Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » Sports » Tennis » Reuters > Report
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Vaidisova arrives on the world stage
Get Sports updates:What's this?
Advertisement
June 05, 2006 11:37 IST

Blonde, beautiful and talented, Nicole Vaidisova became the latest model to emerge from the Nick Bollettieri production line on Sunday.

Nicole VaidisovaThe Czech announced her arrival on the world stage when she caused the biggest upset at this year's French Open by claiming the scalp of world number one Amelie Mauresmo.

"I'm excited. I'm definitely excited," the 17-year-old said with an American twang following her 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 fourth-round win.

"Never played a quarter-finals in a Grand Slam. Never beat Amelie; never beat a number one player in the world. I'm definitely happy and very, very excited, you know.

"I was in my little zone. It definitely felt great."

Mauresmo had thrashed Vaidisova at the same stage of the Australian Open in January but under the pressure cooker atmosphere in her home Grand Slam, the Frenchwoman failed to produce the goods when it counted.

DIFFERENT GAME

"I think it was a totally different match, different atmosphere, you know playing in France [Images]," said Vaidisova, who was born in Germany [Images].

"I definitely am very happy the way I played. I knew I had to be more aggressive than I was [in Melbourne]... definitely worked for me today."

With her glamorous looks and Eastern European roots, Vaidisova can expect the inevitable comparisons to Bollettieri's other well know prodigies, Russians Maria Sharapova [Images] and Anna Kournikova [Images].

"It doesn't really bother me if people are comparing me to somebody. Maria was compared to Anna, so everybody gets compared to somebody," she said.

With six trophies already in her possession Vaidisova has already proved that she is not made in the same mould as Kournikova, who famously failed to win any WTA singles titles despite earning millions from lucrative sponsorship deals.

But if she lifts the French Open title next Saturday, the teenager will not mind joining 2004 Wimbledon champion Sharapova in the Grand Slam winners' circle.

 



© Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
 Email this Article      Print this Article

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback