Alison Riske
Encyclopedia
Alison Riske is a professional American tennis
player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 104, which she reached on May 9, 2011. Her career high in doubles is 251, which she reached on August 15, 2011.
Educated by the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, she played the fall of 2006 for
Peters Township High School
, where she led the girls' tennis team to the Pennsylvania State championship, and won the championship in singles. The following year, she won the USTA National Collegiate Clay Court Championship to earn a spot in the US Open qualifying draw, where she won her first match over Sorana Cîrstea
before losing to Julie Ditty
. She also won the ITA Summer Claycourt Championship and finished second at the USTA National Hardcourts that year. In early 2008, she earned the No. 1 ranking in her country in Girls 18s competition. She got her first taste of the professional circuit later that year, when she served as a hitting partner for the United States Fed Cup team
in their semifinal against Russia.
In her early career, Riske was coached by Janice Irwin, coach of the girls' tennis team at nearby Upper St. Clair High School. She later begun working with Yves Boulais, the husband of former professional Patricia Hy-Boulais
, who still works with her alongside her sister, Sarah, who is currently her main coach.
Riske also trains at Van Der Meer in Hilton Head, SC.
.
Riske dabbled in a few pro tournaments with small success until May. Finding impressive form, Riske began a run on the ITF Women's circuit. As a qualifier, she reached the semifinals of a pro tournament in Indian Harbour Beach. In June she reached the finals of a tournament in Hilton Head, and again as a qualifier reached the semifinals of a tournament in Boston
. Her form continued as she reached another semifinal, this time in Atlanta.
By the time of the US Open, Riske's ranking had improved to 344, over 500 places from when she started the year. She was granted a wildcard into the qualifying tournament of the US Open, but fell in three sets to Yulia Fedossova. Before the US Open Riske made the decision to give up her scholarship to Vanderbilt
and turn professional largely in part due to her breakthrough year. Riske continued her form to the end of the year where she broke through in her first professional tournament in Troy
, Alabama
. Again as a qualifier she made another impressive run to claim the title over compatriot Christina McHale
.
She finished the year ranked at No. 232.
Riske begun 2010, her first full season as a professional, by reaching the semifinals of an ITF event in Rancho Mirage
. She played in several qualifying tournaments for WTA
events with little success until June, when she qualified for the AEGON Classic
, a grass court event, and went on to have her professional breakthrough, earning wins over Aleksandra Wozniak
, Anna Chakvetadze
and Yanina Wickmayer
before losing in three sets to Maria Sharapova
in the semifinals. This led to her being offered a main draw wildcard to Wimbledon, her Grand Slam debut, where she lost in a rematch against Wickmayer in the first round.
In October 2010, Riske completed an impressive run of winning an ITF 75k, 50K and 50K in three straight weeks.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 104, which she reached on May 9, 2011. Her career high in doubles is 251, which she reached on August 15, 2011.
Early life and career
The daughter of Al and Carol Riske, she first played tennis at the age of 3 years old after her dad took her out to hit. Her father worked in the secret service and later as an FBI investigator, while her mother was a school teacher, but both are now retired. Her sister, Sarah, is also a tennis player who played for Vanderbilt and had a brief professional career, reaching as high as No. 372. Her brother, Dan, played college tennis for West Liberty State, and is now an accountant.Educated by the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, she played the fall of 2006 for
Peters Township High School
Peters Township High School
Peters Township High School is a public high school in McMurray, Pennsylvania, at 264 East McMurray Road. It was built in 1968 and renovated in 1981. In January 2001, a 16-month, $24 million renovation was completed. The high school includes students from grades 9 through 12...
, where she led the girls' tennis team to the Pennsylvania State championship, and won the championship in singles. The following year, she won the USTA National Collegiate Clay Court Championship to earn a spot in the US Open qualifying draw, where she won her first match over Sorana Cîrstea
Sorana Cîrstea
Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea, is a Romanian tennis player. Her career high rank was World No. 23, achieved on 17 August 2009, after she reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 French Open and the semifinals of the 2009 Los Angeles Open.- Playing style :...
before losing to Julie Ditty
Julie Ditty
Julie Ditty is an American professional tennis player. Ditty did not have her true WTA breakthrough until 2007, when she reached the semifinals of the Bell Challenge, a result that took her into the top 100 for the first time in her career on November 5, 2007, at No. 91...
. She also won the ITA Summer Claycourt Championship and finished second at the USTA National Hardcourts that year. In early 2008, she earned the No. 1 ranking in her country in Girls 18s competition. She got her first taste of the professional circuit later that year, when she served as a hitting partner for the United States Fed Cup team
United States Fed Cup team
The United States Fed Cup team is the most successful national team in Fed Cup competition. The team has won 17 titles and finished second a further 9 times, out of 44 participations.-History:...
in their semifinal against Russia.
