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
Definitely I felt like I always played well in Tokyo, I like the fast speed of the ball, it's very similar to grass.
This was one of the best matches I've played against her. I tried to step it up a little bit, went for my shots and be aggressive, but at same time be a little smarter.
I was very pleased with the way I played today because Lisa is very tough to play indoors,
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.
You have to hit like 10 winners before you get a point because she gets every single ball back. When you give it away, it kills me and that's where I lost my head at the beginning of the second set.
With her I knew I didn't have to go for it too much. There's no pressure on me and I can just work on my game. I can enjoy myself on the court with no expectations.