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Drawing card Kournikova pulls in fans for Leipzig practice session
Posted: Monday November 01, 1999 04:17 PM
LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) -- Anna Kournikova didn't play a match Monday, but the photogenic Russian still proved to be a hit at the Leipzig Open. The fifth-seeded Kournikova drew 1,000 spectators to her practice session at the $530,000 event even though not a single seed was in action on opening day. In the day's only two singles matches, France's Anne-Gaelle Sidot edged Bulgaria's Magdalena Maleeva 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and Belgium's Sabine Appelmans stopped. South African Joannette Kruger 6-0, 6-4. The top seeded players, led by three Frenchwomen, first see action on Wednesday. Mary Pierce is seeded No. 1, followed by Nathalie Tauziat and Julie Halard-Decugis. The tournament lost its top attraction when Steffi Graf, a five-time winner, retired earlier this year. But the event drew more spectators for the qualifying rounds than ever, which the organizers credited to the presence of the 15th-ranked Russian. "You can call it the Kournikova factor. We're expecting more spectators this year than in 1998," said director Henner Ziegfeld. The 18-year-old Russian plays her first match on Wednesday. Anke Huber is the local favorite. The 19th-ranked German won the indoor tournament in 1995 and 1996. "I'm expecting a lot of myself since I've played well before in Leipzig. The fast courts suit me," said Huber, who is seeded eighth. Other top players at the event are Belgium's Dominique Van Roost and 16-year-old Jelena Dokic of Australia.
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