Sign of Greatness? - A Look At Top Players' First GS SF Appearances

of active players, Serena, Nastya, Masha and Sveta are the only ones to win the tournament in their first SF appearance

Monica Seles - FO 1989
SF l WTA #1 Graf 6-3 3-6 6-3

Jennifer Capriati - FO 1990
SF l WTA #3 Seles 6-2 6-2

Mary Pierce - FO 1994
SF d WTA #1 Graf 62 62
F l WTA #2 Sanchez-Vicario 6-4 6-4

Martina Hingis - USO 1996
SF l WTA #1 Graf 7-5 6-3

Venus Williams - USO 1997
SF d WTA #12 Spirlea 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(7)
F l WTA #1 Hingis 6-0 6-4

Lindsay Davenport - USO 1997
SF l WTA #1 Hingis 6-2 6-4

Amelie Mauresmo - AO 1999
SF d WTA #1 Davenport 4-6 7-5 7-5
F l WTA #2 Hingis 6-2 6-3

Alexandra Stevenson - W 1999
SF l WTA #1 Davenport 6-1 6-1

Mirjana Lucic - W 1999
SF l WTA #3 Graf 6-7(3) 6-4 6-4

Serena Williams - USO 1999
SF d WTA #2 Davenport 6-4 1-6 6-4
F d WTA #1 Hingis 6-3 7-6(4)

Jelena Dokic - W 2000
SF l WTA #2 Davenport 6-4 6-2

Justine Henin - FO 2001
SF l WTA # 14 Clijsters 2-6 7-5 6-3

Kim Clijsters - FO 2001
SF d WTA #16 Henin 2-6 7-5 6-3
F l WTA #4 Capriati 1-6 6-4 12-10

Elena Dementieva - USO 2000
SF l WTA #2 Davenport 6-2 7-6(5)

Clarisa Fernandez - FO 2002
SF l WTA #2 V Williams 6-1 6-4

Nadia Petrova - FO 2003
SF l WTA #2 Clijsters 7-5 6-1

Patty Schnyder - AO 2004
SF l WTA #2 Clijsters 6-2 7-6(2)

Anastasia Myskina - FO 2004
SF d WTA #6 Capriati 6-2 6-2
F d WTA #10 Dementieva 6-1 6-2

Maria Sharapova - W 2004
SF d WTA #5 Davenport 2-6 7-6(5) 6-1
F d WTA #10 S Williams 6-1 6-4

Sveta Kuznetsova - USO 2004
SF d WTA #4 Davenport 1-6 6-2 6-4
F d WTA #6 Dementieva 6-3 7-5

Nathalie Dechy - AO 2005
SF l WTA #1 Davenport 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4

Elena Likhovtseva - FO 2005
SF l WTA #23 Pierce 6-1 6-1

Nicole Vaidisova - FO 2006
SF l WTA #10 Kuznetsova 5-7 7-6(5) 6-2

Everyone on that list but Nastya will win multiple GS. Greatness, probably not. Only in Serena's case. :)

Everyone on that list but Nastya will win multiple GS. Greatness, probably not. Only in Serena's case. :)

did you see Dechy and Schnyder on the list?

did you see Dechy and Schnyder on the list?

Haha, I meant out of what you wrote on the top of the page- Myskina, Sharpie, Kuz, and Serena. "out of that list". my bad. :devil:

:lol: of active players, Serena, Nastya, Masha and Sveta are the only ones to win the tournament in their first SF appearance



Alexandra Stevenson - W 1999
SF l WTA #1 Davenport 6-1 6-1

Mirjana Lucic - W 1999
SF l WTA #3 Graf 6-7(3) 6-4 6-4




Clarisa Fernandez - FO 2002
SF l WTA #2 V Williams 6-1 6-4




Top players :lol: :lol:

of active players, Serena, Nastya, Masha and Sveta are the only ones to win the tournament in their first SF appearance

Monica Seles - FO 1989
SF - l WTA #1 Graf 6-3 3-6 6-3

Jennifer Capriati - USO 1991
SF l WTA #2 Seles 6-3 3-6 7-6(3)

Mary Pierce - FO 1994
SF d WTA #1 Graf 62 62
F l WTA #2 Sanchez-Vicario 6-4 6-4

Martina Hingis - USO 1996
SF l WTA #1 Graf 7-5 6-3

Venus Williams - USO 1997
SF d WTA #12 Spirlea 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(7)
F l WTA #1 Hingis 6-0 6-4

Lindsay Davenport - USO 1997
SF l WTA #1 Hingis 6-2 6-4

Amelie Mauresmo - AO 1999
SF d WTA #1 Davenport 4-6 7-5 7-5
F l WTA #2 Hingis 6-2 6-3

Alexandra Stevenson - W 1999
SF l WTA #1 Davenport 6-1 6-1

Mirjana Lucic - W 1999
SF l WTA #3 Graf 6-7(3) 6-4 6-4

Serena Williams - USO 1999
SF d WTA #2 Davenport 6-4 1-6 6-4
F d WTA #1 Hingis 6-3 7-6(4)

Jelena Dokic - W 2000
SF l WTA #2 Davenport 6-4 6-2

Justine Henin - FO 2001
SF l WTA # 14 Clijsters 2-6 7-5 6-3

Kim Clijsters - FO 2001
SF d WTA #16 Henin 2-6 7-5 6-3
F l WTA #4 Capriati 1-6 6-4 12-10

Elena Dementieva - USO 2000
SF l WTA #2 Davenport 6-2 7-6(5)

Clarisa Fernandez - FO 2002
SF l WTA #2 V Williams 6-1 6-4

Nadia Petrova - FO 2003
SF l WTA #2 Clijsters 7-5 6-1

Patty Schnyder - AO 2004
SF l WTA #2 Clijsters 6-2 7-6(2)

Anastasia Myskina - FO 2004
SF d WTA #6 Capriati 6-2 6-2
F d WTA #10 Dementieva 6-1 6-2

Maria Sharapova - W 2004
SF d WTA #5 Davenport 2-6 7-6(5) 6-1
F d WTA #10 S Williams 6-1 6-4

Sveta Kuznetsova - USO 2004
SF d WTA #4 Davenport 1-6 6-2 6-4
F d WTA #6 Dementieva 6-3 7-5

Nathalie Dechy - AO 2005
SF l WTA #1 Davenport 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4

Elena Likhovtseva - FO 2005
SF l WTA #23 Pierce 6-1 6-1

Nicole Vaidisova - FO 2006
SF l WTA #10 Kuznetsova 5-7 7-6(5) 6-2


This was not Capriati's 1st SF Appearance -

Her first SF appearance @ a GS was at the 1990 French Open - the first slam she ever played.

of active players, Serena, Nastya, Masha and Sveta are the only ones to win the tournament in their first SF appearance

Jennifer Capriati - USO 1991
SF l WTA #2 Seles 6-3 3-6 7-6(3)



FO '90, actually. Lost to WTA #3 Seles 6-2 6-2

I made a change for Capriati. Does anybody notice how players that had their first SF @ FO and USO tend to have good careers while players that had their first SF at AO or W :tape: