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Long time coming Kournikova makes rare Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance
Updated: Sunday January 21, 2001 9:40 PM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Anna Kournikova says it only "feels like yesterday" that she last made the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam. "Time flies, huh?" she said of the 42 months between making the Wimbledon semifinals in 1997 and advancing to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. But the No. 8-ranked Russian, like just about everyone else who follows tennis, is fully aware it's been a long time between success in the majors. Kournikova advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals Sunday with a 6-3, 6-1 win over unseeded Barbara Rittner on showcourt one at Melbourne Park. She now faces Lindsay Davenport, the defending titlist and No. 2 seed in the quarters. "Me and Lindsay, we've had some tough matches ... [but] I have a good record against her. I've beaten her a few times," Kournikova said. "I'm not playing at my best right now but I will go out there and fight as much as I can -- we'll see what happens." Davenport, a winner of three Grand Slam titles and a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, has a 5-3 lead in head-to-heads, including a 6-2, 6-2 sweep in the fourth round of the 2000 Australian Open. A singles title still eludes Kournikova, although she finished 1998 as the world's No. 1-ranked doubles player and lifted the Australian Open doubles crown with Martina Hingis the following year. Internationally recognized now for her flowing blonde hair and good looks, Kournikova burst onto the pro tour by making the fourth round at the U.S. Open in 1996. The following year, as a 16-year-old, she became only the second woman in the Open era to reach the semis on her debut at Wimbledon -- Chris Evert was the first in 1972. At Wimbledon, she upset No. 5 seed Iva Majoli in the quarters and No. 10 Anke Huber in the third round after rallying from match point down in the second round against Rittner. Rittner almost took revenge Sunday, running Kournikova all around the court as she raced to a 3-1 lead. But Kournikova calmed herself and, after breaking back, she held serve to level at 3-3 when she picked up a low half-volley and producing a forehand winner down the line. The sixth game had gone to deuce nine times. She broke Rittner at love in the next game and dominated the remainder of the match. "I'm definitely happy with the result, and it's great to be playing so well at a Grand Slam again," she said. Kournikova has made the fourth round at a Grand Slam on seven occasions, each time losing to a seeded player. At Melbourne Park, she says she finally got the luck of the draw. "Every time I got to the fourth round, I wasn't really seeded or I always played higher ranked players," she said. "I lost to Lindsay here before, Mary [Pierce] and Martina [Hingis] and so I've always lost to the players that were, you know, either winners of got far." Davenport, who crushed No. 15-seeded Kim Clijsters 6-4, 6-0, said she was starting to feel excited going into the second week and anticipated a difficult clash against Kournikova. "Getting through the round of 16 is a big round -- now you know that the really tough matches are here," she said.
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