Irina Zvereva Explained

Irina Zvereva
Full Name:Irina Vladimirovna Zvereva (née Fateeva)
Native Name:Russian: Ирина Владимировна Зверева (Фатеева)
Birth Date:11 April 1967[1]
Plays:Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Careerprizemoney:$10,605
Singlestitles:0 WTA, 1 ITF
Highestsinglesranking:No. 380 (13 September 1993)
Doublestitles:0 WTA, 1 ITF
Highestdoublesranking:No. 466 (19 April 1993)

Irina Vladimirovna Zvereva (née Fateeva; ; born 11 April 1967) is a former professional tennis player who represented the Soviet Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States. She competed in the doubles event at the 1990 Moscow Open, a tournament on the WTA Tour, losing her opening match to Denisa Krajčovičová and Alice Noháčová while partnering with compatriot Elena Pogorelova.[2] Zvereva was ranked as high as No. 4 in her country, and was known for her one-handed backhand.

Zvereva has German citizenship. Her husband Alexander Mikhailovich Zverev is a former Soviet professional tennis player. Her sons Mischa Zverev and Alexander Zverev are both German professional tennis players.[3]

Tennis career

Zvereva's career was limited while living in the Soviet Union. The government restricted when Zvereva and her husband could leave the country to compete in international tournaments. In particular, they were not allowed to leave the country at the same time.[3] After leaving the Soviet Union to go to Germany in 1991, Zvereva began representing the Commonwealth of Independent States and had more opportunity to enter events on the ITF Women's Circuit. She reached five singles finals on the circuit, winning one title against German Anja Franken in Germany. Three of the five singles finals were in Germany, while the other two were in Greece. Her last runner-up came against Julia Apostoli, a fellow Soviet emigrant as well as the mother of Stefanos Tsitsipas, a rival of her son Alexander Zverev.[4]

ITF finals

Singles: 5 (1 title, 4 runner-ups)

ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1ITF Munich, Germany10,000Clay Eva-Maria Schürhoff4–6, 2–6
Loss0–2ITF Athens, Greece10,000Clay Claudia Chabalgoity6–2, 4–6, 6–3
Loss0–3ITF Paderborn, Germany10,000Clay Olga Hostáková0–6, 0–6
Win1–3ITF Bergisch Gladbach, Germany10,000Clay Anja Franken6–1, 5–7, 6–4
Loss1–4ITF Athens, Greece10,000Clay Julia Apostoli0–6, 3–6

Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–0Munich, Germany10,000Clay Janette Husárová Ivana Havrlíková
Pavlína Rajzlová
7–5, 6–2
Loss1–1Bad Nauheim, Germany10,000Clay Agata Werblinksa Heike Roloff
Michaela Seibold
2–6, 4–6

National championships finals

Doubles (0–1)

ResultNo.Yearwidth=160TournamentLocationPartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1.1990USSR Tennis National ChampionshipKiev, Ukrainian SSR Elena Pogorelova Svetlana Komleva
Maria Chirikova
3–6, 2–6

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Irina Zvereva . ITF Tennis . 24 November 2018.
  2. Web site: Moscow 1990 . ITF Tennis . 24 November 2018 . 25 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210625033719/https://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/tournaments/women%27s-tournament/info.aspx?tournamentid=1020000799 . dead .
  3. News: Can Alexander Zverev become the world's best tennis player? . The Economist . 24 November 2018.
  4. Web site: Irina Zvereva Matches. WTA Tennis . 23 November 2019.