In her early career, Riske was coached by Janice Irwin, coach of the girls' tennis team at nearby Upper St. Clair High School. She later begun working with Yves Boulais, the husband of former professional Patricia Hy-Boulais
Patricia Hy-Boulais
Patricia Hy-Boulais is a former tennis player. Representing Hong Kong early in her career, Hy-Boulais became a citizen of Canada in 1991...
, who still works with her alongside her sister, Sarah, who is currently her main coach.
Riske also trains at Van Der Meer in Hilton Head, SC.
2009–10
Riske came into 2009 ranked 895 in the world. A senior in the class of 2009, she had signed a letter of intent to play college tennis at Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
Riske dabbled in a few pro tournaments with small success until May. Finding impressive form, Riske began a run on the ITF Women's circuit. As a qualifier, she reached the semifinals of a pro tournament in Indian Harbour Beach. In June she reached the finals of a tournament in Hilton Head, and again as a qualifier reached the semifinals of a tournament in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Her form continued as she reached another semifinal, this time in Atlanta.
By the time of the US Open, Riske's ranking had improved to 344, over 500 places from when she started the year. She was granted a wildcard into the qualifying tournament of the US Open, but fell in three sets to Yulia Fedossova. Before the US Open Riske made the decision to give up her scholarship to Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
and turn professional largely in part due to her breakthrough year. Riske continued her form to the end of the year where she broke through in her first professional tournament in Troy
Troy, Alabama
Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Again as a qualifier she made another impressive run to claim the title over compatriot Christina McHale
Christina McHale
Christina McHale is a professional American tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is No. 45, and in doubles it is No. 171. McHale has beaten numerous top WTA tour players, including current world no...
.
She finished the year ranked at No. 232.
Riske begun 2010, her first full season as a professional, by reaching the semifinals of an ITF event in Rancho Mirage
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
. She played in several qualifying tournaments for WTA
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...
events with little success until June, when she qualified for the AEGON Classic
2010 AEGON Classic
The 2010 AEGON Classic was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 29th edition of the event. It took place at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, from June 7 through June 13, 2010.-Seeds:...
, a grass court event, and went on to have her professional breakthrough, earning wins over Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak is a Canadian professional tennis player. She turned professional in November 2005. Wozniak achieved a career-best ranking of no. 21 on June 22, 2009, making her the fourth-highest ranked Canadian singles player of all time. She has won one WTA and eight ITF tournaments...
, Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Djambulilovna Chakvetadze is a Russian professional tennis player . On September 10, 2007, she reached her career-high professional singles ranking of World No. 5. She has won eight WTA Singles Titles and appeared in the 2007 US Open semifinals. As of July 4, 2011, Chakvetadze is ranked World...
and Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer is a Belgian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world no. 22 and is the second-highest ranked female Belgian tennis player. She reached her career-high ranking of world no. 12 on 19 April 2010...
before losing in three sets to Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...
in the semifinals. This led to her being offered a main draw wildcard to Wimbledon, her Grand Slam debut, where she lost in a rematch against Wickmayer in the first round.
In October 2010, Riske completed an impressive run of winning an ITF 75k, 50K and 50K in three straight weeks.
ITF Circuit singles finals (6–3)
| $100,000 tournaments |
| $75,000 tournaments |
| $50,000 tournaments |
| $25,000 tournaments |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner–up | 1. | June 1, 2009 | Hilton Head Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton... , United States |
Hard |  Alexandra MuellerAlexandra Mueller Alexandra Mueller is a professional American tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit. On July 6, 2009, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 280. On July 18, 2011, she reached her highest WTA doubles ranking of 190. She is coached by Scott Lambdin.-External links:... |
1–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Winner | 1. | October 5, 2009 | Troy Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County.... , United States |
Hard | Christina McHale Christina McHale Christina McHale is a professional American tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is No. 45, and in doubles it is No. 171. McHale has beaten numerous top WTA tour players, including current world no... |
6–4, 2–6, 7–5 |
| Runner–up | 2. | September 20, 2010 | Saguenay Saguenay, Quebec Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City.... , Canada |
Hard |  Rebecca MarinoRebecca Marino Rebecca Marino is a Canadian professional tennis player. On July 11, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 38... |
4–6, 7–6(4), 6–7(5) |
| Winner | 2. | October 4, 2010 | Barnstaple Barnstaple Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the... , Great Britain |
Hard |  Johanna Larsson |
6–2, 6–0 |
| Winner | 3. | October 11, 2010 | Joué-lès-Tours Joué-lès-Tours Joué-lès-Tours is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Tours, and is adjacent to it on the southwest.... , France |
