Daniela Hantuchova
Daniela Hantuchova
Daniela Hantuchováis a Slovak tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first WTA tournament, the Indian Wells Masters, defeating Martina Hingis in the final and becoming the lowest-ranked player to ever win the tournament. She also reached the quarterfinals of that year's Wimbledon Championship and US Open, ending the year in the top 10. She was part of the Slovak team that won the 2002 Fed Cup and the...
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth23 April 1983
CityPoprad, Slovakia
I have so much respect for the way she plays, ... I just tried to keep fighting for every point. I went for my shots and it paid off.
I think we all know how well she can really play. But to her credit, I thought she kept fighting until the end.
I always believed in myself. I guess the way to get there is to keep working hard and fight all the way.
I was not fighting myself at all as I used to.
I was just really glad how I stuck in there and kept fighting for every point. That's what makes the difference for me, now being able to win these matches.
Im really pleased with my week so far, ... Its nice to do well here again. I think todays match was closer than the score reflected. Theres no special secret to how Im playing at the moment, Im just making sure Im doing the right things at the right time now.
It's never as easy as it looks, I'm just happy to be advancing through the rounds here.
I made the second set very difficult for myself, but I managed to turn it around in the third. That was the best part of my match.
I'm more mature now. I'm making smarter decisions on the court. I'm more aware of which shot I'm supposed to hit at the right time to win the important points. I served well, especially in the second set. I got a lot of easy points. I was able to dictate against her.
I must say I am much more aware of what I am doing on the court now, ... When I was in (the) Top 10, everything was easy for me. I had nothing to lose. I was just swinging at the ball and had fun -- there was no pressure. Definitely now I am more mature and making much smarter decisions on the court.
It was a great time here in the States this year, and definitely I feel like I'm playing well again. I gained a lot of confidence in the last couple of weeks, and I just have to, you know, keep going and keep the momentum now.
Are you guys ready for the Williams sisters? ... Yeah! We'll see you on Sunday.
Especially against players like Lindsay, I just can?t afford not to take those chances,
Yes, yes, I'm very happy that I finally got through this match, beat No. 7 in the world. It's my best win so far. So I'm really happy the way I play today and felt really strong on the court physically, mentally.