Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Anna -Lena Grönefeld ( born June 4, 1985 in Nordhorn ) is a German tennis player. In the German Bundesliga, she plays tennis since the 2010 season for the TC Blau-Weiss Bocholt, with which it was in 2012 and 2013 German team champion. With the TC Rüppurr she was so in 2006 and 2007.
- 4.1 Single 4.1.1 Tournament Win
- 4.1.2 finals
- 4.2.1 Tournament Win
- 4.2.2 finals
- 5.1 Individual
- 5.2 double
Career
The beginnings
Grönefeld began at the age of five years with the tennis games. She decided in 2003 to leave Nordhorn and to attend the tennis academy of Rafael Font de Mora in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her training there were funded from their supplier Adidas, the German Tennis Federation and the Lower Saxony Tennis Association. Shortly after this step, she won the junior competition of Roland Garros. In the 2003 season Grönefeld was the No. 1 junior world ranking in singles and in doubles.
She won seven ITF singles titles and was in April 2003 elite player. The greatest success before their actual breakthrough came in July 2004 with the quarter- final of the WTA tournament in Palermo.
Season 2005 - the breakthrough
The finals at the WTA tournament in Pattaya, which she lost in three sets to Conchita Martínez, the semi-finals at the WTA event in Stanford in July and the finals in Beijing and in Luxembourg in September brought Grönefeld in the world rankings far forward. At the Australian Open in Melbourne, the French Open in Paris and the U.S. Open in New York, she reached the third round.
Her first WTA doubles title won Grönefeld in February at the tournament of Pattaya along with Marion Bartoli. At Wimbledon and at the U.S. Open she played with Martina Navratilova, the duo made it to the semi-finals. When WTA tournament of Toronto, she won with Navratilova their first Tier I title in doubles. Your third doubles title they secured in September to Bali on the side of Meghann Shaughnessy. Tommy Haas it was the German team at the Hopman Cup 2005., Where she won against Gisela Dulko one of three individual encounters. Due to a violation of Haas she had to give up against Argentina.
At her last tournament in Moscow in 2005 Grönefeld led in the second round with a 6-1, 4-2, as they umknickte in the match against Maria Sharapova and had to retire. In August 2005, she managed the first time among the top 30 in the world rankings, in October it was already one of the 20 best. Thus Germany was the first time represented by Anke Huber with a player in the top 20.
Season 2006
After the injury, there was initially setbacks. Grönefeld could also occur when Hopman Cup, this time with Nicolas Kiefer, do not reach their previous form. After she was eliminated in the singles at the Australian Open in the second round, she reached the semifinals with doubles partner Shaughnessy. Subsequently, she appeared as a top ranked player who had ever participated in an ITF tournament, the tournament in Ortisei and lost in the first round against the 161 places worse -placed qualifier Aravane Rezai.
Beginning of March hit back Grönefeld when she won ( with Shaughnessy again ) on her favorite surface sand in Acapulco both single ( against Italian Flavia Pennetta in three sets ) as well as in doubles. During the subsequent tournament in Indian Wells she reached for the first time a quarter final on the tour, a few weeks later in Charleston, the first WTA semi-final. There they failed because of the number two -seeded Nadia Petrova, after the quarter-finals the set of 4 Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova had been able to beat. After weaker performances at the start of the European clay court season, she found the end of May back to its former strength and reached the semi-finals in Istanbul. On her 21st birthday Grönefeld moved into the quarterfinals of the French Open, which she lost to defending champion Justine Henin with 5:7, 2:6.
In Eastbourne she reached for the first time in her career the quarter-finals of a lawn Tournament. After three awarded match points she lost 7:5, 5:7, 6:7 against Svetlana Kuznetsova. At Wimbledon, she defeated Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3, 3-6, 1:6. After a first round defeat at the U.S. Open ( 6:2, 0:6, 4:6 against Rezai ) she separated from her coach Rafael Font de Mora. After that, it was initially not much better - only one victory followed the separation. Within a short period they increased greatly in weight, they finished the season ranked 19th
Season 2007
Until the end of February Grönefeld had a solo score of 1:6, only at the Australian Open, she was able to win a match. After Erstrundenniederlagen in Antwerp, Dubai and Doha, followed by a seven-week tournament break; she fell into the world rankings back up to 45th. Then she played in the Fed Cup World Group in the second for Germany, the defeated Croatia 4-1. Grönefeld won both single - against Ivana Lisjak in three sets against Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-3, 6-4. At the tournament in Warsaw she succumbed after a Erstrundenerfolg Kaia Kanepi in Sandestin on the knockout stages of the world number one Henin. In Berlin, she was eliminated by Shahar Peer in the first round, as well as in Rome and Istanbul. The losing streak continued at the French Open, where Grönefeld defeated in round one of the Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson in two sets. She fell in the rankings of the top 100 Also in the grass tournament in Eastbourne came against Lucie Šafářová Off in the opening match.
