Sesil Karatantcheva
Sesil Karatantcheva (born August 8, 1989) is a Bulgarian professional female tennis player. She was born in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Karatantcheva played her first professional tournament in September 2003 in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 14. A week later, Karatantcheva defeated the #1, #2, and #3 seeds en route to her first professional tournament title at a small ITF tournament in Volos, Greece. Karatantcheva won two more ITF titles in 2003.
In 2004, Karatantcheva began her season at a large WTA tournament Indian Wells, California, where she defeated the American Alexandra Stevenson in the first round, and the 17th seed Magui Serna in the second round In August, Karatantcheva reached the quarterfinals of a WTA tournament in Vancouver, British Columbia, and qualified for the US Open. Karatantcheva also reached the quarterfinals of a WTA tournament in Quebec City, and won another ITF tournament in December at Palm Beach Gardens.
Karatantcheva played her first professional tournament in September 2003 in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 14. A week later, Karatantcheva defeated the #1, #2, and #3 seeds en route to her first professional tournament title at a small ITF tournament in Volos, Greece. Karatantcheva won two more ITF titles in 2003.
In 2004, Karatantcheva began her season at a large WTA tournament Indian Wells, California, where she defeated the American Alexandra Stevenson in the first round, and the 17th seed Magui Serna in the second round In August, Karatantcheva reached the quarterfinals of a WTA tournament in Vancouver, British Columbia, and qualified for the US Open. Karatantcheva also reached the quarterfinals of a WTA tournament in Quebec City, and won another ITF tournament in December at Palm Beach Gardens.
2005 was Karatantcheva's breakthrough year. Sesil started off the year at a tournament in Gold Coast, Australia by qualifying, and then defeating the tournament's #1 seed Elena Likhovtseva but she failed in the quarterfinals. Karatantcheva then qualified for the Australian Open, before losing to the #4 seed Sharapova in the first round. Her most successful tournament to date was at Roland Garros. Karatantcheva defeated the #19 seed Shinobu Asagoe in the second round, and then stunned the world with her victory over the #11 seed and former world number one Venus Williams in the third round. After defeating Emanuelle Gagliardi in the fourth round, she fell to Likhovtseva in the quarterfinals. Karatantcheva became the youngest female to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament since Martina Hingis in 1996.
On December 20, 2005, the French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported that Karatantcheva had failed a drug test earlier in the year at Roland Garros, and that she had appeared in front of a three-person panel of judges to explain the results. The newspaper claims that Karatantcheva said she was pregnant at the time of the test, which would explain the high levels of nandrolon in her system."
On January 11, 2006, the ITF issued a two-year ban after two positive drug tests for nandrolone.
On December 20, 2005, the French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported that Karatantcheva had failed a drug test earlier in the year at Roland Garros, and that she had appeared in front of a three-person panel of judges to explain the results. The newspaper claims that Karatantcheva said she was pregnant at the time of the test, which would explain the high levels of nandrolon in her system."
On January 11, 2006, the ITF issued a two-year ban after two positive drug tests for nandrolone.
