angliru
Jun 5th, 2012, 10:44 AM
http://i.imgur.com/0WMmh.jpg
Full Name: Simone Michael Alipieva
Date of birth: 10 January 1998
Nationality: Denmark
Plays: Right Handed (Double Handed Backhand)
Favourite shot: Drop shot
Height: 167 cm (May 2012, source (http://www.tennis.dk/Nyheder/2012/Maj/profilernm.aspx))
Weight: 55 kg (May 2012, source (http://www.tennis.dk/Nyheder/2012/Maj/profilernm.aspx))
Club: Lyngby
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simone-Alipieva/268375573291) (public sports profile)
Mini bio
Simone Alipieva is of Bulgarian origin. Both her parents were active athletes although they didn't play tennis: Her father was a football player (soccer), while her mother played basketball. Simone started playing tennis in Denmark in 2005 at the age of 7 (according to herself in this (http://www.on-sport.dk/video/4859908/spiltennisnu-double-s-sjovt) video). Her first club was Sundby; later she played with Lyngby (until 2008), KB (2009-2011), and again with Lyngby from January 2012. She was considered a huge talent at a very young age, and she regularly defeated much older players. When Simone was 9 years old, she played (friendly) with Caroline Wozniacki who was very impressed and said "You're better then I was at nine" (1 (http://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/andensport/tennis/article2431915.ece?page=1)).
In fact, Alipieva was such an extraordinary talent in her early years that the Danish Federation gave her a special permission to play with older age groups. This meant that Alipieva could enter her first U12 Championship final already in 2008, when she was still a U10 player. It also had the consequence that Alipieva led the Danish U12 year-end rankings three years in a row (2008-2010)! At 12, she lost only one game on her way to the U12 championship title (5 matches, 10 sets (http://www.tennis.dk/Sektioner/Turnering/Individuelle%20turneringer/~/media/Files/Turnering/UM%20Ude/2010/program/U12DSM.ashx))! Tennis coach Michael Mortensen, who has worked with both Caroline and Simone (and Li Na), said that Simone at 13 was perhaps even better technically than Wozniacki at the same age (1 (http://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/andensport/tennis/article2431915.ece?page=1)).
Passport controversy
Simone has had a Danish tennis license ever since she started playing tennis, and she has represented Denmark on numerous occasions. In May 2011, however, there seemed to be a problem with her passport or citizenship, which meant that she had to play for Bulgaria when playing international tournaments (like Tennis Europe), although she had represented Denmark until then (2 (http://www.tennis.dk/Nyheder/2011/Maj/Talenter%20klar%20til%20EM%20Hold.aspx)). This issue was resolved a few months later, in October 2011.
Playing style
"Simone plays boy's tennis", said one of her fellow Danish juniors, Cecilie Melsted, a few years ago. Simone certainly likes to "spice it up" with a lot of variety, drop shots, volleys, half-volleys, and a lot of net approaches. Her volleys are effortless, natural, beautiful. Simone's game has an element of playfullnes to it; it's frisky, fun to watch, sometimes to the annoyment of Simone's coaches who've tried hard to make her game more conventional, more disciplined and more serious (according to an article in the hard-edition of Jyllandsposten). "Girl's tennis is boring. They're just standing on the baseline screaming and keeping the ball in play", she said in an interview 2010 (3 (http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/anden_sport/tennis/article1429354.ece)).
Her playing style makes her an exceptional doubles player, and she wins a lot of doubles titles too (perhaps even more than singles).
Danish Junior Championship titles:
2009 (U12): Singles indoor, singles outdoor, doubles indoor, doubles outdoor
2010 (U12): Singles indoor, singles outdoor, doubles indoor, doubles outdoor, mixed outdoor
2011 (U14): Doubles indoor (didn't participate at outdoor championships 2011)
2012 (U14): Singles indoor, doubles indoor (outdoor championships not played yet)
She has some silvers and bronzes too, of course (for instance silver in U12 singles in 2008).
Important international results
2010
Bambini Cup (http://te.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draw.aspx?id=694B01C8-4A2C-45CD-8B11-19CB9ADA5B9D&draw=2) in Austria was a major breakthrough for Alipieva. She won the tournament convincingly, losing only 12 games in 6 matches and beating some very talented players on her way to the title (notably Fanny Stollar and Tereza Mihalikova, with career high ranks of #5 and #2 respectively at TE U14).
The U12 Orange Bowl (http://tennislink.usta.com/TOURNAMENTS/TournamentHome_New/Tournament.aspx?T=80776&E=5&tab=Draws) in December 2010 wasn't quite as successful but perhaps the circumstances weren't the best: Simone's father was denied visa to USA, so Simone had to go without him. She lost in first round to eventual title winner Nicole Frenkel. Simone was the only player to win a set against Frenkel until the final (if that's any consolation).
2011
This was a great year, and Simone was winning a lot of Tennis Europe titles, especially during the summer when she had a 21 match winning streak - winning four singles titles in a row (G3 & G2) before losing the Bambini semifinal. Simone won 11 Tennis Europe titles in 2011 (5 singles and 6 doubles) in just 13 finals (6 singles and 7 doubles)!
She got her ITF debut in Oslo (G5) in October of 2011, winning three qualification matches and one md match. In her next ITF tournament in Denmark two weeks later (G4) she reached the final in doubles.
2012
Won doubles at ITF Copenhagen (G4). Won TE Copenhagen singles (U16). WTA debut in Copenhagen (lost 61 61 to Chakvetadze in qualification). Helped Denmark win the combined Nordic Team Championship - a prestigious annual U13 and U15 event for boys and girls (Denmark's first win in 17 years in an event normally dominated by Sweden!). Reached her first ITF semifinal in Estonia (G4).
