Highlights

2003
January
First doubles final came at Canberra with Bedanova, where they lost to No. 2 seeds Garbin/Loit; made Australian Open debut, l. 1r to No. 32 seed Srebotnik in 3s.
February
Unseeded at Doha, d. higher-ranked Russian compatriot Kuznetsova 64 63 to reach QF, l. to No. 2 seed Russian Myskina 62 75; qualified for first Tier II event at Dubai, l. 1r to No. 5 seed Myskina.
March
L. 1r at Indian Wells to Chladkova 06 76(4) 76(2); in Miami d. Kournikova 61 64 before falling to No. 17 seed Sugiyama in 3s.

2002
Ranked No. 451 and seeded No. 6 (first time seeded), won singles title at ITF/Mallorca-ESP; swept singles and doubles titles at two ITF Circuit events; debuted on WTA Tour at Estoril (as world No. 404), upsetting No. 39, No. 3 seed Sucha, No. 91 Oremans and No. 66 Matevzic (l. to No. 103 Anca Barna in SF); following Estoril, ranking jumped from No. 404 (April 8) to No. 245 (April 15); qualified for Madrid and d. Spaniard Torrens Valero in 1r; at Tashkent, upset No. 4 seed Noorlander before l. third-set tie-break to Perebiynis (led 5-2 in the set and the tie-break); captured first WTA Tour title at Sopot, becoming first qualifier to do so in nearly three years and youngest champion in four years at age 16 years, three months, 0 days; ranked No. 169, d. world No. 24, No. 2 seed Schnyder, No. 47, No. 6 seed Nagyova and No. 55, No. 8 seed Serna; vaulted to No. 90 ranking; victory was second 2002 title for a Russian, following a three year gap (in May 2002, Russian Bovina d. Nagyova in final of Warsaw); following Sopot, held a 37-6 w-l for year; made Grand Slam debut at US Open, d. Grande 1r before falling to top seed S. Williams; at home in Moscow, received wildcard into the Tier I tournament and rallied to d. world No. 14 Farina Elia 06 76 64 for first Top 20 win; fell 2r to No. 65 Matevzic in 3s; ranking improved to No. 70.

2001
Tried unsucessfully to qualify at WTA Tour events in Madrid and Moscow; appeared on WTA Rankings at No. 732 on February 12, 2001; competed at four ITF Circuit events, winning career-first title in Rome (fifth pro effort) while competing with a ranking for first time (No. 675) and by upending No. 2 seed Schmidle 1r.

2000
Debuted on ITF Circuit at two events, reaching final at first appearance (Mallorca, ESP), upsetting two seeds en route.