Russian star Elena Dementieva has shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement from tennis, after bowing out of the WTA Championships in Doha.
The 29-year-old's final match ended in a 6-4 6-2 loss to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.
The Beijing Olympic gold medallist and dual grand slam runner-up had scored her 576th and final tour win against Australian Samantha Stosur on Thursday.
Dementieva, the world No 9, who reached a career-high No 3 only last year, is considered the best player of her generation never to win a major.
