Viktoria Milvidskaia Belinsky

Viktoria Mikhailovna Belinsky (née Milvidskaia, 20 April 1967) is a former professional tennis player from Russia. Her highest WTA rankings were 168 in singles and 145 in doubles.

Viktoria Milvidskaia Belinsky
Full nameViktoria Mikhailovna Milvidskaia
Country (sports) Soviet Union
 Russia
ResidenceNew York City and Miami, United States
Born (1967-04-20) 20 April 1967
Moscow, Soviet Union
Turned pro1983
Retired1994
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$71,427
Singles
Career record99–65
Career titles0 WTA, 1 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 168 (28 September 1992)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQ2 (1991)
French OpenQ1 (1991)
WimbledonQ2 (1992)
US Open2R (1992)
Doubles
Career record84–39
Career titles0 WTA, 14 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 145 (29 October 1990)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open1R (1991)
French Open1R (1991)
Medal record
Representing the  Soviet Union
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1987 Zagreb Doubles
Friendship Games
Silver medal – second place1984Women's singles
Bronze medal – third place1984Women's doubles

Early life

Belinsky began playing tennis at the age of seven in Moscow. She played for the famous Spartak tennis club, and her coaches were Alexandra Granaturova and Larisa Preobrazhenskaya.[1]

In 1983, she won the First International Tournament in Moscow which earned her the honour of Master of Sports of the USSR, International Class (equates to international champion).

Professional career

She was a member of the USSR national tennis team (1983–1989) and represented the USSR in many different tournaments around the world. In 1984, she became the youngest USSR national champion.

Belinsky played in all Grand Slam tournaments. She had career wins over Manon Bollegraf, Tami Whitlinger, Sandra Wasserman, Nicole Arendt, Inés Gorrochategui, Lubomira Bacheva, Regina Maršíková, Andrea Strnadová, Sabine Hack, and Radka Bobková, and stopped playing in 1993 due to a knee injury. The same year, she moved to the United States.

Belinsky has an M.A. in physical education from the State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports in Moscow. She received this degree in May 1989.

From 2005 to 2008, Belinsky worked at the Russian NTV PLUS Tennis Channel. Her program was titled Tennis coach – is it nature or nurtured?. She interviewed many famous tennis coaches including: Wayne Bryan, Nick Bollettieri, Bud Collins, Robert Lansdorp, Carlos Rodriguez, Richard Williams. In addition, she has interviewed players such as Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Anna Kournikova, Marat Safin and Janko Tipsarević. She worked as a sports broadcaster at the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008), and as a tennis analyst at Wimbledon, the US Open, the Davis Cup, and the Federation Cup.

In 2014, Belinsky worked as a coach for the USTA Player Development program[2] in New York City.

In 2015, she moved to Florida and began working as a private coach.

Junior Grand Slam finals

Girls' doubles: 1 (runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1984 Wimbledon Grass Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko United States Caroline Kuhlman
United States Stephanie Rehe		 3–6, 7–5, 4–6

ITF finals
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles (1–4)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. 8 September 1986 Zagreb, Yugoslavia Hard Switzerland Lilian Kelaidis 2–6, 7–5, 3–6
Winner 2. 30 March 1987 Bari, Italy Clay Soviet Union Aida Halatian 1–6, 6–1, 7–5
Runner-up 3. 14 September 1987 Sofia, Bulgaria Clay Soviet Union Eugenia Maniokova 1–6, 0–6
Runner-up 4. 9 April 1990 Bari, Italy Clay Italy Laura Golarsa 3–6, 4–6
Runner-up 5. 16 July 1990 Darmstadt, West Germany Clay Argentina Cristina Tessi 1–6, 6–7

