Date | 10 – 17 August 2008 | |
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Status | Olympic | |
Location | Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan Wangqiuchang, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing | |
Participants | 64 from 33 countries | |
Format | Single-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.
Date | 10 – 12 August 2008 |
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Format | Winners advanced to round two. |
Date | 12 August 2008 |
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Format | Winners advanced to round three. |
Date | 13 August 2008 |
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Format | Winners advanced to quarter-finals. |
Match | Date/Time | Location | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | Result | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | |
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Match #1 | 13 Aug 16:00 | Court #5 | Sybille Bammer | AUT | 7-5, 6-4 | Lucie Šafářová | CZE | |
Match #2 | 13 Aug 16:00 | Court #4 | Vera Zvonaryova (9) | RUS | 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 | Francesca Schiavone | ITA | |
Match #3 | 13 Aug | Centre Court | Serena Williams (4) | USA | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 | Alizé Cornet (15) | FRA | |
Match #4 | 13 Aug | Court #3 | Yelena Dementyeva (5) | RUS | 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 | Caroline Wozniacki | DEN | |
Match #5 | 13 Aug | Court #2 | Venus Williams (7) | USA | 6-3, 6-2 | Vika Azarenka (12) | BLR | |
Match #6 | 13 Aug 16:00 | Centre Court | Li Na | CHN | 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 | Kaia Kanepi | EST | |
Match #7 | 13 Aug | Court #1 | Dinara Safina (6) | RUS | 6-4, 6-3 | Zheng Jie | CHN | |
Match #8 | 13 Aug | Court #1 | Jelena Janković (2) | SRB | 7-5, 6-1 | Dominika Cibulková (16) | SVK |
Date | 14 – 15 August 2008 |
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Format | Winners advanced to semi-finals. |
Match | Date/Time | Location | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | Result | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | |
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Match #1 | 14 Aug 18:00 | Court #2 | Vera Zvonaryova (9) | RUS | 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 | Sybille Bammer | AUT | |
Match #2 | 14 Aug 18:00 | Court #1 | Yelena Dementyeva (5) | RUS | 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 | Serena Williams (4) | USA | |
Match #3 | 14 Aug | Centre Court | Li Na | CHN | 7-5, 7-5 | Venus Williams (7) | USA | |
Match #4 | 15 Aug | Centre Court | Dinara Safina (6) | RUS | 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 | Jelena Janković (2) | SRB |
Date | 16 August 2008 |
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Format | Winners advanced to final round. |
Match | Date/Time | Location | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | Result | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | |
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Match #1 | 16 Aug 16:00 | Court #1 | Yelena Dementyeva (5) | RUS | 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) | Vera Zvonaryova (9) | RUS | |
Match #2 | 16 Aug 16:00 | Centre Court | Dinara Safina (6) | RUS | 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 | Li Na | CHN |
Date | 17 August 2008 |
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Match | Date/Time | Location | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | Result | Competitor (Seed) | NOC | |
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Match 1/2 | 17 Aug 14:00 | Centre Court | Yelena Dementyeva (5) | RUS | 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 | Dinara Safina (6) | RUS | |
Match 3/4 | 17 Aug 14:00 | Court #1 | Vera Zvonaryova (9) | RUS | 6-0, 7-5 | Li Na | CHN |