Happy birthday!

[Hoergren]

Todays birthday kid is a well known German - Angelique Kerber - turning 26 today.

Since turning professional in 2003, Kerber has won three singles titles on the WTA tour as well as eleven singles and three doubles titles on the ITF circuit. She started playing tennis aged three, Turned professional aged 15. Kerber speaks German, Polish and English. Her mother and father are German Polish. Her breakthrough year was 2012 where she reached #5 in the rankings. 2013 was a little poor and only in the last quarter she got back in top 10 where she's currently #9. So happy birthday Angelique - hope you give yourself a nice present

 

[colleen66]

Hoergren, I love the birthday posts! It is one of the messages that I eagerly look forwards to reading. Keep up the good work!

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I am trying to catch that kiss Angie sent!

 

[colleen66]

I am trying to catch that kiss Angie sent!

Just close your eyes Kiu, and dream!

 

[Hoergren]

Our next birthday kid is from Slovenia - Polona Hercog - a bird flying under the radar in most forums. She's turning 23 today. Herzog has won four WTA Tour titles; two in singles (Baastad 2011, 2012) and 2 in doubles. She also enjoyed success on the ITF Circuit, winning ten singles and five doubles titles. She is the Slovenian No. 1 in women's tennis. Began playing at the age of four and trained professionally from age 14 in Italy why she speaks 3 languages fluently - Italian, Slovenian and English. Justine Henin was her role model. She's won 2 grand slam junior titles in doubles in 2008 together the Australian Jessica Moore - French Open and Wimbledon She reached her highest ranking in September 2011 at #35 - she is currently #66 in singles and #165 in doubles.

After having a down period in 2013 we can hope for her in 2014. Congratulation to Polona and may she have a fine day and a good year.

Couldn't find a kiss today Kiu but I think she looks nice anyway. And thanks for your nice comments

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

:celeb: happy burfdayy to laura robson..aged 20yrs today jan 21st. :celeb:

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Laura, get well soon and come back. We want to see you.

 

[Hoergren]

Well you beat me and thank you for that. I think I'll write a little about UK's #1 tennis player who actually isn't British at all but born Australian. Moved to England at the age of 6 and When she started playing is a bit diffuse - according to her parents "When she could hold a tennisracquet". Became member of a junior tennis acadamy at the age of 10 and joined Adidas at 11. She signed a deal with Wilson too. First tournament 2007 on the ITF circuit. In 2008 she won the Junior Wimbledon title as an unseeded player. As the youngest player in the tournament (aged 14), she beat first seed Melanie Oudin on her way to the finals, where she defeated third seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn. Her victory made her the first British player to win the girls' event since Annabel Croft in 1984. She reached the junior final in AO in 2009 and 2010. Then she had a tough year with injuries and no finals ending her junior career in 2010 in Wimbledon reaching the semifinals. Her senior career had started in 2008 and has grown steadily to her current position on the WTA tour as #58. Her best results until now has been runner up in Hopman Cup 2010 when she played with Andy Murray with whom she won silver medals at the London Olympics 2012. Still to win a WTA title - but hey she only turned 20 today!

Congrats and have a nice birthday and get well soon.

 

[Si Si Simona]

UK's #1 tennis player who actually isn't British at all but born Australian. Moved to England at the age of 6 and When she started playing is a bit diffuse - according to her parents "When she could hold a tennisracquet"...

Because I care about this potentially top 10 player called Laura, I will come out of my Simona shell and talk some tennis..

1) Any kid starting to play at 6 years old, is actually a player who learned his game and got his skill in the place he was living in, not in the place he was born! So I would call Laura a "Britsh player", not an "Aussie player"! Its the same as calling a kid who learned basketball in USA "an American" player even if he was born in China, or anywhere else. I am not British and I do not prefer British on Aussie. I just say my opinion. Laura learned to play in UK (for good or bad), not in Australia. For me she is a British player.

2) Laura desperately needs to start getting into a good physical shape. She is over weight for sure, she is not fit, she is slow on her legs, she must lose 5 KG ! If she gets into shape then she wont believe the progress she will make. Its as simple as that! She will start beating top 20 players again.
I cant believe how she let herself go... it shows some mental problems. The fitness issue shows lack of character in my opinion. She needs to "cut the crap" if you know what I mean and start working. Enough with "glamour life".. She does not work seriously at present. The over weight is the outcome.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

^^hoegroan, lauura is English..in fact she isn't Australian anyway seeing as her family left aussie when she was 18 months old and moved to Singapore or some place (her dad is a moneyman i think)

 

[Hoergren]

^^hoegroan, lauura is English..in fact she isn't Australian anyway seeing as her family left aussie when she was 18 months old and moved to Singapore or some place (her dad is a moneyman i think)

First I hope you'll start spelling my name correct instead of this, Second when you're born in a place you'll always be that nationality - of course people move and she's probably feeling British and having British papers today. Same as Caroline - she's Danish because she's born in Denmark and would've been Polish if she's born in Poland. Then when you move you can be a citizen of that country and that's another thing IMHO. If you want to be president in the US you have to be born there and not arive when you're 18 months old. Actually I wasn't trying to start a long debate. My informations are from wiki and so far these informations are true my postings are true. My intentions are ONLY to say happy birthday and broaden the horizon for stonehard fans and other forum members of other players so they can get their eyes open to other players. We have a lot of players in the top 100 playing really good tennis today. It's only top 100 players or legends if I'm aware of anyone having birthday - and last - only WTA players.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

^^no..she is british, that IS the correct information.

