Elena Vesnina is hoping her wildcard into the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia 

There are few, if any, nationalities quite so fiercely patriotic as the Russians.

This pride manifests itself in all walks of life, from politics to arts to sports. Take Kuznetsova' s unexpected - and emotional - surge to last year's Kremlin cup , the famous old Olimpiyskiy indoor arena whipped up in nationalistic fervor for her all-Russian final with anastasia pavlyuchenkova.

It is a pity, then, that - aside from the occasional Fed Cup tie - this tournament has provided the sole opportunity for Russia's golden generation to shine on home soil.

This year, though, has seen a second event, in the country's old capital St. Petersburg, added to the calendar.