So close ...

Kournikova bows out in first round with three-set loss

Anna Kournikova reacts to a lost point in her match against fellow Russian Tatiana Panova. AP

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- The crowds were there. So were the photographers and television cameras.

They packed Court 2 at Wimbledon on Monday for a first-round match featuring an unseeded player with a world ranking of 55.

Who other than Anna Kournikova?

But the attention didn't help as the 21-year-old diva lost to fellow Russian Tatiana Panova 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Panova, seeded 21, broke in the seventh game of the third set to take control. Kournikova failed to convert three break points when Panova served for the match at 5-4 and netted a forehand to end the contest.

Kournikova irritated during BBC interview WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Anna Kournikova had as much trouble with a television interviewer Monday as she's been having on court. The 21-year-old Russian was visibly irritated during a BBC interview after her first-round loss Monday to Tatiana Panova. The BBC interview started badly and Kournikova asked for it to be restarted. But the BBC kept rolling throughout and aired the entire tape during prime time Monday night.

Kournikova left the court smiling and said she was surprised how well the match went.

"It would be kind of interesting if I could win that one because I didn't really expect to do too great at this tournament this year," Kournikova said.

"You know, I'm pretty surprised at how well it went. I think I played much better than before, much better than last week. That made me happy, yeah."

Kournikova said she was finding it difficult coming back after spending much of 2001 with a foot injury.

She entered Wimbledon after winning just three of her previous 14 matches -- and has now lost in the first round of her last four tournaments.

"I know that I'm giving my all at my all at practice, and sooner or later it will start to come together in matches," she said.

"You know, even today, I was very, very close to beating a No. 20 player in the world, so I'm not that far away."

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Kournikova said her injury gave her time to think, and said she'd changed since turning 21 this year.

"In every way," she said. "I mean, me as a person and me thinking more about things, me thinking about, you know, just everything, the purpose of everything, just becoming my own person more, obviously learning things.

"I've had a lot of time to think last year when I wasn't playing. I think that changed me also. Just in general, you know, when you're 21."

Kournikova refused to answer questions about her alleged reconciliation with NHL star Sergei Federov. The two have been pictured in British newspapers in the leadup to Wimbledon. She was also reported to have had a romantic relationship with pop singer Enrique Inglesias.

Kournikova reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in her debut at the tournament in 1997. She was absent the following year, reached the fourth round in 1999, the second round in 2000 but was out injured last year. She has yet to win a WTA tour title.

 

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