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Shaking it up Czech teen Bedanova stuns Seles in fourth round
NEW YORK (AP) -- Czech teen-ager Daja Bedanova pulled off a major surprise at the U.S. Open Sunday, eliminating two-time champion Monica Seles in the fourth round. Bedanova won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in a grueling 1-hour, 50-minute battle, reaching the first Grand Slam quarterfinal of her career. The 18-year-old Czech, ranked 37th on the WTA Tour and with just one tournament victory under her belt, stunned Seles with her power game, slamming booming serves and whipping groundstroke winners into the corners. "I served really well today. My serve has helped me a lot, I've only been broken twice in the entire tournament," said Bedanova, the biggest talent of Czech tennis in a decade. Seles, who had eight break points but only managed to convert one, fell victim to 51 unforced errors The decisive moment came at the start of the final set when Bedanova broke Seles' serve and managed to confirm her break in the following game.
"It was good to break her in the beginning, I trusted myself more after that," said Bedanova, who hadn't lost a set in her previous three matches and upset 12th-seeded American Meghann Shaughnessy in the third round. Seles said she couldn't find her rhythm and didn't know what game she should play against the Czech. "I couldn't find my range, while she was playing steady and didn't give me any free points," Seles said. "I knew I could win if I managed to be aggressive and keep errors down, but today it was vice versa. It was her who was more aggressive." The match was played in Louis Armstrong Stadium where the 27-year-old American captured her titles in 1991 and '92. Bedanova practiced with Seles at the American's home in Florida several times and said the sessions helped her in Sunday's match. "If you stand with her on the other side of the court, to know how fast she is helps," she said. "It was a really great experience. Monica is a great person. She's really nice." The Czech raised her arms in triumph after converting her second match point in the ninth game of the final set to score the biggest win of her young career. "The emotions were strong. I came here with nothing to lose, and here I am, in the quarterfinals." Bedanova will next play the winner of Martina Hingis vs. Jelena Dokic.
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