By: Matt DeCorso

Hello everyone, now that you've had a whole week to read about Bartoli, I thought I'd give you some more "fuel" for the fire! Vera Zvonareva is that fuel!

Well I know for me the first time I saw Vera Zvonareva was at the French Open in 2002. She was a qualifier and I believe ranked 144. I remember watching her progress through the rounds smoothly and then in the 4th round ran into Serena Williams! Serena would end up winning this championship but Vera took her to three sets and it was proven that her talent would surely blossom in the coming year!

Vera started her 2003 campaign in Auckland, New Zealand. In the first round she played number three seed compatriot Tatiana Panova ( where is she now?). This was expected to be tough for Vera but she waltzed past Panova 6-4 6-1. The next round was more difficult for the 18 year old Russian but she beat tricky lefty Anca Barna ( In the two times Anca has played Serena, they've gone to three sets) 6-3 6-4. The quarterfinals looked very winnable for Vera as she took on unheralded Korean, Yoon Jeong Cho. Cho dug out the win 7-6 1-6 6-3! Vera had her chances but couldn't convert.

The next week Vera moved up to Australia and played in the Hobart event. She played a few great matches but in the end, Alicia Molik of Australia was just too much for Vera! The quarterfinals was good but Vera was hungry, hungry for a win in Melbourne Park. The Australian Open 1st round looked hard for Zvonareva and it was as she was defeated by fellow Russian and 20th seed Elena Bovina, coming off a quarterfinal showing in Flushing Meadows. Vera got a good couple of weeks "Down Under" but she really needed a breakthrough win or tournament to jump start her year!

Off to the "States" Vera flew and landed in Memphis, Tennessee. She played a great match and stuck it out to beat Bianka Lamade 6-1 7-6. The second round was a doozy. Her defeat to Cho in Auckland was still fresh in her mind as was revenge. Cho was just too strong and bounced Vera 6-2 6-4. She stayed in the U.S. but Scottsdale didn't do it for her as she lost to Eleni Daniilidou in the 1st round. The next week for Vera was a rollercoaster ride she'll remember for the rest of her life!!

After a disappointing Scottsdale and a sub-par Memphis, Vera was feeling angry. Here she was, a tenacious, gritty, talented woman who hadn't quite reached her full potential.......YET! In the first round Vera was due to play Belarussian Tathiana Poutchek. Vera kept it together in a solid 6-2 7-5 win! The second round looked like a very tough match against feisty Iva Majoli, the 1997 Roland Garros champion. Vera played a lopsided match but in the end the young Russian had more strength in a 6-1 3-6 6-2 battle. Wow, I'm in the 3rd round of a Tier 1, thought Vera. Her third round was a treat for me to watch! Zvonareva went up against fresh 17 year old Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. The way these two teens were pounding groundies was like they were fighting for their country. In the end Moscow, Vera, beat St. Petersburg, Svetlana, in a thrilling contest 3-6 7-6 6-4! Vera was exhausted but her dream tournament still had to keep going! The fourth round looked dangerous for young Vera as she went up against American favorite Meghannn Shaughnesyy! Vera showed great strength and emotion as she pulled out a 6-3 4-6 6-2 win! In the quarterfinals Vera was paired against the queen of comebacks, Jennifer Capriati. Zvonareva played a great first set but the second set Capriati just ripped her groundstrokes even harder than in the first. Vera couldn't keep up as she fell 7-5 6-2. A look of dismay was followed by a look of enthusiasm and Vera walked out of California with positive fortnight and a great future!

Across to the other coast to Miami went Vera. She played alright but was outplayed by 1997 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Denisa Chladkova of the Czech Republic. It was disappointing but her next tournament in Charlseton was anything but that. She tore through the draw before being handled by number 3 seed Lindsay Davenport. It was her fourth quarterfinal appearance and her second Tier 1 but Vera just couldn't get past Davenport. On the bright side, Vera cracked the top 30 at 29 after the event.

Then she charged back to Florida for th great Amelia Island event. In the first round Zvonareva was pitted against two time NCAA champion Laura Granville. It was tense encounter but Vera narrowly beat Granville 6-7 6-3 6-1. Phew, first rounds are always tough but not as tough as it was going to get. Vera was up against number 8 seed, former world number 3, and 2001 finalist, Amanda Coetzer. This was a scrappy match with tons of running and shots that were hit that came out of nowhere! In the end Vera just couldn't mentally keep it together and Coetzer won, 7-5 4-6 6-0. It was sad that Vera had many chances but that bagel in the last set was embarassing. I'll show them, said Vera and she did, the next week in Bol, Croatia.

