1. Home
  2. Games
  3. 2008 Summer Olympics
  4. Tennis
  5. Singles, Women
|
| Event type

Singles, Women

Date10 – 17 August 2008
StatusOlympic
LocationBeijing Aolinpike Gongyuan Wangqiuchang, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants64 from 33 countries
FormatSingle-elimination tournament.

This event was completely wide open, especially after world #1 Justine Henin (BEL) had retired in May 2008. The #1 seed was Serbia’s Ana Ivanović, who had recently moved up to the #1 world ranking, followed by her countrywoman, Jelena Janković. American sister superstars Serena and Venus Williams were seeded 4th and 7th, respectively, as they had both struggled with injuries in the past year, and were only returning to form.

OK, it was an open tournament, but nobody expected this semi-final. The semi-finalists were China’s Li Na, who would become one of the world’s top players but in 2008 had not yet advanced past the quarters-finals in a Grand Slam; and three Russians – Yelena Dementyeva, Dinara Safina, and Vera Zvonaryova. The top-seeded Russian was Svetlana Kuznetsova at #3, but she lost in round one to Li Na.

Both semi-finals were won in straight sets, with Dementyeva and Safina advancing to the final. Dementyeva won the gold medal with a three-set victory, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. In the bronze medal match, Li Na was overwhelmed by Zvonaryova, 6-0, 7-5, as Russia unexpectedly swept the medals. A medal sweep in Olympic tennis last occurred in 1908, in three different events.

PosCompetitorNOC
1Yelena DementyevaRUSGold
2Dinara SafinaRUSSilver
3Vera ZvonaryovaRUSBronze
4Li NaCHN
=5Sybille BammerAUT
=5Serena WilliamsUSA
=5Venus WilliamsUSA
=5Jelena JankovićSRB
=9Lucie ŠafářováCZE
=9Francesca SchiavoneITA
=9Alizé CornetFRA
=9Caroline WozniackiDEN
=9Vika AzarenkaBLR
=9Kaia KanepiEST
=9Zheng JieCHN
=9Dominika CibulkováSVK
=17Mariya KoryttsevaUKR
=17Patty SchnyderSUI
=17Shahar Pe'erISR
=17Agnieszka RadwańskaPOL
=17Samantha StosurAUS
=17Peng ShuaiCHN
=17Daniela HantuchováSVK
=17Sofia ArvidssonSWE
=17Iveta BenešováCZE
=17Casey DellacquaAUS
=17Virginie RazzanoFRA
=17Ayumi MoritaJPN
=17María MartínezESP
=17Núria LlagosteraESP
=17Tsvetana PironkovaBUL
=17Alona BondarenkoUKR
=33Tzipora ObzilerISR
=33Maret AniEST
=33Anabel MedinaESP
=33Jill CraybasUSA
=33Yan ZiCHN
=33Sorana CîrsteaROU
=33Akgul AmanmuradovaUZB
=33Latisha ChanTPE
=33Volha HavartsovaBLR
=33Sara ErraniITA
=33Carla SuárezESP
=33Nicole VaidišováCZE
=33Ai SugiyamaJPN
=33Selima SfarTUN
=33Tamarine TanasugarnTHA
=33Kateryna BondarenkoUKR
=33Timea BacsinszkySUI
=33Sania MirzaIND
=33Gisela DulkoARG
=33Tetiana PerebyinisUKR
=33Flavia PennettaITA
=33Eleni DaniilidouGRE
=33Marina ErakovicNZL
=33Svetlana KuznetsovaRUS
=33Mara SantangeloITA
=33Alicia MolikAUS
=33Klára ZakopalováCZE
=33Ágnes SzávayHUN
=33Pauline ParmentierFRA
=33Marta DomachowskaPOL
=33Milagros SequeraVEN
=33Cara BlackZIM
DNSLindsay DavenportUSA1
DNSTatiana GolovinFRA2
DNSAna IvanovićSRB3

