Julia Vakulenko
Юлія Вакуленко |
| Country (sports) |  Ukraine
 Spain |
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| Residence | Barcelona, Spain |
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| Born | (1983-07-10) 10 July 1983 (age 40)
Yalta, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine) |
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| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
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| Turned pro | 1998 |
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| Retired | 2011 |
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| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
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| Prize money | $869,480 |
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| Career record | 282–191 (59.6%) |
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| Career titles | 7 ITF |
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| Highest ranking | No. 32 (19 November 2007) |
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|
| Australian Open | 2R (2004, 2007) |
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| French Open | 3R (2003, 2006) |
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| Wimbledon | 2R (2005) |
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| US Open | 4R (2007) |
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|
| Career record | 16–37 (30.2%) |
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| Career titles | 0 |
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| Highest ranking | No. 136 (9 February 2004) |
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Julia Olehivna Vakulenko (Ukrainian: Юлія Оле́гівна Вакуленко; born 10 July 1983) is a Ukraine-born female tennis player. She achieved her career-high ranking of No. 32 in November 2007.
In April 2008, Vakulenko renounced her Ukrainian citizenship, and then announced her decision to acquire the citizenship of Spain where she's lived for the last ten years.[1][2]
Career
At the 2006 French Open, Vakulenko reached the third round.
At the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, she withdrew during the first round due to injury.
Julia became Kim Clijsters' last opponent in her professional career (before Clijsters' return in 2009). Vakulenko won 7–6(3), 6–3 in the second round of J&S Cup in Warsaw, Poland on 3 May 2007. This earned her the nickname "Kimmie Killer".
A week later, Julia defeated world No. 3, Amélie Mauresmo, at the German Open in Berlin, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2 (her career best), and then defeated Dinara Safina, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3, before retiring in the first set in the semifinals to eventual champion Ana Ivanovic due to an injury.
On 28 August 2007, in the first round of the US Open, Julia defeated ninth seed Daniela Hantuchová, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1. She eventually reached the fourth round, her best performance at a major, before falling to Ágnes Szávay.
At the final event of the season, the Bell Challenge held in Quebec City, Vakulenko reached the first WTA Tour final of her career. En route, she beat Rossana de los Ríos, home favourite Stéphanie Dubois, Olga Govortsova and Julie Ditty. In the final, she lost 4–6, 1–6 to three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport, who was playing in only her third event since giving birth.
After changing of her citizenship from Ukraine to Spain in April 2008, she planned to play for Spain in the Fed Cup, but wasn't able to compete in the 2008 Olympics due to lack of time to be included in Spain's application.[1]
