Dementieva: "Conchita Martinez insisted mid-season that Mirra stop playing doubles"

Elena Dementieva, world No. 3 in 2009, spoke about her compatriot Mirra Andreeva, who had an end to the season that did not meet her expectations.

The Russian lost all three of her group stage matches in doubles at the WTA Finals and missed out on qualification in singles.

She stated: "Conchita Martinez insisted mid-season that Mirra stop playing doubles, skip certain tournaments, and focus on singles.

It was her first season, with a significant workload, and she probably couldn't influence Mirra's decision.

But, as she said, it's hard to have to withdraw from doubles. Sometimes it really helps: it allows you to find your bearings and readjust to the surface. Sometimes, it's a great consolation after an early exit in singles.

It's a very difficult decision; you never know how far you will go, and betting only on singles is very difficult and risky."