[新聞]Dream debut for Ukrainian teen Kutuzova

看板ALL-RUSSIANS作者zerkchu (lin)時間22年前 (2003/08/06 16:52)推噓2(2推 0噓 0→)

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Viktoriya Kutuzova照片 http://sanexwta.com/assets/story_image/KutuzovaPress080503.jpg

Dream debut for Ukrainian teen Kutuzova August 6, 2003 LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) - Ukrainian 14-year-old Viktoriya Kutuzova conquered her nerves and made her WTA Tour debut a memorable one, beating Russian Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the 635,000-dollar hardcourt tournament here. "It was my first time, my first tournament, my first match. She's a very good player. I was really nervous," said the lissome youngster, who in typical teen fashion was quick to point out she'll be 15 on August 19. "I wasn't scared, just nervous, but that's normal. I can play with this," she said. Kutuzova, who has spent time recently training at the Evert Academy in Florida, made her pro debut this year with three appearances in ITF events in Mississippi, Alabama and Evansville, Illinois, where she reached the semi-finals. She appeared for the first time in the WTA rankings released on Monday, at number 451. Before the match, Kutuzova said, she tried not to think about whether she could win. "I was just focusing on my first game," she said. "I was talking to a lot of people and they told me, 'You can win.'" By the time she served for the match Kutuzova admitted, she was imagining a triumphant phone call to her mother, who was back home with her five-year-old sister. Kutuzova is coached by her father, Valeriy, who travels with her to tournaments. But she said he didn't accompany her to the court on Tuesday. "I don't know where he is right now," she said. "He said 'You're old enough. You know what to do.' He didn't want to make me nervous." Kutuzova speculated that Krasnoroutskaya may have been feeling the pressure against an opponent several years her junior and from a country as closely linked as Ukraine to Russia. But the Russian, ranked 41st in the world, said it was illness that contributed to a slow and mistake-strewn match that included a dozen double faults. "I didn't have the energy to move," Krasnoroutskaya said. "I don't really know right now what to say because I just wasn't there today." Russian 16-year-old Maria Sharapova reached the third-round with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory over 14th-seeded compatriot Nadia Petrova, a French Open semi-finalist. Petrova broke to lead 2-0 in the third set, but couldn't covert two game points in the third game as she dropped her own serve. "From that point, that gave her the feelingtht she could come back and win it," Petrova said. "The match started to get tight. Unfortunately I didn't play my service games very well. She basically took over the match." That was just what Sharapova had told herself she had to do in the final set. "In the second, I let a few important points go, but in the third I took control of them," she said. Sharapova, playing her first tournament since she became just the fourth woman wildcard to reach the round of 16 at Wimbledon , next faces either top-seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters or France's Emilie Loit, whose second-round clash headlined the day session on Wednesday. Second-seeded American Linday Davenport was due up on Wednesday night against Austrian Barbara Schett. But third-seeded Chanda Rubin, the defending champion, withdrew Tuesday with a shoulder injury. Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia was to take Rubin's place in the second round against Italian Rita Grande. Ai Sugiyama, the highest seed in action Tuesday at number four, had to battle for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 second-round victory over fellow Japanese Saori Obata. Sixth-seeded Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva defeated Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round. Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez, seeded seventh, also reached the third round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over American Tara Snyder. Martinez trailed 3-0 in the second set before reeling off six straight games to take the match. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.csie.ntu.edu.tw) ◆ From: 203.219.101.22 ※ 編輯: zerkchu 來自: 203.219.101.22 (08/06 17:19)