OMG Hantuchova is killing!!!

[Hantuchova Fan]

OMG @ Hant in the Eastborne tournament

First she defeated Amy Frazier 7-5 3-6 6-2, which you can say is no big deal, but we all thought Frazier would easily trample over Hant given the fact that Hant has been especially lousy in the past few months.

but TODAY HANTUCHOVA defeated Karolina Sprem 6-3 2-6 6-4 to advance to the Quarterfinals!!!!! OMG Sprem is hard, esp on grass and hardcourt.

This what Hant had to say:

"I feel so good right now, so much better than last year," Hantuchova said. "Winning these matches has given me so much confidence and that's so important going into a big event like Wimbledon. But hopefully I'll get a few more matches here this week."
"I'm very pleased with the match today," Hantuchova said. "It was tough, but the last few games of the second set went very quickly in my favor. It's good confidence for Wimbledon. I'm in a completely different place than I was last year and I'm looking forward to the biggest event of the year."

Here is a picture of Hant. Her arms are bigger now. I think she gained weight.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/photo?slug=ldc10106151420.britain_eastbourne_tennis_ldc101&prov=ap

[muffins]

Yay! I really hope she can keep this up. I was hoping she'd start winning again. I know she's probably a long way off her best but it's a start. Keep it up Hant Hant! :)

[Hantuchova Fan]

OMG Hantuchova moves into the semifinals of a tournament in more than a year!!!! Hantuchova defeats 3rd seed Ai Sugiyama 6-1 7-6 (9-7). All three of Hantuchova's opponents are ranked higher than her (Frazier is ranked 35, Sprem is ranked 36, Sugiyama is ranked 11) and so Daniella will get bonus points from those defeats. This is a Tier 2 tournament so Daniella will get more points.........YAY

[muffins]

Yeeees! Keep it up Hant Hant and hopefully into Wimbledon as well. :) I really felt so bad for her when she went through all the media speculation about her weight.

[Hantuchova Fan]

^^ Yes, me too

here is a short article from BBC

Hantuchova Back to Top Form

EASTBOURNE, England - Daniela Hantuchova may have finally turned the corner on a not-so-successful year.

The 21-year-old Slovakian, who dropped out of the Top 50 this month, scored her first win over a Top 20 player this year by upsetting world No.13 Ai Sugiyama, 61 76(7).

"In the first set, I felt like that was some of the best tennis I played in quite a while," Hantuchova said. "That felt like old times."

For Hantuchova, "old times" meant a stellar 2002 season, in which she won her first Tour title at Indian Wells, a Tier I event, by stunning world No.4 Martina Hingis in the final. She was the lowest seed, at No.18, to win a Tier I event. She also reached the semifinals or better at six events that were Tier II or above and finished the year with a 56-25 record. At the beginning of 2003, she hit a career-high No.5 ranking.

Since then though, she's struggled, closing 2003 with a 28-23 record. She entered Eastbourne as a wildcard with a 8-11 record for the year.

But it seems as if she is on her way back, with that same graceful on-court style that she is known for. As the only unseeded player in the final four, she is appearing in her first semifinal of the year. In fact, her win over No.3 seed Sugiyama prevented a Top 4 semifinal round, in which the top four seeds advanced.

"I've been working very hard these last few months, and I felt this was coming," Hantuchova said. "This is just the start. There is still more work to be done."

Hantuchova's next obstacle is top seed Amelie Mauresmo, who defeated No.8 seed Magdalena Maleeva, 64 63, to reached her fifth semifinal of the year.

[muffins]

Good luck to her against Amelie! I remember when she won her first singles title at Indian Wells. I stayed up late and I'd always liked Hingis but I supported Hantuchova that night and she won. I remember reading Martina's interview before the match and thinking that she'd underestimated her!

[muffins]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss! She did it! Hantuchova beat Mauresmo 4-6 6-4 6-4 to reach her first singles final since October 2002. :) She will play either Zvonareva or Kuznetsova tomorrow. I saw a bit of the match on BBC 2 and no-one can complain and speculate over her weight anymore and although she's not back to her best there were a few glimpses of her previous glory days. It was quite a good match. :)

[Seles3]

omg i screamed YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[muffins]

I did too! When she hit her final shot(which was a great shot I thought, at full stretch)I leapt out of my seat pumping my fist hehe!

[Hantuchova Fan]

OMG HANT HANT she did it!!!!!

[Hantuchova Fan]

Ok this is what Mauresmo had to say:

"She played a good game and was very solid on the key moments,'' Mauresmo said. "She didn't make many unforced errors. Even though I had some opportunities here and there I didn't manage to take them, and that's what she did.''

Hant says this:

"I can't tell you how much I was looking forward and waiting to feel like this,'' said Hantuchova, who went into a slump last year after breaking into the top 10. "I'm so happy to feel like it's all back. I think today I proved it, and I was really enjoying myself out there.''

"I'm back where I want to be," she said. "It has been a while since I've played like I have this week but it is because I am relaxed again and enjoying my game that I am able to beat tough players like Amelie.

Hantuchova also paid credit to her British coach Nigel Sears with whom she split six months ago but has now rejoined.

"He was tough with me when I needed it," she said. "He knew I had the tennis again to beat Amelie but told me I had to be mentally stronger. I have the confidence again to believe I will do well."

[muffins]

Yeah, she did look like she was enjoying herself. She will now play Svetlana Kuznetsova tomorrow. Good luck Daniela!

[Seles3]

Kuznetsova def Hantuchova 2-6 7-6(7-2) 6-4

Hant served for the match UGH!


And also CONGRATULATIONS to Mary Pierce on winning her first tournament since the 2000 French Open!!

[Hantuchova Fan]

When I saw how close it was and how Hant lost, I cried for an hour.................

Tears! I hope Hant becomes Serena and uses the anger to win in the near future, like in the next two weeks. TEARS!!! BIG FAT TEARS!!!!!!

[Hantuchova Fan]

SOB!!!

[muffins]

Awwww. :( I was unhappy to see her lose but it was great that she got this far and made Kuznetsova work hard because she's been having a good year. Hopefully Hantuchova can take her form from this week form into Wimbledon and the rest of the year.

[Hantuchova Fan]

SOB!!!

:::::cries a river::::::

:::::drown myself in the river::::::

[orricoboy]

ughhhhhhhhh, i love dani!!!!!

lana pisses me off. dani deserved to win, ughh

[Seles3]

First Rd

Hantuchova def Reeves 6-1 6-4

Second Rd

Hantuchova def. Bovina w/o


GO HANT in the 3rd rd

[orricoboy]

go dani!

my girls jelena and kirilenko are out :(

[Hantuchova Fan]

OH HAN HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY


Go HANT

YEAH!

[muffins]

Yay! I saw some of the match and she played well and looked happy to be there and she seemed really happy and content in her interview with the BBC afterwards. :) Oh, and I was watching it with my boyfriend and he, out of the blue, says "Yeah, she's hot!" Hehe.