 

[Hoergren]

Our next woman on tour who has birthday is French #1 - Alizé Cornet - who is turning 24 today 22 January. She had a very succesful start of 2014 by winning Hopman Cup together with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga they beat Poland in the final. WTA wise maybe not as good but we'll see. Current #25 in the rankings - her highest position was in 2009 where she was #11. She's won 3 WTA single titles and 2 doubles titles - all on clay. As several other players she won a slam as junior - on clay - French Open in 2007. Latest title she won in Strasbourg 2013. She's playing very well from time to time and the opposite occurs too One of 4 French in the top 100.

Alize Cornet said it was hard keeping it a secret when she found out she was going to be a Hot Shot (picture from Miami 2011)
Nice person with a good humor as you can see on this videoclip from Baastad in 2011 where she made the whole arena inclusive Caroline laugh - well see for yourself:
[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzcpGCEFPs[/video]
So congrats and Joyeux 24e anniversaire - may you have a nice 2014.

 

[Front242]

Belated happy birthday to Angelique Kerber but I gotta say, that photo at the top of the page above makes her look close to 40 imo. Normally looks a lot younger.

 

[tented]

Belated happy birthday to Angelique Kerber but I gotta say, that photo at the top of the page above makes her look close to 40 imo. Normally looks a lot younger.

Yeah, not exactly the most flattering lighting and camera angle, that's for sure.

 

[Moxie]

Belated happy birthday to Angelique Kerber but I gotta say, that photo at the top of the page above makes her look close to 40 imo. Normally looks a lot younger.

Yeah, not exactly the most flattering lighting and camera angle, that's for sure.

Wow…tough room.

 

[Hoergren]

Next birthday kid is USA's #11 Vania King born 3. February 1989 is an American tennis player whose parents came from Taiwan to USA in 1982. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova. She is the youngest of four children. She's a doubles specialist but has won 1 WTA singles in Pattaya Open in 2006 - when her career began. Her present singles ranking is 70. Her doubles career is impressive - 14 titles and 16 as runner up latest in Guangzhou 2013 with Kazakh partner Galina Voskoboeva. She's had various partners suchs as Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Nadia Petrova. Currently ranked 48 in the doubles ranking but has been as high as #3 back in 2011.

She's a macaron specialist and for those who doesn't know what that is - here is a bunch - bon appetite

She turns 25 today. May her days be bright and sunny winning many more doubles titles.

 

[Hoergren]

Lucie Šafářová is our next birthday child - she turns 27 today. Šafářová has won five WTA tour singles titles where she's curent #28 - her highest ranking was #17 in august 2012, three doubles titles where she's currently #15 which is her highest ranking. Latest doubles title Apia International Sydney. Latest singles title was in Challenge Bell, Quebec City, Canada 2013. She's from the Czech Republic playing left handed tennis. She's had a steady career being in the top 50 in recent years. Her latest high was a matchpoint against the later winner of Australian Open 2014- Li Na. SO a difficult player to play against.

Happy birthday Lucie - here is a couple of words for you by a famous thinker:

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius

 

[Hoergren]

Birthday lady of today is a wellknown doubles specialist who until this week has been #1 on the doubles rankings - Roberta Vinci - who born 18 February 1983 is an Italian tennis player. Vinci has won 29 WTA Tour titles, 9 in singles and 19 in doubles - including the 2012 French Open, the 2012 US Open 2014 Australian Open and 2013 Australian Open title with regular partner Sara Errani. Still going strong and it seems like with old whisky it's getting better and better as it ages.

So let's all give her the best wishes at her 31st birthday. Keep up the good play and give us your nice smile

 

[Hoergren]

Klára Zakopalová has the next birthday we celebrate -she turns 32 today the 24th of February being one of the veterans on tour. She had an impressive start back in 2003. Zakopalová made her Grand Slam debut at the 2003 Australian Open, defeating fellow qualifier and Grand Slam debutante Maria Sharapova in the first round before going on to upset sixth-seed Monica Seles in the second round. Zakopalová's run ended in the third round. How about that She's Czech tennis player. She was born and still lives in Prague. One of the players that has beaten Serena Williams. Through the years she's been in the top 50 with a highest ranking as #20 in 2013 currently #32.

She's won 2 WTA tour singles titles and been runner up 12 times - Latest in Hobart and yesterday in Rio! In doubles she's won 4 titles 2 in 2014 Shenzhen and Hobart with her partner Monica Niculescu. So 2014 seems to be a good year for her. Let's wish her a happy birthday and a good 2014.