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Kirilenko acknowledges from Paris that she will be the favourite at Barcelona KIA’08.
The Russian player, who will make her debut at the David Lloyd Club Turó between 7 and 15 June is looking to make it into the top 15 in the world this year.
Maria Kirilenko (25/01/1987, Moscow) will be one of the main drawcards at the Barcelona KIA’08 tournament that will be contested at the David Lloyd Club Turó from 7 to 15 of June. The young Russian, currently 23rd on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and likely to be top seed in Barcelona, is one of the most charismatic and popular players on the circuit. Kirilenko is currently the face of a clothing line from Stella McCartney for a well known sporting brand and has her own official website as well as various sites created by her considerable fanbase.
From París, Kirilenko described her sensations before her debut at the French Grand Slam and looking towards her first participation at Barcelona KIA’08. “My feelings before going to Barcelona for the first time are fantastic. I am playing well and that gives me confidence” she explained,
Kirilenko revealed her reasons for coming to the tournament:
“Normally I play grass tournaments after Roland Gardens, however this time I have decided to play one more clay surface” Despite her emerging professional career being characterized by her specializing in playing on hard surfaces, the world number 23 recognizes the benefits of playing on clay. “Each time I play on clay I like it more, and now I am beginning to do it better. This year I have won my first tournament on this surface and afterwards I have continued playing well. It is something that helps me because I feel that I improve every day and clay is the best surface to learn on and to get to know the game.
The Moscowvite totalled three consecutive seasons finishing among the top 30 in the world and this year she sets her sights even higher. “The objective I have set myself for this year is to finish among the top 15 in the world and I feel that I have a real possibility of achieving that.” Kirilenko said that she did not fell “any pressure” from being the favourite at Barcelona KIA’08, where she will compete for the title against players ranked in the top 50 in the world, such as Cibulkova, Safarova, Pironkova, Parmentier, Kanepi or Anabel Medina, who won last week in Strassbourg, and for whom Kirilenko only has positive words, both in sport as well as personally.
“She is the current number one Spanish player and each time we play one-on-one, she is always a difficult opponent. What’s more we trained at the same academy in Valencia, and she is a really nice girl.”
