Spotlight On ... Magdalena Rybarikova

Currently ranked just outside the top 50, Magdalena Rybarikova is one of the many rising stars on the WTA circuit. The young Slovakian won two titles on the ITF circuit in 2008 (in Greece and Russia) and is a member of the Slovak Fed Cup team. She reached a career-high ranking of # 46 in February 2009, and is currently sitting just below that.

On the WTA circuit, her best results of 2008 included a semi-final in WTA Tashkent (l. to 3rd seed Sorana Cirstea), reaching the third round of the US Open (l. to 15th seed Patty Schnyder). Elsewhere, Magdalena has notched up second rounds in WTA events in Prague (retired against Vera Zvonareva) , Barcelona (l. to Stephanie Cohen-Aloro), Budapest (l. to eventual champion Alize Cornet) and Roland Garros (l. to eventual finalist Dinara Safina), although she was a quarter-finalist in WTA Prague back in 2006. Earlier in 2008, she qualified for WTA Acapulco (l. to 6th seed Yvonne Meuberger) but lost in the opening round of the main draw.

On the ITF circuit, she reached a quarter-final in Bratislava (Slovakia), and semi-finals in Athens (Greece) and Monterrey (Mexico). In the latter tournament, she beat top seed Yanina Wickmayer and 4th seed Vania King.

So far in 2009, she has reached semi-finals in Hobart (l. to Iveta Benesova, but beat top seed Flavia Pennetta in the second round) and Pattaya City (beating 2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals before bowing out to Sania Mirza), but there have also been more than a few first and second round exits. Things got back on track with a second round showing at Roland Garros (l. to 5th seed Jelena Jankovic).

Magdalena won her first WTA title in Birmingham in June (d. Li Na in straight sets in the final) to demonstrate some grass court credentials ahead of Wimbledon.