In doubles, it was better - right at the beginning of the season she won at the side of Shaughnessy, the WTA tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, she came into the quarter-finals, semi-finals in Doha. Their losing streak in a single initially continued in Wimbledon. The 22 -year-old was defeated in her opening match of the Croatian qualifier Nika Ozegovic 3:6, 2:6 and had already suffered so in 2007 the eleventh first round defeat. Your first win since she landed in Warsaw Bad Gastein with 6:4, 2:6, 6:0 over Roberta Vinci. In the second round she lost to María José Martínez Sánchez, despite three match points with 4:6, 6:1 and 6:7. In Stockholm she won her first round match against Iveta Benešová 6-0, 6-2 in the second round and failed again Pironkova. On November 26 Grönefeld stepped on to a ITF tournament and lost there as well in the first round against the more than 400 places below her listed Ana Savic.
Season 2008
In her comeback on 3 May in Zagreb ( Croatia) they again lost at the local ITF tournament after three qualifying rounds won her opening match. But the next tournament in Zlín (Czech Republic) it could decide a playoff victory over Jelena Kostanic Tosic for themselves. The next two ITF titles followed in Alkmaar (Netherlands ), where they had no chance in the final Marlot Meddens 6-1, 6-1, and in Périgueux (France ), where they Florence Haring 6:3, 6:3 defeated.
For the Tier IV tournament in Budapest Grönefeld received a wildcard. She beat the Hungarian Palma Kiraly 6-0, 6-4 and 5 to set Lucie Šafářová (Czech Republic) 6-1, 6-4. At the Tier III tournament Gastein Ladies defeated them at the beginning of Yulia Wakulenko (Ukraine ) and then to later champion Pauline Parmentier in three sets ( 7:5, 4:6, 6:4 ) beaten. Beginning of August, Grönefeld to win the ITF tournament in Rimini. Then they defeated the resurgent Jelena Bowina in the final of the GHI Bronx Tennis Classic ( ITF) in New York.
After surviving qualification Grönefeld showed her new-found strength in the main round of the U.S. Open, where she set against Daniela Hantuchova at 11 with 6-4, 6-2, against being beaten with a wildcard Jessica Moore 6-1, 6: 3 as well as the young Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet won with 6:4 and 7:5. In the second round - after six games won in a row - they had to against Dinara Safina of Russia, with 5:7, 0:6 beaten. In double Grönefeld lost on the side of the second round match against Patty Schnyder and Virginie Razzano Dominika Cibulková.
Also in the Bali Open, she had already adopt after round one. She defeated Tamira Paszek of the later finalist with 5:7 and 4:6. For the tournament in Stuttgart, she received a wild card, but lost the same in round one Venus Williams. In doubles, she could celebrate another tournament victory, however. With Patty Schnyder won against the top-seeded Kveta Peschke Duo / Rennae Stubbs the final 6-2, 6-4.
In the qualification of the Zurich Open Grönefeld missed after two games won a place in the main round by a 3:6, 5:7 against Czech Petra Kvitová. In doubles, she reached the final with Schnyder, who was lost against the top-seeded Cara Black / Liezel Huber with 1:6, 6:73. In November, she won with Vania King ( USA), the WTA tournament in Québec. In the finals, Tamarine Tanasugarn and the two defeated Jill Craybas 7-6, 6-4.
Season 2009
At the beginning of the year Grönefeld won with Vania King, the doubles competition of the Brisbane International. At the Australian Open, she already defeated in the first round of the qualifier Elena Baltacha. At the Fed Cup match against Switzerland, she lost to Patty Schnyder, but defeated the next day Timea Bacsinszky. In Dubai followed Alizé Cornet against the turn off in round one. In the doubles competition Grönefeld could not compete because her partner Shahar Peer was denied a visa ( Grönefeld was compensated with approx. $ 8,000 ).
