Svetlana Parkhomenko

Svetlana Parkhomenko
Full name Svetlana Germanovna Parkhomenko
Country (sports)  USSR
 Russia
Born (1962-10-08) October 8, 1962
Moscow, USSR
Retired 1995
Prize money 208,184
Singles
Career record 124–93
Career titles 3 ITF
Highest ranking No. 72 (January 30, 1989)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (1984)
French Open 1R
Wimbledon 3R (1984)
US Open 1R
Doubles
Career record 209–79
Career titles 8 WTA, 18 ITF
Highest ranking No. 8 (January 18, 1988)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1984)
French Open QF (1986)
Wimbledon SF (1987)
US Open 3R (1987)
Tour Finals SF (March 1986)

Svetlana Germanovna Parkhomenko (Светлана Германовна Паркхоменко, née Cherneva, Чернева; born October 8, 1962) is a retired Soviet and Russian tennis player and tennis coach. She was a winner of the Soviet singles tennis championships in 1985 and 9 times Soviet champion in women's doubles and mixed doubles. On the international level, she was the winner of the 1983 European amateur championships in women's and mixed doubles, bronze medalist of the 1983 Universiade in women's and mixed doubles, and winner of 8 WTA doubles tournaments. Parkhomenko is the recipient of 1988 WTA Sportsmanship Award.

Biography

Svetlana Cherneva started playing tennis when she was 8 years old. Her first coach was the famous pre-war Soviet champion and coach Nina Teplyakova. In 1978 Svetlana won the singles and doubles title at European Junior Championships (she also won doubles titles in the next two years). In 1978 she won the Soviet youth championships in singles, girls' and mixed doubles, and in 1980 in singles and girls' doubles. In 1980 she advanced with the Soviet girls team to the finals of Princess Sofia Cup.

Starting in 1981 Svetlana (from 1984 playing under her marriage name Parkhomenko) won the senior Sovier doubles championships eight times (twice in 1987). In addition, she became the singles champion in 1985 and mixed doubles champion in 1983. From 1981 she also played for the Soviet Union Federation Cup team. In total between 1981 and 1988 she played 28 rubbers for the Soviet team, mostly in doubles with Larisa Savchenko.

In 1983 Svetlana Cherneva won the European amateur championships in women's and mixed doubles and took bronze in the same disciplines at the 1983 Summer Universiade. From the same year she started playing in international professional tennis tournaments. In 1984 she won her first ITF titles is San Antonio and Delray Beach, and at the Wimbledon Championships advanced with Savchenko to quarterfinals after defeating 3rd seed Kathy Horvath and Virginia Ruzici, as well as Chris Evert and Catherine Tanvier. In the next three years Parkhomenko and Savchenko won seven Virginia Slims tournaments including four in 1987. They played three times in a row at the Virginia Slims Championships and in March 1986 advanced there to semifinals. In 1987 they reached Wimbledon semifinals after defeating world's best pair, recent Grand Slam winners Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

At the start of 1988 season Svetlana Parkhomenko was ranked as high as 8th in the WTA doubles rankings. But in 1988 Larisa Savchenko broke with her to play doubles with young Natasha Zvereva. Without Savchenko, Parhomenko struggled to retain her best shape playing with other partners. She won one WTA tournament with Natalia Bykova and twice reached finals with Leila Meskhi, and at the end of the season she received WTA Sportsmanship Award.[1]

After having completely missed 1989 season, Parkhomenko returned to play at the end 1990. In 1991 she was awarded the title of Honoured Master of Sports, becoming one of the last Soviet tennis players who received this title. In 1992 she returned to the Top 10 of the Russian tennis and remained there for two more years. In 1993 sheplayed three ties for the Russia Fed Cup team, winning her doubles games against Ukrainians and Lithuanians. After finishing her playing career in 1995 she coaches at the Moscow CSKA tennis club.

Virginia Slims and WTA Finals

Doubles (14)

Winner (8)

Legend
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Tour Championship (0)
Tier IV-V (1)
VS circuit (7)
No. Date Championship Surface Partnering Opponents in final Score
1. 1 April 1985 Seabrook Island, South Carolina, USA Clay Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Elise Burgin
United States Lori McNeil 		6–1, 6–3
2. 9 September 1985 Salt Lake City, USA Hard Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko South Africa Beverly Mould
South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank 		7–5, 6–2
3. 3 November 1986 Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Carpet (i) Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko Czechoslovakia Iva Budařová
United States Beth Herr 		6–2, 1–6, 6–1
4. 21 January 1987 Wichita, Kansas, USA Carpet (i) Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Barbara Potter
United States Wendy White 		6–2, 6–4
5. 9 February 1987 Oklahoma City, USA Hard Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Lori McNeil
United States Kim Sands 		6–4, 6–4
6. 16 February 1987 Boca Raton, Florida, USA Hard Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Chris Evert
United States Pam Shriver 		6–0, 3–6, 6–2
7. 15 June 1987 Eastbourne, United Kingdom Grass Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
Australia Elizabeth Smylie 		7–6(7–5), 4–6, 7–5
8. 29 February 1988 Wichita, USA (2) Hard (i) Soviet Union Natalia Bykova Czechoslovakia Jana Novotná
France Catherine Suire 		6–3, 6–4

Runner-up (6)

No. Date Championship Surface Partnering Opponents in final Score
1. 21 January 1985 Key Biscayne, Florida, USA Hard Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Kathy Jordan
Australia Elizabeth Smylie 		4–6, 6–7
2. 8 April 1985 Hilton Head Island, USA Clay Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko South Africa Rosalyn Fairbank
United States Pam Shriver 		4–6, 1–6
3. 22 September 1986 Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA Hard Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Camille Benjamin
South Africa Dinky Van Rensburg 		6–7, 5–7
4. 29 September 1986 New Orleans, USA Hard Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Candy Reynolds
United States Anne Smith 		3–6, 6–3, 3–6
5. 18 April 1988 Singapore Hard Soviet Union Leila Meskhi Soviet Union Natalia Bykova
Soviet Union Natalia Medvedeva 		6–7, 3–6
6. 6 June 1988 Birmingham, United Kingdom Grass Soviet Union Leila Meskhi Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko
Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva 		4–6, 1–6

References

  1. ↑ WTA Awards at the WTA website
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