Full Name: Simone Michael Alipieva
Date of birth: 10 January 1998
Nationality: Denmark
Plays: Right Handed (Double Handed Backhand)
Favourite shot: Drop shot
Height: 167 cm (May 2012, source (http://www.tennis.dk/Nyheder/2012/Maj/profilernm.aspx))
Weight: 55 kg (May 2012, source (http://www.tennis.dk/Nyheder/2012/Maj/profilernm.aspx))
Club: Lyngby
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simone-Alipieva/268375573291) (public sports profile)
Mini bio
Simone Alipieva is of Bulgarian origin. Both her parents were active athletes although they didn't play tennis: Her father was a football player (soccer), while her mother played basketball. Simone started playing tennis in Denmark in 2005 at the age of 7 (according to herself in this (http://www.on-sport.dk/video/4859908/spiltennisnu-double-s-sjovt) video). Her first club was Sundby; later she played with Lyngby (until 2008), KB (2009-2011), and again with Lyngby from January 2012. She was considered a huge talent at a very young age, and she regularly defeated much older players. When Simone was 9 years old, she played (friendly) with Caroline Wozniacki who was very impressed and said "You're better then I was at nine" (1 (http://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/andensport/tennis/article2431915.ece?page=1)).
In fact, Alipieva was such an extraordinary talent in her early years that the Danish Federation gave her a special permission to play with older age groups. This meant that Alipieva could enter her first U12 Championship final already in 2008, when she was still a U10 player. It also had the consequence that Alipieva led the Danish U12 year-end rankings three years in a row (2008-2010)! At 12, she lost only one game on her way to the U12 championship title (5 matches, 10 sets (http://www.tennis.dk/Sektioner/Turnering/Individuelle%20turneringer/~/media/Files/Turnering/UM%20Ude/2010/program/U12DSM.ashx))! Tennis coach Michael Mortensen, who has worked with both Caroline and Simone (and Li Na), said that Simone at 13 was perhaps even better technically than Wozniacki at the same age (1 (http://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/andensport/tennis/article2431915.ece?page=1)).
Passport controversy
Simone has had a Danish tennis license ever since she started playing tennis, and she has represented Denmark on numerous occasions. In May 2011, however, there seemed to be a problem with her passport or citizenship, which meant that she had to play for Bulgaria when playing international tournaments (like Tennis Europe), although she had represented Denmark until then (2 (http://www.tennis.dk/Nyheder/2011/Maj/Talenter%20klar%20til%20EM%20Hold.aspx)). This issue was resolved a few months later, in October 2011.
Playing style
"Simone plays boy's tennis", said one of her fellow Danish juniors, Cecilie Melsted, a few years ago. Simone certainly likes to "spice it up" with a lot of variety, drop shots, volleys, half-volleys, and a lot of net approaches. Her volleys are effortless, natural, beautiful. Simone's game has an element of playfullnes to it; it's frisky, fun to watch, sometimes to the annoyment of Simone's coaches who've tried hard to make her game more conventional, more disciplined and more serious (according to an article in the hard-edition of Jyllandsposten). "Girl's tennis is boring. They're just standing on the baseline screaming and keeping the ball in play", she said in an interview 2010 (3 (http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/anden_sport/tennis/article1429354.ece)).
Her playing style makes her an exceptional doubles player, and she wins a lot of doubles titles too (perhaps even more than singles).
Danish Junior Championship titles:
2009 (U12): Singles indoor, singles outdoor, doubles indoor, doubles outdoor
2010 (U12): Singles indoor, singles outdoor, doubles indoor, doubles outdoor, mixed outdoor
2011 (U14): Doubles indoor (didn't participate at outdoor championships 2011)
2012 (U14): Singles indoor, doubles indoor (outdoor championships not played yet)
She has some silvers and bronzes too, of course (for instance silver in U12 singles in 2008).
Important international results
2010
Bambini Cup (http://te.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draw.aspx?id=694B01C8-4A2C-45CD-8B11-19CB9ADA5B9D&draw=2) in Austria was a major breakthrough for Alipieva. She won the tournament convincingly, losing only 12 games in 6 matches and beating some very talented players on her way to the title (notably Fanny Stollar and Tereza Mihalikova, with career high ranks of #5 and #2 respectively at TE U14).
The U12 Orange Bowl (http://tennislink.usta.com/TOURNAMENTS/TournamentHome_New/Tournament.aspx?T=80776&E=5&tab=Draws) in December 2010 wasn't quite as successful but perhaps the circumstances weren't the best: Simone's father was denied visa to USA, so Simone had to go without him. She lost in first round to eventual title winner Nicole Frenkel. Simone was the only player to win a set against Frenkel until the final (if that's any consolation).
2011
This was a great year, and Simone was winning a lot of Tennis Europe titles, especially during the summer when she had a 21 match winning streak - winning four singles titles in a row (G3 & G2) before losing the Bambini semifinal. Simone won 11 Tennis Europe titles in 2011 (5 singles and 6 doubles) in just 13 finals (6 singles and 7 doubles)!
She got her ITF debut in Oslo (G5) in October of 2011, winning three qualification matches and one md match. In her next ITF tournament in Denmark two weeks later (G4) she reached the final in doubles.
2012
Won doubles at ITF Copenhagen (G4). Won TE Copenhagen singles (U16). WTA debut in Copenhagen (lost 61 61 to Chakvetadze in qualification). Helped Denmark win the combined Nordic Team Championship - a prestigious annual U13 and U15 event for boys and girls (Denmark's first win in 17 years in an event normally dominated by Sweden!). Reached her first ITF semifinal in Estonia (G4).