Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko is a Russian professional tennis player. She won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, beating Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-3, 6-4 in the China Open. She is a good friend of Maria Kirilenko. She is affectionately called Makiri.

Maria Kirilenko won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian Open, as well as the 2002 US Open junior tournament. In December 2004 she played in a tennis exhibition in Tampa, Florida to raise money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund.

At the 2006 Australian Open, she gained media attention for wearing an Adidas outfit designed by British fashion designer Stella McCartney and herself.

Maria Kirilenko started showing a passion towards tennis aged 5, but it was difficult to get the practice in while she attending school but hours of fierce training started to pay off as she won several tournaments.

When Kirilenko was twelve years old, an Honored Master of sports, Elena Brioukhovets, saw her while training. All the next year Elena watched Maria making progress and then offered her to work together. A three-year program was made and a special team was selected. In less than three years Maria became the number one in her age group and the number two in the group under eighteen. The well-known tennis-players Yevgeni Kafelnikov, Andrey Olkhovsky and Max Mirnyi, who had created an organization supporting young tennis-players, helped Kirilenko to arrange her training-process and to attend tournaments.

In 2002 Kirilenko became one of the youngest winners of the Canadian Open and the US Open Junior Tournaments.

Since September 2002 Kirilenko started participating in WTA events. She made a lot of progress in WTA events but was setback by injury in 2004 and dropped down the rankings, whilst missing out on valuable experience. At the end of 2005 she had climbed right up the rankings and won her first title in Beijing. She has been recognised as one of the up and coming players of 2006 and is expected to break into the top 20.

2005 HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY - Made debut at Australian Open, defeating Kapros in first round before loss to Ivanovic in second round.

FEBRUARY
Advanced to second round at Tokyo (Pan Pacific) with win against Peng before falling to number 8 seed Hantuchova in three sets; for second straight year, showed impressive form at Hyderabad (finalist in '04), reaching second career Tour semi final as number 8 seed; defeated lucky loser Poutchek, Santangelo and top seed Li Na to reach semi final before falling to Mirza in straight sets; solid week produces a new career-high of number 73 on Feb. 14 rankings; also reached semi final in doubles at same event (w/Tanasugarn); as qualifier at Doha, reached fourth career quarterfinal and first at Tier II event with victories against qualifier Safarova and number 5 seed Schnyder before loss to top seed Mauresmo; victory against No.14-ranked Schnyder was career-best victory in only fourth match versus Top 20 player; moves to career-best number 67 on February 28 rankings.

MARCH
As qualifier at Indian Wells, had best career Tier I performance by reached fourth round; defeated Perebiynis, number 8 seed Bovina and number 28 seed Medina Garrigues before loss to number 23 seed Martinez; also reaches semi final in doubles at Indian Wells as qualifier with Salerni, falling to number 2 seeds Petrova/Shaughnessy; breaks into Top 50 in singles for first time on March 21 at number 48; defeated Chakvetadze in first round at Miami before taking top seed Mauresmo to three sets in second results loss.

APRIL
As qualifier at Warsaw, defeated Benesova in 1 round match before straight sets loss to number 7 seed Clijsters in second round match; also reached semi final in doubles at Warsaw (w/Domachowska).

MAY
After first round victory against Zuluaga in Berlin, fell to number 12 seed and eventual winner Henin-Hardenne in second round; continues successful climb in singles rankings, moving to a new career-high of number 45 on May 9; in Rome singles debut, falls to number 13 seed Farina Elia in first round; reached first doubles final of season at Rome (w/Medina Garrigues), losing to number 2 seeds Black/Huber in championship match.


