Ovechkin's girlfriend admits hockey is tougher than tennis

Alexander Ovechkin is in Russia preparing for the Winter Olympics while his girlfriend, Maria Kirilenko, battles for tennis supremacy at the U.S. Open in New York. After her first round victory over Yanina Wickmayer, Kirilenko told Reuters Canada how hockey and tennis players stacked up in terms of toughness. 

I think they're both tough, but different kind of tough. (But) they have such tough guys playing there, they are not afraid of anything. Alex, he already broke his nose five times. We never broke our nose, so I think their sport is tougher. 

That pretty much sums it up. 

Kirilenko hopes Ovechkin can join her in New York for the duration of the Open, provided she advances to the second week of competition. The pair met on practice Court Five at Flushing Meadows two years ago.