She's got legs

But Hantuchova also has plenty of game

MONTREAL -- As No. 40-ranked Anna Kournikova was dissolving before a packed house on Center Court Wednesday afternoon, a far more entertaining and competitive match played out on Court 1. For nearly two hours, Daniela Hantuchova and Patty Schnyder -- one a star on the make, the other a former top-10 player who's never regained her mojo -- engaged in a war of attrition in preposterous humidity. The styles of Schnyder, a crafty lefty, and Hantuchova, perhaps the most fluid player on either tour, contrast nicely and momentum shifted with no predictability. In the end, Hantuchova prevailed in a second-set tiebreak, much to the delight of tournament officials, whose draw has been fairly ravaged by upsets and injuries after just two rounds. "Yes! A star survives," one director enthused when Hantuchova's score was posted. "We needed that one."

So did Hantuchova. If the Williams sisters are the unmistakable stars of the 2002 production of The WTA Tour, Hantuchova might get the nod for best supporting actress. In addition to breaking through at Indian Wells, reaching the Wimbledon quarters before losing to Serena (no shame in that), and charting a steady course up the rankings, she is a fresh face to add to the cast. Yet lately Hantuchova has been on a minor downturn. She lost a bizarre match in San Diego to Ai Sugiyama when she was called for a time violation on match point. A week later in Los Angeles she fell early to the ultra-talented, if ultra-streaky, Eleni Daniilidou. "No question, it was a jolt of reality," said Hantuchova's coach, Nigel Sears. "You need to know there will be ups and downs, but I was pleased how she picked it up and beat a veteran in a tough match."

Though Hantuchova has yet to infiltrate the top 10, women's tennis desperately needs for her to continue her ascent. Look down the WTA's rankings and try to name a player better equipped to unseat the Williams dynasty. As the Williams sisters are both hitting their stride on the court and steering clear of injuries (before Tuesday, anyway), the rest of the field is in a holding pattern. Or worse. Jennifer Capriati has done little of note recently. Ditto for Kim Clijsters. Though Martina Hingis is back in the fold, she offered scant resistance against the sisters even before her ankle injuries. Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles both have the requisite concussive strokes but lack the mobility to mount an extended challenge. Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin were last seen at Wimbledon waving flags of surrender.

Hantuchova is, without question, a work in progress. But the progress has been steady and the elemental game is there. She hits a big ball off both flanks, her serve is a weapon, her doubles play suggests ability at the net. While the claim that she has the longest legs in tennis history is as sexist as it is meaningless, the fact remains that she covers an awful lot of ground. "Mainly, I think I need more experience," she said. "But I feel like I'm on the right way."

Hantuchova also possesses a drive that others lack. Though she is barely 19, she has no interest in merely being a top-five player; she wants the brass ring. This fire and intensity manifests itself in the short term: Wednesday she drew a racket-abuse warning and nearly gritted her teeth through her gums on big points. But it also figures into her extended planning. The goal here is not to win Scottsdale or Tokyo or Rome; it is greatness.

Of course, there are other reasons why insiders are rooting for Hantuchova. The tour made a deal with Satan when it, unapologetically, decided to flout the sex appeal of its players. Now, just as it needs a new generation of players to replace the outgoing stars, it needs a new generation of "eye candy," as one staffer eloquently put it, to keep fans engaged. If it can get two for the price of one, all the better.

Enter Hantuchova. After making a minor ripple for playing in what amounted to a Nike-made, black cocktail dress, her status exploded at Wimbledon, where she was christened as the "next Anna" by the tabloids. Suddenly, Hantuchova's matches were scheduled for the show courts. All manner of photographer snapped her picture. Nike gave her a new, equally form-fitting outfit.

And it's continued. Here in Montreal she drew a "Wednesday start," meaning that she was roped into various sponsor functions earlier in the week. It was also hard not to notice that she had already showered and applied vast quantities of cosmetic product by the time she showed up to her postmatch press conference. And the whole, well, eye-candy component? "It's something that belongs to tennis, too," she said, "so I just have to learn how to deal with it."

At the same time, her camp is quick to point out that she won't be seduced, as certain other players have, by off-court pursuits. Hantuchova also professes to be unmoved by attention that has to do with assets other than forehands and backhands. "Tennis," said Sears, "is the priority here."

For her sake, as well as that of the sport, let's hope her focus doesn't waver.

Half volleys

Kournikova's comeback was halted when she fell in two desultory, error-laden sets to No. 66 Virginia ("B.B.") Ruano Pascal. Given that Kournikova came within a point of reaching the San Diego final two weeks ago, this qualifies as the proverbial "bad loss." ... Though her struggles haven't been quite as epic, the odd decline of another title-deprived Russian, Elena Dementieva, continued, as she lost to evergreen Amanda Coetzer 6-3, 6-3. ... Clijsters got a workout from scrappy Nicole Pratt before prevailing in three sets. The Belgian is here with her new coach, Marc Dehous. ... Chanda Rubin finally cooled off, losing to Barbara Schett in straight sets. ... The USTA announced the wild-card recipients for the U.S. Open men's draw on Wednesday. The winners of the five-figure door prize are Prakash Armitraj (Calabasas, Calif.), Matias Boeker (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Miami), Jack Brasington (New Orleans), Mardy Fish (Vero Beach, Fla.), Justin Gimelstob (Miami), Alex Kim (Potomac, Md.) and Brian Vahaly (Atlanta). ... Speaking of wild cards, folks here are still raging that Montreal-born, Florida-raised French national Mary Pierce was given a free pass over clearly Canadian Marie-Eve Pelletier. On the plus side, the locals are giddy over the play of teenager Frank Dancevic, who won his first-round match in Washington, D.C., to become the youngest Canadian male ever to win a main-draw ATP match.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send a question to his Tennis Mailbag.

 

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