Bol seemed like a nice place but only some people knew what it was like to win there! Vera stormed into the final with ease...except. One of the best matches of the year occured in Bol. Vera played young German, Ana-Lena Groenefeld. It was a gripping match and Vera pulled out the win after saving a match point. After that it was smooth sailing. She crushed Conchita Martinez Granados in the final 6-3 6-1 and received her first trophy!! Finally people turned their heads and showed some respect for Vera Zvonareva. Her Croatia win got her to a career high number 25 ranking.

Off to Berlin was Vera and it turned out to be a great week. Vera opened up the tournament with a tough 3-6 6-2 6-2 over young Swiss Myriam Casanova. In the second round, Zvonareva collected her first top 10 win over world number 10 Anastasia Myskina. She demolished the top tenner 6-2 6-1. The 3rd round was a great match to watch as Vera found a way to win as she pulled through with a 7-5 4-6 6-4 win over muscular Greek Eleni Daniilidou ( REVENGE). The next round looked very complicated and seemed like Vera would be out for two reasons, fatigue and just couldn't beat Henin-Hardenne. They were both right as Vera was beaten 6-4 7-5 but troubled the Belgian in both sets. Where to next?

Strasbourg, France was next for Vera. In the first round she played solid by beating homecrowd favorite Virginie Razzano 6-0 6-4. It was a nice win but the next was just impeccable. Vera was superb as she "bagel and breadsticked" Tina Pisnik who has been known to cause problems for players. In the quarterfinals cut short Marion Bartoli's tournament by dumping her 6-1 6-2. Zvonareva was supposed to win her semifinal but it was Karolina Sprem's day as she esaped with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 win. All was not lost as Vera rebounded in the doubles with countrywoman Lina Krasnoroutskaya. In the first round they beat Ting Li and Tian Tian Sun 6-2 2-6 6-2. In the quarterfinals Vera got another win over Bartoli as she and Lina beat Bartoli and Dhenin 6-1 4-6 6-4. Zvonareva had reached both semifinals but could she overcome her semifinal jinx? No she couldn't as The Russian pair lost the the American/Croatian duo of Granville and Kostanic 6-1 6-4. It was an amazing tournament but not as amazing as the next week.

The clay smelled moist and ready for action when Vera stepped into Phillipe Chatrier stadium. Last year reached the 16's but this year she felt different, like she was meant to win! And she did! She made her may to the fourth roudn where she ran into world number three, former world number one, 4 time Slam champion, and last years finalist......Venus Williams! Vera showed incredible emotion and power to out hit outrun and out play Venus. She was into the quarterfinals and made history as the 4th Russian to make the quarters of this event after Olga Morozova, Lina Krasnoroutskaya, and Petrova who had just won her 4th round over Capriati. Nadia Petrova ended up trouncing Zvonareva but the damage had been done and Vera had solidified herslef amongst the upper echelon of players, and she cracked the top 20 at number 20!

After Paris she played on clay in Vienna! As the number 2 seed she got a bye. In the second round she beat Estonian unknown, Maret Ani 6-4 6-2. Her quarterfinal looked to be awkward as she took on lefty Maja Matevzic. Maja was tricky but not enough to dent the Russians armour as she lost 5-7 5-7. Vera played very well and Maja fell just short. In the semifinals she was shocked again by Sprem this time it was closer as the Croat won 3-6 6-4 7-5. In the doubles, Vera played with American sweetheart Ashley Harkleroad. They beat Kostanic and Roesch 6-1 6-3 before losing to Ting Li and Tian Tian Sun in a tight match 6-3 6-7 6-4. Her Vienna tournament was over but Wimbledon was looming next week!

SW19 never looked more inviting, especially for the Russians. Zvonareva started her fortnight with an impressive victory over Evie Dominikovic 6-0 6-2. As the 16th seed Vera was expected to succeed but would she? In the second round she defeated the woman she beat to capture her first title, Conchita Martinez Granados by the same score she beat her in Bol. In the 3rd round Vera beat big serving Uzbek, Iroda Tulyaganova 6-3 7-5. This was her first test of the tournament and she passed with flying colors! In the 4th round she was to play the woman she beat in Paris, Venus Williams. This time was different. Venus was on grass and wanted revenge. The queen of England ( you know who I mean) beat Zvonareva 6-1 6-3, and as a Venus fan, revenge was sweet!!! Also, although she lost, Vera made history again as one of five Russians in the 4th round.

After Wimbly, Vera went to Slovenia to play the Fed Cup. Vera played one match and beat Maja Matevzic 6-1 6-2 as part of a 5-0 Russian win! Zvonareva and the Russians went on to the semifinals before losing to France, 3-2! Vera then withdrew from San Diego with a left elbow injury. Still with an injury, Zvonareva was forced to pull out of Los Angeles also.

