Hantuchova aiming to raise ranking as well as attention
Hantuchova aiming to raise ranking as well as attention
By Neil Schmidt
Enquirer contributor
Daniela Hantuchova is trying to regain the form that helped her achieve a
career-best singles ranking of No. 5 in 2003.
MASON - When Daniela Hantuchova's tennis or spirits sag, she can seek support
in cyberspace. Virtual hugs abound.
There are countless Hantuchova fan Web sites, and her official site overflows
with supportive posts - and even poetry - on her message board. (Sample: "Roses
are red, Violets are blue, You have nice legs and I love you.")
Hantuchova said Tuesday that her fans helped her weather some rough spells in
her tennis. The 22-year-old Slovakian looked as sharp as ever in a 6-1, 6-2
victory over Lilia Osterloh in the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's
Open.
"The fans helped me so much during the difficult times when you really question
yourself," she said. "Just seeing that support ... how much it means to them
when I do well, and that they are behind me when I don't do well. It's really
something special."
Hantuchova took the tennis world by storm as a teenager, achieving top-five
rankings in both singles and doubles during 2002 and '03 - the first Slovak
woman to reach the singles top five. Modeling work for GQ and Vogue widened her
fan support.
Yet she struggled to return to her January 2003 rankings peak, falling out of
the top 30 early this year. She suffered through a 3-8 spell leading up to
Wimbledon but rallied there to reach the third round and give eventual women's
champion Venus Williams a stern test.
"I lose a few matches I should have won; of course the confidence went a bit
away," she said. "Then I felt I put it back together (at) Wimbledon. ... I was
really, really upbeat about that."
Hantuchova talked at length Tuesday about enjoying herself on the court again.
Yet she also cited a burning desire to show her one-time No. 5 ranking wasn't
a fluke.
"I'm so hungry to get back there and prove - not only to myself but to everyone
- where I really belong," she said.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 211.74.100.236
Hantuchova 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章