Hard |  Vesna ManasievaVesna Manasieva Vesna Ratkovna Dolonts is a Russian professional tennis player, born to a Serbian father and Russian mother.-ITF Tournament career:Dolonts began competing on the ITF women's circuit in September 2005, soon after her sixteenth birthday, and had risen to World No... |
5–7, 6–4, 6–1 |
| Winner | 4. | October 18, 2010 | Saint Raphaël Saint-Raphaël, Var Saint-Raphaël is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies another, older, town called Fréjus, and together they form an urban agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël... , France |
Hard |  Urszula RadwańskaUrszula Radwanska Urszula Radwańska is a Polish tennis player and a younger sister of Agnieszka Radwańska. She reached her career high ranking of World No. 62 on 10 August 2009.-Tennis career:... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner–up | 3. | May 8, 2011 | Indian Harbour Beach Indian Harbour Beach, Florida Indian Harbour Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,152 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 8,441... , United States |
Clay |  Melinda CzinkMelinda Czink Melinda Czink is a Hungarian professional female tennis player. On September 21, 2009 Czink reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 37.... |
6–4, 1–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 5. | October 16, 2011 | Joué-lès-Tours 2011 Open GDF SUEZ de Touraine The 2011 Open GDF SUEZ de Touraine will be a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It will be the sixth edition of the tournament which is part of the 2011 ITF Women's Circuit... , France |
Hard |  Akgul AmanmuradovaAkgul Amanmuradova Akgul Amanmuradova is a professional female tennis player from Uzbekistan.In 2005, she reached her first ever WTA singles final in Tashkent, the capital of her home country. In the final she lost to 16-year old Michaëlla Krajicek of the Netherlands... |
2–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
| Winner | 6. | November 6, 2011 | Nantes 2011 Open GDF SUEZ Nantes Atlantique The 2011 Open GDF SUEZ Nantes Atlantique was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the ninth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2011 ITF Women's Circuit... , France |
Hard |  Iryna Brémond |
6–1, 6–4 |
ITF Circuit doubles finals (1–3)
| $100,000 tournaments |
| $75,000 tournaments |
| $50,000 tournaments |
| $25,000 tournaments |
| $10,000 tournaments |
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Winner | 1. | June 1, 2009 | Hilton Head Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton... , United States |
Hard | Jacqueline Cako |
Natalie Pluskota Caitlin Whoriskey Caitlin Whoriskey Cousin of Matthew G. Colman, Caitlin Whoriskey is an American professional tennis player. She played collegiately at the University of Tennessee, where she was a three-time All-American. She finished runner-up in doubles at the 2010 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship, playing with Natalie Pluskota... |
6–3, 3–6, 10–6 |
| Runner–up | 1. | July 20, 2009 | Lexington Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... , United States |
Hard | Jacqueline Cako |
 Chang Kai-chen  Tetiana LuzhanskaTetiana Luzhanska Tetiana Luzhanska is a professional Ukrainian American tennis player. Luzhanska has not won a WTA title. However, on the ITF, she has won 19 doubles and 2 singles titles. Luzhanska's highest singles ranking was World Number 131 on September 26, 2011, and her highest doubles rank was World Number... |
3–6, 2–6 |
| Runner–up | 2. | February 13, 2011 | Midland Dow Corning Tennis Classic Dow Corning Tennis Classic is a ITF Circuit Tennis Tournament organised for Women's Professional tennis. It is played in February-March each year in Midland, Michigan, USA. . Since 2010 it has been a 100K tournament. It is one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year.-Singles:-Doubles:... , United States |
Hard | Irina Falconi Irina Falconi Irina Falconi is a professional American tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is World No. 119, which she reached on April 18, 2011. Her career high in doubles is World No. 205, which she reached on February 28, 2011... |
Jamie Hampton Jamie Hampton Jamie Lee Hampton is a professional American tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit. On April 4, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of World No. 116. Hampton lived in Enterprise, Alabama until she was 13, when she moved to Auburn, Alabama...  Anna TatishviliAnna Tatishvili Anna Tatishvili is a professional Georgian tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is No. 84, which she reached on 4 July, 2011. Her career high in doubles is 107, which she reached on April 12, 2010... |
Walkover |
| Runner–up | 3. | April 24, 2011 | Dothan Dothan Pro Tennis Classic The Dothan Pro Tennis Classic is a tennis tournament held on outdoor clay at the Westgate Tennis Center in Dothan, Alabama. It has been held since 2001 and is part of the ITF Women's Circuit, as a 50K event. In the past it has been a 25K event and a 75K event .-Key:-Singles:-Doubles:... , United States |
Clay | Heidi El Tabakh Heidi El Tabakh Heidi El Tabakh is an Egyptian-born Canadian professional tennis player from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 149, which she reached on February 22, 2010. Her career high in doubles is 173, which she reached on February 8, 2010... |
Valeria Solovieva Valeria Solovieva Valeria Alexandrovna Solovieva is a professional Russian tennis player. On May 23, 2011, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 252, whilst her best doubles ranking was 261 on June 6, 2011.- Junior Grand Slam tournament womens' doubles final :...  Lenka WienerováLenka Wienerová Lenka Wienerová is a professional Slovak tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 128, which she reached on August 10, 2009. Her career high in doubles is 196, which she reached on May 2, 2011.... |
3–6, 4–6 |