| American teen upsets
Hantuchova |
By Araz Gulekjian
Wednesday, May 28, 2003 |
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American teen sensation Ashley Harkleroad played
the match of her life on Wednesday to post the biggest victory of
her short career, over No9 seed Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova.
The talented 18-year-old outdueled the Slovakian star 7-6(2) 4-6 9-7
in a gruelling battle of baseliners that lasted three hours and
eight minutes on Court One and propelled the youngster through to
the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time ever.
"I love it here," gushed the American, a finalist in the junior
event here last year. "I always play well here. I feel like at home
also because I played juniors here a lot. There's just like so much
electricity you feel on the court."
In the opening set, the 20-year-old Slovak blasted winners at will
and surged to a 4-1 lead before Harkleroad recovered her nerve to
even the match at four games apiece.
The perky Georgian, who had her right-arm heavily strapped, cut down
on her unforced errors (66 total to her foe's 100) and began to take
control of the game with her heavy groundstrokes.
Ranked 52, Harkleroad took heart from the fact that she had soundly
beaten the lanky Slovak in their only other encounter, in Charleston
(and on clay) just last month.
Perhaps reflecting on that harrowing loss, Hantuchova endured yet
another monumental mental collapse and lost the first set in the
tiebreaker.
In the second set, Hantuchova, a quarter finalist at the 2003
Australian Open, broke the young American in the third game. But
once again, she was let down by her first serve.
A pumped-up Harkleroad appeared to be gaining steam, but nervously
conceded her serve in the seventh game with a forehand unforced
error.
The Slovakian tightened her game and evened the match three games
later when the American sailed a forehand wide.
Harkleroad, who is now coached by former US star Jay Berger, burst
ahead in the final set.
She built a commanding 5-1 lead in the decider but let her opponent
back into the match with a string of silly unforced errors. After
reeling off five consecutive games, the Slovak served for the match
at 6-5 but was thwarted by the determined American.
Overwhelmed by her emotions and the enormity of the occasion,
Harkleroad fought back tears in the dying stages of the contest.
"I think it was just the moment," she added. "I was just tight and
wanting it so bad. "
Harkleroad finally earned the match when Hantuchova's forehand
sailed wide in the 16th game of the set.
Afterwards the American explained that changing coaches and
switching over to the United States Tennis Association program had
helped her enormously in rising through the WTA rankings.
"My old coach was Jose-Luis Clerc (former Argentinean tennis star).
He helped me tremendously. We were together for almost a year. He
was starting up an academy. It was going to be too difficult for him
to travel," said the American.
"He (Berger) is a genius. It's just I guess like a new kind of fresh
start."
And while the teenager enjoys the constant comparisons to Russian
diva Anna Kournikova, she has vowed to focus just on her game.
"It never bothered me," she said. "I think a lot of people compared
me to Kournikova. That was just a compliment for me because I
practiced with her a lot in Miami.
"But I always tried to stay focused on just my tennis," she added.
"Everything else will fall in place if I do that."
The young American will now play either Israel's Anna Pistolesi
(No23) or Spain's Magui Serna, who meet later on Wednesday.
Daniela Hantuchova Bio
Ashley Harkleroad Bio
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