Doubles (14–2)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. 30 December 1986 Chicago, United States Hard Soviet Union Natalia Egorova United States Elizabeth Evans
United States Jennifer Prah		 6–1, 6–1
Runner-up 2. 6 January 1986 El Paso, United States Clay Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva United States Cammy MacGregor
United States Cynthia MacGregor		 6–4, 3–6, 4–6
Winner 3. 8 September 1986 Zagreb, Yugoslavia Clay Soviet Union Natalia Egorova Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Renata Šašak
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Karmen Škulj		 6–2, 6–3
Winner 4. 15 September 1986 Sofia, Bulgaria Clay Soviet Union Natalia Egorova Italy Laura Golarsa
Netherlands Marianne van der Torre		 6–0, 6–2
Winner 5. 30 March 1987 Bari, Italy Clay Soviet Union Aida Halatian Netherlands Karin van Essen
United Kingdom Sarah Sullivan		 6–2, 2–6, 7–6
Winner 6. 20 April 1987 Monviso, Italy Clay Soviet Union Aida Halatian Czechoslovakia Hana Fukárková
Poland Iwona Kuczyńska		 7–5, 6–3
Winner 7. 28 September 1987 Bol, Croatia Clay Soviet Union Elena Brioukhovets Soviet Union Aida Halatian
Soviet Union Eugenia Maniokova		 6–4, 5–7, 6–4
Winner 8. 16 November 1987 Croydon, United Kingdom Carpet Hong Kong Paulette Moreno Soviet Union Eugenia Maniokova
Soviet Union Natalia Medvedeva		 6–4, 6–1
Winner 9. 12 June 1988 Modena, Italy Clay Soviet Union Eugenia Maniokova Indonesia Yayuk Basuki
Japan Ei Iida		 6–3, 4–6, 6–0
Winner 10. 19 June 1988 Salerno, Italy Clay Soviet Union Eugenia Maniokova Finland Anne Aallonen
Indonesia Yayuk Basuki		 1–6, 7–5, 6–4
Winner 11. 26 June 1988 Arezzo, Italy Clay Soviet Union Eugenia Maniokova Indonesia Yayuk Basuki
Netherlands Titia Wilmink		 0–6, 7–5, 6–1
Winner 12. 15 August 1988 Rebecq, Belgium Clay Soviet Union Elena Brioukhovets Israel Ilana Berger
Israel Anat Varon		 6–2, 6–2
Winner 13. 29 August 1988 Nivelles, Belgium Clay Soviet Union Elena Brioukhovets Hungary Réka Szikszay
Netherlands Amy van Buuren		 1–6, 7–5, 6–1
Winner 14. 16 April 1990 Marsa, Malta Clay Soviet Union Anna Mirza Spain Eva Bes
Spain Silvia Ramón-Cortés		 6–2, 7–6
Runner-up 15. 30 July 1990 Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany Clay Soviet Union Agnese Blumberga Czechoslovakia Petra Holubová
Czechoslovakia Sylvia Štefková		 4–6, 4–6
Winner 16. 8 July 1991 Erlangen, Germany Clay Germany Maja Živec-Škulj Australia Louise Stacey
Australia Angie Woolcock		 6–4, 6–4

Other finals

Singles
Outcome Year Championship Location Opponent Score
Winner 1984 USSR Tennis National Championship Tashkent, Soviet Union Soviet Union Oksana Lifanova 6–0, 6–4
Finalist 1981 European Junior Championships 14&U[3] Serramazzoni, Italy Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva 2–6, 4–6
Finalist 1987 USSR Tennis National Championship Tallinn, Soviet Union Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva 1–6, 2–6
Medal Date Tournament Location Opponent Score
Silver August 1984 1984 Friendship Games Katowice, Poland Soviet Union Elena Yelisieyenko 6–0, 6–4

Doubles
Outcome Year Championship Location Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1984 European Championship[4] Ostend, Belgium Soviet Union Natalia Egorova France Isabelle Demongeot
France Nathalie Tauziat		 2–6, 6–3, 6–4
Finalist 1981 European Junior Championships 14 & Under[5] Serramazzoni, Italy Soviet Union Irina Zvereva Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva
Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva		 3–6, 7–5, 1–6
Outcome Date Tournament Location Partner Opponents Score
Gold July 1987 1987 Universiade Games Zagreb, Yugoslavia Soviet Union Leila Meskhi Czechoslovakia Iva Budařová
Czechoslovakia Nora Bajčíková		 6–3, 6–4

References
  1. Coyle, Daniel (March 4, 2007). "How to Grow a Super-Athlete". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  2. "Player Development Home | Player Development". USTA. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  3. "European Junior Championship". Tennis Europe. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  4. "European junior Championships". Tennis Europe. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  5. "European Junior Championships". Tennis Europe. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
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