Elena Pampulova Wagner is one of my favourtie tennis players. She was born on May, the 17th 1972 and is one of the best Bulgarian tennis players ever. Elena started playing tennis at an early age, coached by her mother. She was for long years a player of the Bulgarian "Levski" club.
As top Bulgarian and later German player, Elena had been part both of the Bulgarian and German Fed cup teams. Among her great success, however, is her WTA singles title in Surabaya, where en route to the title, she upset top seeded Basuki and forced Ai Sugiyama to retire. As a doubles player, Elena Wagner had won three WTA titles, including a win in Palermo in a pair with another Bulgarian - Pavlina Stoyanova Nola. Elena has collected 12 ITF titles, last of which was back in 1998, including a win over Smashnova of Israel in the final.
In 1999 underwent foot surgery for an Achilles tendon injury. This prevented her to play several months, and therefore to defend her ranking points. As a result Elena dropped out of the top 100 of the world, where she belongs. However, after playing the German National Championships, Elena said that she will regain her place among the top 100 players of the world this year. Currently(09,01'01) she is ranked 302 in the WTA rankings and No.6 in the German national rankings.
In the year 2000, Elena's best performance is the second round of the Budapest event, where she had to play the qulifications. Hopefully, in the year 2001 she will has a lot more success and play the top tennis, she is capable of.
Being a part of the German Fed Cup team, she helped a lot to qulify Germany for the World Group I, with Stefi Graf and Anke Huber infured that time. In her second match vs Miho Saeki ( who beat Maggie at Pan Pacific'99), Elena managed to take the initiative, after being 3-5 down to win the set at 7-6. Reuters:
HAMBURG, April 25 (Reuters) - Elena Wagner sent Germany back into the Fed Cup world group one by beating Japanese Miho Saeki in straight sets on Sunday to give the home side a winning 3-1 lead.
Wagner recovered from 5-3 down in the first set to win 7-6 6-3 and seal the world group two first-round tie.
The 22-year-old Bulgarian-born Wagner won a tense tie-break 10-8 to take the first set and then dominated a tiring Saeki.
Elena Wagner is an all court player, she is as well a wonderful doubles player. When she plays her top tennis she is capable of wonders. She is living now in Germany, and playing for a German tennis Club.
