ELENA PAMPULOVA-WAGNER

Elena Pampulova-Wagner is one of my favorite tennis players. She was born on May,the 17th 1972 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Elena Wagner has been part of the Bulgarian Fed Cup team, she is the only one Bulgarian tennis player, exept the Maleevas, who has won a WTA tour title and is playing at such a high level. Now Elena is a German citizen, but she tries to help the Bulgarian tennis in every possible way. Not long ago she gave to the young players of the Sofia clubs equipments and some useful tips.

As a player who competes for Germany Elena is part of the German Fed Cup team and this year she became the hero of Germany, for she took the most important match and led Germany ahead of Japan. This particular win was very important for her, because it was her first match for Germany and it was an important one.

I have the chance to see this match and I have to say that it was pretty close one. Firstly, Miho Saeki ( who beat Maggie at Pan Pacific'99) took the initiative to lead 3-0, but straight after Elena started to play as if the result of the match was equel to live or death. With a very agressive base line play she took the lead- 5-3. Than she lost her confidence once again and allowed Miho to make it 5 all. Fortunatelly, Elena took the tiebreak. The second set was played in the same tough way as well.

Now she is off tourneys because of achiles injury and a surgery. Hope she will soon recover. BEST OF LUCK