Round One

Date10 – 12 August 2008
FormatWinners advanced to round two.
MatchDate/TimeLocationCompetitor (Seed)NOCResultCompetitor (Seed)NOC
Match #111 AugCourt #8Mariya KoryttsevaUKR2 – 1Tzipora Obziler (A)ISR
Match #211 AugCourt #1Lucie ŠafářováCZE2 – 0Maret Ani (A)EST
Match #311 AugCourt #6Sybille BammerAUT2 – 1Anabel MedinaESP
Match #411 AugCourt #7Patty Schnyder (13)SUI2 – 0Jill CraybasUSA
Match #511 Aug 10:30Court #1Vera Zvonaryova (9)RUS2 – 0Yan ZiCHN
Match #611 AugCourt #5Shahar Pe'erISR2 – 1Sorana CîrsteaROU
Match #710 Aug 10:30Court #4Francesca SchiavoneITA2 – 0Akgul AmanmuradovaUZB
Match #811 Aug 17:00Court #3Agnieszka Radwańska (8)POL2 – 0Latisha Chan (ITF)TPE
Match #910 AugCentre CourtSerena Williams (4)USA2 – 0Volha HavartsovaBLR
Match #1010 Aug 10:30Court #6Samantha StosurAUS2 – 0Sara ErraniITA
Match #1110 AugCourt #1Peng ShuaiCHN2 – 0Carla SuárezESP
Match #1210 AugCourt #3Alizé Cornet (15)FRA2 – 1Nicole VaidišováCZE
Match #1310 AugCourt #2Daniela Hantuchová (10)SVK2 – 0Ai SugiyamaJPN
Match #1410 Aug 10:30Court #5Caroline WozniackiDEN2 – 0Selima Sfar (ITF)TUN
Match #1511 AugCourt #5Sofia ArvidssonSWE2 – 0Tamarine Tanasugarn (WC)THA
Match #1611 AugCentre CourtYelena Dementyeva (5)RUS2 – 0Kateryna BondarenkoUKR
Match #1711 Aug 17:00Centre CourtVenus Williams (7)USA2 – 0Timea BacsinszkySUI
Match #1811 Aug 17:00Court #5Iveta BenešováCZE1 – 0Sania MirzaIND
Match #1911 AugCourt #3Casey DellacquaAUS2 – 0Gisela DulkoARG
Match #2011 AugCourt #6Vika Azarenka (12)BLR2 – 1Tetiana PerebyinisUKR
Match #2111 AugCourt #7Kaia KanepiEST2 – 0Flavia Pennetta (14)ITA
Match #2211 AugCourt #9Virginie RazzanoFRA2 – 0Eleni DaniilidouGRE
Match #2311 Aug 17:00Court #3Ayumi Morita (ITF)JPN2 – 1Marina ErakovicNZL
Match #2411 AugCentre CourtLi NaCHN2 – 0Svetlana Kuznetsova (3)RUS
Match #2511 Aug 10:30Court #2Dinara Safina (6)RUS2 – 0Mara SantangeloITA
Match #2611 Aug 10:30Court #6María Martínez (A)ESP2 – 0Alicia Molik (ITF)AUS
Match #2711 Aug 17:00Court #4Núria Llagostera (ITF)ESP2 – 1Klára ZakopalováCZE
Match #2811 Aug 17:00Court #2Zheng JieCHN2 – 1Ágnes SzávayHUN
Match #2911 AugCourt #4Dominika Cibulková (16)SVK2 – 0Pauline ParmentierFRA
Match #3010 Aug 10:30Court #7Tsvetana PironkovaBUL2 – 0Marta DomachowskaPOL
Match #3111 AugCourt #4Alona BondarenkoUKR0 – 1Milagros SequeraVEN
Match #3211 AugCourt #1Jelena Janković (2)SRB2 – 0Cara BlackZIM