She came back to the tour in Toronto at the Canadian Open. As the 10th seed, Vera started out with a win over Barbara Schett 6-1 7-6. In the second round Zvonareva was a destuctive player as she tore apart Mashona WAshington 6-1 6-1. The third round Zvonareva was pitted against number 8 seed Jelena Dokic. Dokic was having a bad day and Vera whipped her 6-3 6-2. Wow! First tournament back and in the quarters. Unfortunately that is as far as she went, losing to Paola Suarez 2-6 6-2 6-4. Vera stuck around for doubles but to her and Myskina's dismay, they lost 5-7 6-0 6-3 in the 1st round to Mary Pierce and Nadia Petrova.

Then she dashed down to New Haven as the world number 12 which was a career high for her. In the first round she collected her 100th match win over Samantha Reeves before losing to Anna Pistolesi after being up 6-1 5-0 30-0! That was a bad match for Vera but Flushing Meadows was there next week. Did she perform well?

Zvonareva went into New York as the number 13 seed and it showed in her opening match. She stormed into round 2 with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Lubomira Kurhajcova. The next round was touted as a great match and it certainly was. Vera and Ashley Harkleroad battled it out for three tough sets but in the Vera had more mileage so to speak in a 6-3 4-6 6-1 win! That match took a lot out of her and in the thrid round Meghannn Shaughnessy beat her after a tough tussle, 4-6 6-4 6-2! Vera also turned 19 on September 7th during the tournamnet. Now it was off to her country's biggest tennis event in Moscow. Vera was the number 7 seed and she got some revenge over and old loss. She defeated Amanda Coetzer 4-6 6-1 6-2. That was off her chest and in the second round she played 2002 Wimbldeon junior champ, fellow Russian Vera Douchevina. Vera was way too much for the young one too handle, as Z beat D 6-2 6-1. In the quarterfinals, Zvonareva put up great resistance but Mauresmo was too solid in a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory. Although doubles was amazing for Vera. In the first round, as a wildcard team with Anastasia Myskina, they defeated number 3 seeds and fellow Russians, Dementieva and Krasnoroutskaya 7-5 3-6 6-4! The quarterfinals were even more amazing. Vera and her partner narrowly escaped the Italian duo of Farina Elia and Schiavone, 6-7 6-1 7-5. The semifinals was their greatest win of all as they defeated Kuznetsova and Navratilova 6-7 6-2 6-4. Their tough week had taken a toll on the women as they lost the final easily 6-3 6-4 to Petrova and Shaughnessy. Great tournament all around for Vera!

After Moscow, it was off to Filderstadt, Germany where she lost in the 1st round to Chanda Rubin. That was upseting but the next week she zipped over to Zurich and reached the quarterfinals by defeating Shaugnessy and Frazier before falling to Henin Hardenne. She then played doubles with Dementieva before losing in the 1st round 6-4 7-6 to Black and Huber.

The next week she stayed close going to Linz, Austria. She got a bye in the 1st round but in the second round played young French prodigy, Marion Bartoli and it was Vera who won again 6-2 6-3. The quarterfinals was Vera's revenge match and boy did she turn the tables on Pistolesi. She was down 5-1 in the third set and saved 3 match points before reaching the finish line in a 6-2 3-6 7-5 thriller! The semifinals was just too exhausting for Vera as she lost to experienced Japanese woman Ai Sugiyama 6-3 3-6 6-4. Zvonareva also played doubles with Myskina. In the first round they white washed Amesbauer and Kix 6-1 6-1. They were defeated in the quarters by Huber and Sugiyama, 6-3 6-1.

After that, Vera was to play in Philadelphia trying to qualify for the WTA championships. She didn't as she bombed out in the first round to home town favorite, Lisa Raymond. So she missed the Champs but there was still one last event on her calendar, FED CUP!!! Vera had too much pressure on her as she played the first rubber and was creamed 6-2 6-2 by Amelie Mauresmo. The fourth rubber was hers for the taking and she folded losing 6-4 3-6 6-3 to Mary Pierce to lose the tie. It was a lot to deal with but Vera will win many ties in the future.

In conclusion, Vera had an outstanding year that will be remembered by many. What I think she needs to do next year is lose the pressure. When she is under pressure she gets really excited and just loses it mentally. She also has a bad temper and I think she should just try to to stay calm out there. One thing Vera does well is counter punches. She can pounce on a ball for a winner or stay at the baseline for 20-30 shots, she's that durable! So Vera next year try to keep the temper under control and  keep on being a thorn in top players' sides!