Spotlight: Dominique Van Roost, Tennis
Posted: Tuesday January 19, 1999 02:09 PM
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Van Roost, seen here at Wimbledon '98, is attempting a Grand Slam breakthrough performance at the '99 Australian Open Gary M. Prior/Allsport |
Born: May 31, 1973, Verviers,
Belgium
Residence: Leuven,
Belgium
Upcoming Event: Australian Open, January 18-31, 1999, Melbourne,
Australia
Worth Watching Because: With back-to-back wins over No. 1 Martina Hingis
and No. 5 Venus Williams last year, Van Roost climbed to No. 9 in the world
rankings -- making her the first Belgian player ever to crack the Top 10. Her
blistering ground strokes, superb timing and dramatic improvements in her
attacking game have boosted Van Roost from virtual unknown to legitimate
contender. At the 1997 Australian Open, the 43rd-ranked Van Roost shocked
second-ranked Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the third round and then knocked off
15th seed Chanda Rubin to reach her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal, a
match she had to retire from due to an abdominal strain. Going into the
Australian this year, Van Roost is looking to continue her ascent. The way she's
playing, she just
might.
Greatest Success: The No. 9 world singles ranking, which she achieved in
October
1998.
Quote/Unquote: "All these famous young players have a lot of
pressure on their shoulders because they have a lot of things to prove ... I
prefer the way I started on the tour. I'm improving every year. I don't have
much pressure at all and it makes my life
easier."
Cool Fact: In 1995, Dominique (nee Monami) married Bart Van Roost. Bart
is Dominique's full-time
coach.
Come back soon for a new women's sports Spotlight. Anyone you'd like us to
focus on? Click here to submit a
suggestion.
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