HANTUCHOVA BACK TO HER BEST
Daniela Hantuchova was bidding for probably her best ever victory on Friday
against world number four Amelie Mauresmo at Eastbourne - convinced that her
career revival is ready to take off.
The 21-year-old Slovakian, who has put on more than a stone in weight since
fears were expressed a year ago that she had become anorexic, will joust with
Frenchwoman Mauresmo for the pleasure of taking on a Russian rival in Saturday's
3,000 final.
And she insists: "I feel like my life is just beginning once more. I'm winning
matches again and that boosts my confidence. And when my confidence is up I
believe I can play against anyone."
Hantuchova's reunion with Sussex-based coach Nigel Sears is, she admits, a
major factor in an upturn in her form which has followed a slip from world
number five in March 2003 to 54 this year on the back of first round exits in
Berlin, Rome and Paris.
Neither will say why they split last year at the time when observers were
looking with alarm at Hantuchova's dramatic weight loss.
"I don't want to talk about that. It s all behind me," she said,
"All that matters is that I'm not so frustrated as I was with my game and that
I am on the way up again.
"But Nigel knows me so well and now that we are back together he is a great
help to me."
Unseeded at Eastbourne in the Hastings Direct International Women's
Championship, Hantuchova swept into the semi-finals with a 6-1 7-6 triumph
against third seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan, having already dismissed rising
Croat star Karolina Sprem and grass-court specialist Amy Frazier.
She admits: "It will be another tough match against Amelie but I will keep the
same attitude - just play my best and see how far I can go."
Top seed Mauresmo, a growing fancy for Wimbledon now that Belgian pair Justin
Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters are out and the Williams sisters
under-performing, followed up her easy cruise against Britain's Amanda Janes
by beating tough Bulgarian competitor Maggie Maleeva 6-4, 6-2.
And she aims to go through to the final against the winner of the all-Russian
clash between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonereva.
But the main draw matches could face competition among the fans from the
familiar figure of Martina Navratilova, still warming up for her first
Wimbledon singles appearance in 10 years at the age of 47 by playing in the
consolation plate final for the Eastbourne Cup against Italy's Silvia Farina
Elia.
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