In Monterrey, she lost to Barbora Zahlavova Strycova - again in round one. In Indian Wells, she defeated Monica Niculescu, but lost in round two against Amélie Mauresmo. At the tournament in Miami she reached the third round and then lost to Venus Williams ( 5:7, 3:6 ). In doubles she lost Schnyder with the semifinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amélie Mauresmo. In Barcelona Grönefeld lost in the first round against Severine Bremond. In the Fed Cup match against China, she won a single and the double - so managed to Germany the rise in the first World Group. In Stuttgart she lost her opening match in three sets against Elena Dementieva. At the tournament in Estoril Istanbul since 2006, they moved for the first time in the semifinals of a WTA tournament, where they defeated Ekaterina Makarova.
At the tournament in Madrid, she was after two qualifying matches in the main draw, defeating Monica Niculescu in the first round. The following match against Nadia Petrova lost nearly 6:4, 6:73, 6:75. At the tournament in Strasbourg she was disqualified, placed at 7, already in the first round 6-4, 2-6, 3-6 against qualifier Niculescu. In the doubles competition came from in the first round; they defeated Kristina Barrois of set of 4 Czech pairing of Andrea Hlaváčková / Lucie Hradecká 3:6, 4:6.
The French Open proceeded quite successfully. In individual is Grönefeld could against the local favorite Amélie Mauresmo 6-4, 6-3 prevail. In an interview, she described the victory as the biggest one. In the second round against Gisela Dulko, she lost with 6:75, 6:0, 2:6. In doubles, she reached the quarter-finals with Patty Schnyder, which went 2:6 lost to the eventual tournament winners Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, 6:72. Even better was the mixed competition with partner Mark Knowles; only in the semi-final they had to the top-seeded Liezel Huber and eventual tournament winners Bob Bryan 2-6, defeated 2:6.
When grass tournament in 's- Hertogenbosch, she lost both her Erstrundenbegegnungen: the individual against the world number one Dinara Safina with 0:6, 3:6, the double on the side of Niculescu 2:6, 2:6 against Dinara Safina / Sorana Cîrstea.
At Wimbledon Grönefeld won with her partner Mark Knowles of the mixed trophy 7-5 -, 6-3 playoff victory over Leander Paes and Cara Black. It was the first German success there since Steffi Graf's triumph against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1996.
In the WTA tournament in Palermo, she reached the semi-finals, but lost against Sara Errani ( WTA 47). In Bad Gastein, she reached the quarterfinals, where she succumbed to her Fed Cup teammate Andrea Petković ( WTA 98) in three sets.
Prior to the U.S. Open Vania King Grönefeld won with the doubles competition of the ITF tournament in the Bronx. At the U.S. Open she lost already in the first round against the Chinese Zheng Jie. Together with Patty Schnyder reached there in double the knockout stages.
After the U.S. Open Grönefeld still reached the semi-finals in Seoul, where she defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues in three sets. The following tournaments were less successful. In doubles, she played very much more constant. After the quarter-finals in Seoul and Beijing Grönefeld won alongside Katarina Srebotnik the tournament in Linz.
Season 2010
In individual they defeated in the second round in Dubai Wiktoryja Azarenka. Because of the beginning of March diagnosed stress fracture in her left foot Grönefeld had to pause three months. After her return to work, she lost her Erstrundenbegegnung at Wimbledon against Melanie Oudin at the U.S. Open, she could not qualify for the main draw. Båstad she was disqualified in the second round against Jill Craybas, having previously defeated the Swede Sofia Arvidsson better placed. After she failed in Palermo, Bad Gastein and Istanbul each of their opening opponents. In Copenhagen there was another first round defeat against Slovenia's Polona Hercog.
