One of the best-known tennis couples were Russians Maria Kirilenko and Igor Andreev, and without the news of their breakup a photo of the 24-year-old Kirilenko with another man emerges on Twitter. Namely, on November 30 Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin tweeted the above photo of him and Kirilenko saying:

Me and my girlfriend Maria….she is my queen!!!!

The 26-year-old Alex Ovechkin describes himself as a proud captain of the Washington Capitals. Read more »

Just a week after eliminating the newly-crowned US Open champion Samantha Stosur in the second round of the Premier-level tournament in Tokyo, Maria Kirilenko repeated the feat by ousting the Australian from another high-profile event – the China Open in Beijing – also in the second round. However, in Tokyo it was Stosur's opener, while in Beijing she scored a 6-4 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova in her first match.

The unseeded Kirilenko advanced to the third round with a 7-5 1-6 7-5 victory over Stosur, after recollecting herself from a second set slump and a loss of six straight games. Next for Kirilenko is Tamira Paszek, who upset seed No.10 Jelena Jankovic in the first round.

Not even one 2011 Grand Slam champion is left in the China Open draw, even though it's still only the beginning of the tournament. French Open winner Li Na went out in the first round to Monica Niculescu 6-4 6-0, Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova lost her opener to Sofia Arvisson 7-6(6) 4-6 6-3, while Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters hasn't even been playing since August. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Maria Sharapova injured her ankle while serving at 3-4 against Petra Kvitova in Tokyo quarterfinals and was unable to continue the match because her ankle showed immediate signs of swelling. In other Tokyo news, Maria Kirilenko, who knocked out newly-crowned US Open champion Samantha Stosur in the second round and then 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, was eliminated by fourth-seeded Vera Zvonareva in the quarters.

Sharapova had a chance to possibly overtake the No.1 ranking from Caroline Wozniacki if:

1) she reached the final in Tokyo and

2) followed it with a Beijing title.

Read more »

Unseeded Maria Kirilenko continued her surge through the Tokyo draw, following up her upset of fresh US Open champion Samantha Stosur with a 6-3 6-1 victory over 12th seed Ana Ivanovic in the third round.

One break of serve was enough for Kirilenko to take the first set, in which she herself fended off three break points. The 27th-ranked Russian then dominated the second set, winning 91% of points on first serve and breaking Ivanovic three times.

Another seeded player is Kirilenko's next obstacle – her quarterfinal opponent will be fourth seed Vera Zvonareva, who beat Iveta Benesova 6-1 6-2 in the third round. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Samantha Stosur and Maria Kirilenko met in the fourth round of the US Open this month and played one of the most exciting matches of the tournament featuring the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history. Then the winner was Stosur with a 6-2 6-7(15) 6-3 score and afterwards the Australian defeated Vera Zvonareva, Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams to claim her first major title.

In today's match at the $2,050,000 Toray Pan Pacific Open Kirilenko found revenge and defeated the sixth-seeded Stosur in what was another close encounter, 6-2 4-6 6-4. The 27th-ranked Kirilenko moved to the third round where she will face Ana Ivanovic, even though Stosur came back from a break down to win the second set and from a 4-2 deficit to 4-4 in the third set. (source: WTA Tour, photo: © Neal Trousdale)