© Dave Saffran

(October 1, 2010) Vera Zvonareva has booked her return trip to Doha. The Wimbledon and US Open runner-up became the second singles player to qualify for the season-ending WTA Championships–Doha 2010, set to take place for the third year in a row at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, from October 26-31st. 

"I’m thrilled to be going back to Doha.  I’ve been at the year-end WTA Championships for the past couple of years and I am very happy that I have been able to compete there for three years in a row now," said World No.4 Zvonareva.

In Doha, Zvonareva will join Caroline Wozniacki and the doubles teams of Flavia Pennetta/Gisela Dulko and Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik who qualified earlier.  The world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams will compete for the coveted WTA Championships title and a share of the $4.5 million in prize money.

"Vera has had the best season of her career, highlighted by reaching back-to-back Grand Slam finals in addition to a career-high ranking of World No.4," said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA. "After last season plagued by injuries, Vera’s worked incredibly hard to recover and get back to the top of the sport and it’s fantastic that she will finish a great year at the WTA season finale in Doha."

Zvonareva will make her fourth appearance at the prestigious year-end WTA Championships, having debuted in Los Angeles in 2004, in addition to her three consecutive trips to Doha, where she finished as a runner-up to Venus Williams in 2008.

 Zvonareva has enjoyed a breakthrough 2010, highlighted by back-to-back Grand Slam final appearances at Wimbledon (lost to Serena Williams) and the US Open (lost to Kim Clijsters).  Zvonareva is currently ranked a career-high World No.4.  Zvonareva also won her 10th career title at the PTT Pattaya Open (Pattaya), and reached the final at the Family Circle Cup (Charleston, lost to Samantha Stosur) and the Rogers Cup (Montreal, lost to Wozniacki), making her one of three players this season to reach five finals (Sharapova, Wozniacki).

 Zvonareva’s interests outside of tennis include involvement in numerous charitable organizations in addition to currently studying for a degree in International Relations and Economics at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  She enrolled in this program in 2007 while being sidelined from tennis with an injury.  Earlier this year, Zvonareva became a supporter of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, an organization fighting the debilitating disease affecting young girls.