On the side of Julia Goerges won in double the WTA tournament in Copenhagen by a two- set victory in the final over Witalija Dyachenko and Tatjana Putschek. With Görges they also reached the second round of the U.S. Open, where the two after a good start with 2:6 pulled the short straw in the third set against the pairing of Cara Black / Anastasia Rodionova. After she and Mark Knowles had beaten the seeded 2 mixed doubles Cara Black / Leander Paes, they lost in the semi-final against Kveta Peschke / Aisam -ul- Haq Qureshi in two tiebreak sets. Together with Vania King she was also in the finals of Monterrey and in the semi-finals of Sydney.
Season 2011 - Focus on double
The year was not very satisfactory due to the persistent foot injury. In addition to other tournaments they had to disassemble the French Open in Paris, cancel, in Melbourne and Wimbledon, there was Erstrundenniederlagen. After she had not gone well at the U.S. Open and the WTA tournament in Linz on the qualifications, Grönefeld announced in October 2011, only to compete in the future in doubles.
Season 2012
At the beginning of the season she performed with changing partners. She played with Kristina Barrois in Auckland and at the Australian Open, where in each case in the quarterfinals and in the first round was over. In the WTA tournament in Paris, she reached the final with Petra Martić against the top-seeded duo Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, where they were subject with 6:73 and 1:6. A week later, she reached the semifinals in Doha with Barrois. In Indian Wells she could not compete in the second round, as their doubles partner Vania King was ill with a stomach flu. With Petra Martić Grönefeld played in Miami and Copenhagen, where in the second round or the first round was over.
The clay court season, she started with her Fed Cup partner Julia Goerges. They reached the final in Stuttgart against Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova - they had there but beaten. In Madrid Grönefeld reached the knockout stages with the Chinese Zhang Shuai. In Rome, was with Petra Martić terminus in round one, at the French Open the pairing reached the second round in Bad Gastein, they lost the final against Jill Craybas and Julia Goerges.
The short grass season began Grönefeld in Eastbourne together with Klára Zakopalová with which they reached the semi-finals. At Wimbledon, she pulled to the side of Petra Martić a last sixteen; they failed both times at the mating Huber / Raymond. At the Olympic Games in London, where Grönefeld took as a replacement player for the injured Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges, it reached the second round. In New Haven Grönefeld came with Kveta Peschke to the quarterfinals. At the U.S. Open she failed again with Petra Martić already in the first round.
The rest of the season played Grönefeld double Kveta Peschke with. In Tokyo, she made it to the final, which they lost to the U.S. duo Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops- Jones. In Beijing, she was defeated in the quarter-finals Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova. In the WTA tournament in Linz, the pair finally scored the first tournament victory in the finals defeated the two - Zahlavova Strycova and Görges in straight sets. For Grönefeld it was the first WTA tournament victory since summer 2010. During her last start of the season Grönefeld / Peschke lost in Moscow in the first round, again against Spears / Kops- Jones.
Grönefeld announced to want to play the entire 2013 season on the side of Kveta Peschke. In the 2012 season she made in the double world ranking jumped from position 53 to 18th place
Training
After Grönefeld had won the 2003 French Open Junior Women, she decided in accordance with their parents, from now on at the Tennis Academy of the former Spanish assets Rafael Font de Mora in Scottsdale (Arizona ) to train. The collaboration, which also resulted in a management contract was later, while providing great sporting success, but also with deprivation, which Grönefeld did not want to subject themselves over time. According to the 2006 U.S. Open Font de Mora ended the cooperation and the athlete fell from sporty - also because of their excess weight and poor fitness.
Grönefeld worked since the WTA tournament in Stuttgart in October 2006 with the former Saarland Association coach and former professional tennis player Dirk Dier together. As of July 2010, it was without a coach on the tour, since October 2010, it is again coached by Dirk Dier.
Personal
Before moving to Arizona Grönefeld was until 2001 a student of the local high school in Nordhorn, which left her post-high school. In the tennis league played for the TV Sparta 87 Nordhorn. In her spare time enjoys playing piano Grönefeld and doing gymnastics. She has two brothers, Bastian and Philip. Bastian Grönefeld, who was also a professional tennis player, studied medicine from 2007 at the University of Göttingen. The father, Dr. Hans Grönefeld, was chief physician of the surgical department at the North Horner Marie hospital.
Achievements
Singles
Tournament Win
Finals
Doubles
Tournament Win
Finals
Mixed
Team
With her former Bundesliga club TC Rüppurr Grönefeld in 2006 and 2007 German team champion.