ITF

200 M aria: It was an amazing feeling and probably the best moment in my career, so I was really happy and so excited and it is just difficult to describe how happy I was. I played with Nadia for about one and a half years and she is a great singles and doubles player. I think we were a very good team. She is quite a big girl and powerful, whereas I am more of a tactical player. Our combination was really good. We won some tournaments together, so it was a great time. I was competing for the bronze in singles as well, but unfortunately I lost that match against [Victoria] Azarenka, but winning a doubles medal helped me to play better and I think that year was my best year, as I managed to get into the Top 10. It was the first time that I was playing in the Olympics and I was quite nervous especially in the doubles. I don't think that I had been as nervous as I was in the Olympic Games because you are playing for your country and you have a lot of responsibility. I remember I was so tired after the Games. At the end of the tournament you do not have any emotions at all because you gave all your emotions away during your matches and these were such difficult matches. It was my dream to win a medal. Of course I wanted to win a singles medal, but when I won the doubles, it was amazing as well. It still feels good and from time to time I post on my Instagram the pictures from the Olympic Games. When I think about this, I am always laughing and feel very proud of myself. I have my medal hanging on my wall in my room so I can always see it and the medal reminds me of that great moment. MARIA KIRILENKO & NADIA PETROVA Russia My mother was an Olympian at a few Olympics and also won a bronze medal so it is very special we both did that. N adia: We teamed up at the beginning of the year especially thinking of the Olympics and we knew we had great results. We were actually aiming for the medal. We had this good feeling that we'd really be able to achieve that. It was really nice, such a strong connection and partnership with her. We had some difficult situations in the matches and there were emotions so it was quite difficult to get through all that. But then at the end it was so exciting and amazing just to stand on the podium – it was just amazing – and to be able to share it with her and the rest of our team was pretty impressive. Of course it adds a little bit of, I can't say confidence, but it is a good feeling. I personally don't feel much of a change but it's just a personal achievement. Before I went home I went to the States for the tournaments so I had to bring the medal with me until I went home. People wanted to see it, to carry it, to put it on and take a picture with it. I think it is my most cherished of everything I've done. The Olympics is much bigger than tennis, than Wimbledon or other events. And winning the bronze is a generational thing for me in my family. My mother was an Olympian at a few Olympics and also won a bronze medal [400 metres relay] so it is very special we both did that. When I was a little girl, more than her medal I was impressed that she had travelled to so many foreign countries and I liked the stories of all her travels.

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