Hantuchova to meet Davenport for place in Filderstadt final
FILDERSTADT, Germany (AFP) -
Daniela Hantuchova, whose career nearly fell apart amidst the loss of weight
and confidence, continued her encouraging return to form by booking a meeting
with top-seeded defending champion Lindsay Davenport for a place in the final
here.
The 22-year-old Slovakian's new-found stability was again in evidence as she
won a battle of the seed-beaters by 6-4, 6-3 against Flavia Pennetta of Italy
to reach her fourth semi-final of the year at the 650,000-dollar Grand Prix.
Davenport came through with a display of thunderous final set hitting to win
6-3, 2-6, 6-1 against Anastasia Myskina, the 2004 French Open champion.
Back in the top 20 after an interval of more than 18 months and possibly
heading for a reappearance in the top 10, Hantuchova was heartened by a
performance suggesting she is a better all-round player than when she hurtled
to world number five at the age of 19 nearly three years ago.
"I am playing much more solidly," she said. "And I have a much better idea of
what I am doing on court than I did."
However Hantuchova has a similar basis to her game as when she was younger -
a forcing first serve and raking ground strokes - but she now uses them to come
forward at more timely moments and to vary her tactics more perceptively.
She was also quicker at moving forwards on the few occasions when Pennetta, the
conqueror of French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, tried to break up the
Hantuchova rhythm with a drop or an unexpected angle.
But it was the pressure which Hantuchova applied on the Pennetta second serve
which had the most conspicuous effect.
This contributed to the double fault on break point which gave Hantuchova the
first break-through at 4-2 in the first set; and helped induce another Pennetta
double fault, again at advantage receiver, at 4-4 in the second set, causing
the only break of serve in that set in the penultimate game.
Hantuchova was almost always in control in the rallies which followed her own
serve, and the only moments when it briefly seemed she might be rattled came
at 30-all when she was consolidating her first break of serve.
She delivered what looked like a well-placed ace down the middle, only for
the line judge to call it out. Hantuchova marched indignantly up to the
umpire to protest but no amount of dialogue would persuade him to over-rule.
Hantuchova duly reverted to her what has become her stock-in-trade when any
sense of distress returns - some enthusiastic hopping on the spot, a lengthy
pause, and the visualising of a new blank canvas.
This brought one very steadily played point to get her back into the groove
at 40-30. Although there were three mini-crises a few minutes later, with
break back points for Pennetta as Hantuchova served for the set at 5-3, she
responded well to each of them.
Hantuchova, who earlier beat the seventh-rated Patty Schnyder, will now have
to upset another seed if she is to reach her second final of the year as she
bids for just her second WTA title after Indian Wells in 2002.
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