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Spotlight: Dominique Van Roost, Tennis
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Posted: Friday March 05, 1999 12:54 PM
Van Roost, seen here at Wimbledon '98, is attempting a Grand Slam breakthrough performance at the '99 Australian Open |
Born: May 31, 1973, Verviers, Belgium
Residence: Leuven, Belgium
Upcoming Event: Australian Open, January 18-31, 1999, Melbourne, Australia
Worth Watching Because: With back-to-back wins over No. 1 Martina Hingis and No. 5 Venus Williams last year, Van Roost climbed to No. 9 in the world rankings -- making her the first Belgian player ever to crack the Top 10. Her blistering ground strokes, superb timing and dramatic improvements in her attacking game have boosted Van Roost from virtual unknown to legitimate contender. At the 1997 Australian Open, the 43rd-ranked Van Roost shocked second-ranked Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the third round and then knocked off 15th seed Chanda Rubin to reach her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal, a match she had to retire from due to an abdominal strain. Going into the Australian this year, Van Roost is looking to continue her ascent. The way she's playing, she just might.
Greatest Success: The No. 9 world singles ranking, which she achieved in October 1998.
Quote/Unquote: "All these famous young players have a lot of pressure on their shoulders because they have a lot of things to prove ... I prefer the way I started on the tour. I'm improving every year. I don't have much pressure at all and it makes my life easier."
Cool Fact: In 1995, Dominique (nee Monami) married Bart Van Roost. Bart is Dominique's full-time coach.
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