2004 HIGHLIGHTS

Reigning US Open girls’ champion Maria Kirilenko of Moscow, one of the world’s top junior players, is beginning to make a mark at the professional level, as well. The talented, young Russian recently won the first professional title of her career when she defeated Canadian qualifier Sonya Jeyaseelan, 6-3, 6-0, in the final of the $10,000 Chris Evert USTA Satellite, held the week of Jan. 13 in Boca Raton, Fla. Kirilenko, who was presented with the winner’s trophy by tennis legend Chris Evert following her victory, had an easy run to the championship. The 15-year-old did not drop a set or lose more than five games in any of her matches in the tournament.

Currently ranked 85 on the WTA Tour Rankings, Kirilenko has had a remarkable junior career and posted impressive results at practically all the tournaments in which she competed last year. In addition to winning the 2002 US Open girls’ title, she reached the semifinals at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon. She also won titles at the Canadian Open and the 24th Tourneo Internazionale Citta di Santa Croce, was a finalist at the 20th International Junior Championships of Croatia and advanced to the semifinals of the Italian Junior Open, the City of Florence International Tournament, the International Bavarian Junior Challenge and the LTA International Junior Tournament.

2003 HIGHLIGHTS

Captured the first professional title of her career at the $10,000 Chris Evert USTA Satellite, defeating qualifier Sonya Jeyaseelan of Canada, 6-3, 6-0, in the final… Did not drop a set or lose more than five games in any of her matches in the tournament.

2002 HIGHLIGHTS

Won the girls’ singles title at the US Open Junior Championships, defeating top-seed Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-4, in the final. Captured the singles title at the Canadian Open Junior Championships. Reached the singles semifinals at the Junior Championships, Wimbledon, where she lost to eventual champion Maria Sharapova of Russia, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. Advanced to the singles semifinals and the doubles quarter finals (with Vera Douchevina) at the 43rd Italian Junior Open. Won the singles title and reached the doubles semifinals (with Irina Kotkina) at the 24th Tourneo Internazionale Citta Di Santa Croce. Reached the singles semifinals at the 27th City of Florence International Tournament. Finished runner-up at the 20th International Junior Championships of Croatia. Advanced to the semifinals of the International Bavarian Junior Challenge 2002. Was a semifinalist at the LTA International Junior Tournament - Bisham Abbey. Reached the quarter finals at the $10,000 events in Miami and Tallahassee, Fla.

2001 HIGHLIGHTS

Reached the round of 16 at the Burger King Orange Bowl. Advanced to the singles and doubles (with Daria Chemarda RUS) round of 16 at the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships. Won the doubles title (with Daria Chemarda) and reached the singles semifinals at the Leciva Czech Junior Open. Finished runner-up in singles and was a doubles quarter finalist (with Kristina Grigorian) at the Dorint Berlin Junior Open. Was a doubles semifinalist (with Jarmila Gajdosova) at the 25th German Junior Open. Reached the singles final and the doubles semifinals (with Viktoria Kutuzova) at the Donetsk Cup. Advanced to the doubles quarter finals (with Theresa Logar) at the 23rd Tourneo Internazionale Citta Di Santa Croce. Reached the doubles quarter finals (with Ekaterina Bytchkova) at the 9th International Junior Tournament "Citta Di Prato." Won the doubles title (with Daria Kustava) and reached the singles semifinals at the 21st Tashkent International Junior Tournament. Advanced to the singles semifinals at the 5th Namangan International Junior Tournament. Was a singles and doubles finalist (with Ekaterina Kirianova) at the Black Gold of Udmurtia. Represented Russia in the World Junior Tennis final, an international team competition for players’ aged 14-and-under, and helped the team to a secondaries finish.

2000 HIGHLIGHTS

Reached the girls’ 16 doubles round of 16 (with Nina Brattchikova) at the Orange Bowl. Won the 14-and-under mixed doubles championship (with Sergiy Stakhovsky) and advanced to the singles quarter finals at the Eddie Herr International.

PERSONAL

Father, Ura. Mother, Olga.
Began playing tennis at the age of seven.
Is coached by Elena Broukhovets.
Favorite court surface is hard.
Enjoys reading in her spare time.
Favorite player is Martina Hingis.