Round Two

Date12 August 2008
FormatWinners advanced to round three.
MatchDate/TimeLocationCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match #112 AugCourt #8Lucie ŠafářováCZE2 – 1Mariya KoryttsevaUKR
Match #212 Aug 17:00Court #4Sybille BammerAUT2 – 0Patty Schnyder (13)SUI
Match #312 AugCourt #3Vera Zvonaryova (9)RUS2 – 0Shahar Pe'erISR
Match #412 Aug 10:30Court #4Francesca SchiavoneITA2 – 0Agnieszka Radwańska (8)POL
Match #512 Aug 10:30Court #1Serena Williams (4)USA2 – 0Samantha StosurAUS
Match #612 Aug 10:30Centre CourtAlizé Cornet (15)FRA2 – 0Peng ShuaiCHN
Match #712 Aug 10:30Court #3Caroline WozniackiDEN2 – 0Daniela Hantuchová (10)SVK
Match #812 AugCourt #3Yelena Dementyeva (5)RUS2 – 0Sofia ArvidssonSWE
Match #912 AugCentre CourtVenus Williams (7)USA2 – 0Iveta BenešováCZE
Match #1012 Aug 17:00Court #6Vika Azarenka (12)BLR2 – 0Casey DellacquaAUS
Match #1112 Aug 17:00Court #7Kaia KanepiEST2 – 0Virginie RazzanoFRA
Match #1212 AugCourt #1Li NaCHN2 – 0Ayumi Morita (ITF)JPN
Match #1312 AugCourt #3Dinara Safina (6)RUS2 – 0María Martínez (A)ESP
Match #1412 AugCourt #1Zheng JieCHN2 – 1Núria Llagostera (ITF)ESP
Match #1512 Aug 10:30Court #8Dominika Cibulková (16)SVK2 – 0Tsvetana PironkovaBUL
Match #1612 Aug 17:00Centre CourtJelena Janković (2)SRB2 – 0Alona BondarenkoUKR

Round Three

Date13 August 2008
FormatWinners advanced to quarter-finals.
MatchDate/TimeLocationCompetitorNOCResultCompetitorNOC
Match #113 Aug 16:00Court #5Sybille BammerAUT2 – 0Lucie ŠafářováCZE
Match #213 Aug 16:00Court #4Vera Zvonaryova (9)RUS2 – 0Francesca SchiavoneITA
Match #313 AugCentre CourtSerena Williams (4)USA2 – 1Alizé Cornet (15)FRA
Match #413 AugCourt #3Yelena Dementyeva (5)RUS2 – 0Caroline WozniackiDEN
Match #513 AugCourt #2Venus Williams (7)USA2 – 0Vika Azarenka (12)BLR
Match #613 Aug 16:00Centre CourtLi NaCHN2 – 1Kaia KanepiEST
Match #713 AugCourt #1Dinara Safina (6)RUS2 – 0Zheng JieCHN
Match #813 AugCourt #1Jelena Janković (2)SRB2 – 0Dominika Cibulková (16)SVK

Quarter-Finals

Date14 – 15 August 2008
FormatWinners advanced to semi-finals.
MatchDate/TimeLocationCompetitor (Seed)NOCResultCompetitor (Seed)NOC
Match #114 Aug 18:00Court #2Vera Zvonaryova (9)RUS2 – 1Sybille BammerAUT
Match #214 Aug 18:00Court #1Yelena Dementyeva (5)RUS2 – 1Serena Williams (4)USA
Match #314 AugCentre CourtLi NaCHN2 – 0Venus Williams (7)USA
Match #415 AugCentre CourtDinara Safina (6)RUS2 – 1Jelena Janković (2)SRB

Semi-Finals

Date16 August 2008
FormatWinners advanced to the final round.
MatchDate/TimeLocationCompetitor (Seed)NOCResultCompetitor (Seed)NOC
Match #116 Aug 16:00Court #1Yelena Dementyeva (5)RUS2 – 0Vera Zvonaryova (9)RUS
Match #216 Aug 16:00Centre CourtDinara Safina (6)RUS2 – 0Li NaCHN

Final Round

Date17 August 2008
MatchDate/TimeLocationCompetitor (Seed)NOCResultCompetitor (Seed)NOC
Match 1/217 Aug 14:00Centre CourtYelena Dementyeva (5)RUS2 – 1Dinara Safina (6)RUS
Match 3/417 Aug 14:00Court #1Vera Zvonaryova (9)RUS2 – 0Li NaCHN