Hantuchova wins in Eastbourne, Molik out
Daniela Hantuchova, concentrating on tennis again instead of lingering queries
about her weight, entered her favourite part of the season with a win into the
second round of the $A840,000 Eastbourne Championships overnight.
The unseeded Slovak, fit and looking healthy after questions 12 months ago over
her falling weight and patchy form, overcame a mid-match challenge from American
veteran Amy Frazier 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.
Eighth seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone outlasted Australian Alicia Molik 2-6,
7-5, 7-6 (7-2).
Hantuchova has put on a few welcome kilograms since fielding questions about a
possible eating disorder following a quarter-final exit here in 2003.
"I've put the entire last year behind me," she said. "I feel great physically
and am concentrating on the future."
The former world number five, who plunged to 19 at the end of last season, was
able to contain Frazier, aged 31, who had won only a single match in her first
nine appearances here before managing a last-eight appearance two years ago.
But feeling good again about tennis is the main goal of the 21-year-old
Hantuchova as the summer campaign heads to Wimbledon.
"I'm so glad to get off clay and onto the grass," said Hantuchova, who won a
round last week in Birmingham before losing to French teenager Tatiana Golivin.
"I love playing on grass, this is the most exciting time of the year."
Though Frazier threatened in the second set, Hantuchova was able to stay in
control.
"I had my chances, but she was serving well and going for her shots," the
Slovak said.
"I'm really pleased to get through. I was expecting a tough match."
Frazier saved six break points in the second set and won the last four games to
square the match at Devonshire Park before Hantuchova showed the form which has
taken her to three Grand Slam quarter-finals.
"It was a tough match for me," the winner said.
"I'm really glad of the way I fought back in the first set. I had some chances
in the second set but I was glad I was fighting for the third.
"I'm happy to be in the next round. I need to get into the later stages of more
tournaments, that's the best ways to build confidence."
Hantuchova next faces a second-round contest against Croatian Karolina Sprem.
There was more pre-Wimbledon despair for former prodigy Jelena Dokic, who made
an unceremonious exit 6-2, 6-2 against Slovenian Tina Pisnik.
Dokic has yet to win a match at the Wimbledon tune-up event on Britain's south
coast in three attempts.
Her last victory of this season in which she stands six wins and 13 defeats
came in April in Charleston, when she got past Russian Tatiana Panova in the
first round before going out to Hungarian Petra Mandula.
"My game was appalling in general," said a disappointed Dokic, who stood
fourth in the world in September 2002.
"She didn't have to do much, I gave everything to her.
"My confidence is low, but I need to take it onto the practise court and work. I like tennis or I wouldn't be playing it."
Russian Elena Bovina stunned 2003 semi-finalist Silvia Farina Elia, seeded
fifth, 7-5, 6-0.
Elena Likhovtseva defeated fellow Russian Dinara Safina 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 while
Briton Amanda Janes beat China's Zie Zheng 7-5, 6-3. She will next face a
stern test against French top seed Amelie Mauresmo.
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每贏一場球就找回一點自信..
上吧..韓娃...
忘了2003的一切種種...
球場上認真揮拍贏德每一場比賽的你最美^^
草地果然是韓娃較拿手的場地..
go go go ^^
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