
Wimbledon 1R 2R 1R 1R A 1R 1R 4R 3R 6–8
US Open 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R LQ 1R 1R 0–8
Win–Loss 2–4 2–4 2–4 0–4 0–2 1–4 0–3 4–4 3–3 0–1 14–33
Tournaments Won 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Year End Ranking 62 46 36 125 62 75 95 41 41

References

  1. ^ Van Agtmael, Claudia (31 July 2006). "Koukalova getrouwd, 'The Scud' breekt, Roddick feest". Tennisinfo.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 May 2010.

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