Lucie Safarova Czech tennis player. Date of Birth: 04.02.1987 Country: Czech

1. Biography of Lucie Safarova
2. Early Life and Training
3. Language Skills and Tennis Idols
4. Playing Style and Favorite Surface
5. Early Achievements
6. Ups and Downs
7. Comeback and Recent Years

Biography of Lucie Safarova

Lucie Safarova is a Czech tennis player who stands at 177 cm tall and weighs 62 kg. She began her career in 2002 and is known for her left-handed playing style with a two-handed backhand. Safarova has been coached by Biljana Veselinovic and David Vidra. She has won four WTA tournaments in singles and reached the semi-finals of the 2009 Fed Cup as part of the Czech national team.

Early Life and Training

Lucie Safarova started playing tennis at a very young age, beginning at the age of 3. She is currently trained under the guidance of Patrick Navara and physical fitness specialist David Vidra. Previously, her father Milan was her coach. Safarova's mother's name is Jana, and she has a sister named Veronika. Additionally, she has a dog named Kuba.

Language Skills and Tennis Idols

Safarova is fluent in three languages: Slovak, English, and German. Her tennis idols are Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport.

Playing Style and Favorite Surface

Safarova is a left-handed player with a two-handed backhand. She possesses a powerful kick serve, thanks to her tall stature. Safarova excels in using topspin shots from the baseline. She is known for her excellent court coverage and frequently tries to seize control of the game from the start. Her favorite playing surface is clay.

Early Achievements

Safarova first gained attention in 2005 when she unexpectedly won a third-tier tournament in Estoril, Portugal as a qualifier. She defeated Na Li from China in the final with a score of 6-7 6-4 6-3. Shortly after, she reached the final in 's-Hertogenbosch on grass, but lost to fellow Czech player Klara Zakopalova with a score of 6-3 2-6 2-6. These results helped Safarova break into the top 50 of the world rankings.

Ups and Downs

In 2006, Safarova won her first tournament in Gold Coast, Australia, defeating Flavia Pennetta in the final with a score of 6-3 6-4, and entered the top 30. However, her results worsened afterwards, and she finished the season ranked 41st in the world. The following year, Safarova made a sensation by reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open but lost to Nicole Vaidisova with a score of 1-6 4-6. She also reached the final in Paris, made it to the fourth round of Roland Garros, and achieved a career-high ranking of 22nd. However, her performance declined in the 2008 season due to frequent injuries, and she narrowly avoided dropping out of the top 100, finishing the year ranked 65th.

Comeback and Recent Years

In 2009, Safarova returned to the top 50 but did not stand out with any significant results, with a final in Quebec and several quarter-final appearances. It was not until 2010 that her form began to return. She reached the final of the indoor tournament in Paris, losing to Elena Dementieva with a score of 7-6 1-6 4-6, and had successful performances on two clay tournaments in Rome and Madrid, reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. As a result, she climbed to 25th place in the WTA rankings. However, she faced an early exit in the second round of Roland Garros, losing to promising Slovenian player Polona Hercog.