Kournikova survives tough match, set to face Graf
Posted: Tuesday June 16, 1998 04:54 PM
| |
Prior to the Direct Line Insurance championships, Kournikova had not played on grass for over a year (AP) |
EASTBOURNE, England (Reuters) -- Anna Kournikova, seeded for a quarterfinal faceoff with Steffi Graf on Thursday, overcame a minor scare before progressing through the first round of the Direct Line Insurance Championships on Monday.
The young Russian had to endure the loss of the first set and a delay for rain of almost an hour early in the final set before she survived 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 against one of France's Fed Cup heroines, Alexandra Fusai.
Kournikova, who turned 17 earlier this month, was considered too young to compete in this senior event a year ago, but she showed increasing maturity in dealing with a variable wind and a soft court as the last Wimbledon warmup event for the women got underway at Devonshire Park.
Despite serving a double fault to concede the first set, losing the first game of the second set and then serving another double to start her next service game, she kept her head and gradually improved her timing.
Although Fusai attacked resolutely, Kournikova increasingly found gaps through which to thread passes. Breaks in the fourth and sixth games of the final set asserted her dominance and she served out for the match to love.
"I had to adjust because I have not played on grass for a year, but the conditions were difficult for everyone," Kournikova said.
"But I feel comfortable on grass. It suits my game and I know I can play well on it."
So, too, can Serena Williams. The 16-year-old younger of the Williams sisters scored a well-taken but hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win over Naoko Sawamatsu -- though she had never previously competed on this surface.
The teenager's cheerful attitude to difficult bounces, an early fall and unfamiliar tactics helped to accelerate her learning curve, and a break of serve in the eighth game took her to the first set.
In the second set Sawamatsu, who has five times been to the third round of Wimbledon or further, fight back well.
The Japanese broke back from 4-2 down to 5-5 only to lose her serve to love as the weight of Williams's ground strokes took a toll.
"After I slipped I decided I wouldn't run for certain balls," Williams said. "I found it a bit awkward but I came to the net more often than I have in a whole year."
American Lisa Raymond, the first-round opponent of top seed Martina Hingis at Wimbledon next Monday, dropped her opening match to Mariaan de Swardt of South Africa 6-0, 7-6 (7-1).
Graf begins her campaign on Wednesday against Samantha Smith, the British No. 1 who overcame world No. 24 Yayuk Basuki when the Indonesian retired halfway through the second set with an upset stomach.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| 
