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Good form

Kournikova moves past Rubin at Eastbourne

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Posted: Tuesday June 15, 1999 03:38 PM

Playing on her favorite surface, Anna Kournikova earned a first-round victory Tuesday on the grass at Eastbourne. AP

EASTBOURNE, England (AP) -- Anna Kournikova began her Wimbledon warm-up with a tough, two hour victory over Chanda Rubin on Tuesday in the first round of the Eastbourne grass-court championships.

The fifth seeded Russian won 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, against Rubin, a former Eastbourne finalist, showing the grass-court form that took her to the Wimbledon semifinals two years ago.

There were no apparent weaknesses as she rallied strongly from the back of the court, her movement was swift, and she served and returned with confidence.

"It was my first match [of the year] on grass and a little bit tough, but I was hanging in there and I'm glad I finished well," said the 18-year old. "At the end I think I did everything I had to do, but my body's probably going to be sore tomorrow."

Kournikova names grass as her favorite surface, and with the reception she gets she claims to feel completely at home in England.

"I love England. I get a great reception here and my best experience ever at a Grand Slam was at Wimbledon in '97," she said. "I was very disappointed that I didn't play [at Wimbledon] last year. It was the toughest thing to do to pull out when I had a good chance on my best surface.

"I remember every match I've played there. I remember I played the first round actually against Chanda [Rubin] on Centre Court. My first ever match at Wimbledon was on Centre Court, and I was really surprised they put me there. I was about 60 in the world and not seeded."

Kournikova was unable to play Wimbledon last year after injuring her thumb while beating Steffi Graf in the quarterfinal at Eastbourne.

Because of her ability on grass, there may have been a case for seeding her although she is this week ranked 18. But she appears unconcerned that she has instead been drawn to face a seed in the first round. She is matched against 15th seed Dominique Van Roost of Belgium.

"I think that they should go by rankings," Kournikova said. "I have no problems with not being seeded. I saw the draw briefly just before my match, but I tried not to think about the draw then. But I think I have a good chance and have a good draw."

All other seeded players in action on Tuesday also advanced into round two.

Sixth seed Natasha Zvereva of Belarus beat American Tara Snyder 6-3, 6-3, seventh seed Irina Spirlea of Romania rallied to defeat Israel's Anna Smashnova 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, and eighth seeded Russian Elena Likhovtseva overcame Corina Morariu of the United States 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Luxembourg's Anne Kremer earned a second round match-up with top seed Monica Seles by beating Samantha Smith of Britain 6-4, 6-1, and Nathalie Dechy of France beat American Amy Frazier 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to set up a match with second seed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

 

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