Luxembourg Tournament Newspaper

3 questions to Daniela Hantuchova

What makes you come back to Luxembourg each year?
I’ve been coming back to Luxembourg, because I love the tournament obviously and I love the city. It’s just very cosy and very relaxed and I have great memories obviously.

Do you have any special memory (experience) connected to this tournament?
I think the best one is beating for the first time in my career a top ten player: Nathalie Tauziat, that was actually the first time I was here, I believe it was in 1999 or 2000.

What are you doing in your free time during this tournament?
I love the city, so I always like to go to the shops and go for nice dinners or just have a quiet afternoon and take a coffee somewhere and break free, obviously. I just love the whole atmosphere of the city, so I did enjoy my time here and that’s why I keep coming back.


10th Anniversary
Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, born April 23, 1983 in Poprad, discovered by his family early passion for tennis. His grandmother was his first coach and it goes from a young age countless hours on the tennis courts. His older brother is 5 years old at that time his most formidable opponent, since it is impossible to beat Daniela objective is to constantly improve his game

At the age of 15, she played his first ITF tournament in his homeland and barely a year later, she launched her career.

At its first participation in Luxembourg in 2000, Hantuchova lost in the quarter-final against Germany Barbara Rittner. Two years later, she won her first WTA tournament against Switzerland's Martina Hingis and is found in the top ten. Subsequently, she finished each season in the top 30 players in the world. So far, she has won five WTA singles tournaments.

It remains faithful to the tournament Kockelscheuer throughout his career and this year celebrates its 10th participation. The best result of 2007 acquired: it is found in the final against Ana Ivanovic, but luck is not on his side and lost 3 sets.
This year, she hopes to do even better and finish this time on the highest step.

Hantuchova: Credit where credit is due
29-year-old Hantuchova makes musical skills to the test

(SaS) - Daniela Hantuchova made in recent years is no secret that the WTA tournament in Luxembourg to suit your tastes. Not surprising, therefore, that the Slovakian in the same week for the tenth time in the main draw of the "BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open" strikes. According to the motto "Honor to whom honor is due" the IWTP managers organized on Wednesday a special evening for the 29-year-old.

After a five-minute film about the world number-38. Director Danielle Maas handed her., a glass sculpture ("A star because you are our star"), and a photo book with the best pictures of her nine appearances in the Grand Duchy Hantuchova, who in 2007 was in the final, losing narrowly in three sets of Serbian Ana Ivanovic thanked him warmly and then surprised her with piano arts. The best was the five-time WTA tournament winner a medley: "Ballade pour Adeline" by Richard Clayderman, "Yesterday" by the Beatles and "Someone Like You" by Adele.
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This is a good win by Daniela as she really had to fight for this but she came through against an opponent who was in good form. What was impressive was how well Daniela protected her second serve in the third set as she won 9/10 second serve points, and although she only got 47% first serves in , Daniela didn't face a BP in the third.

This is a match that Daniela probably wouldn't have won a few months ago but it shows what decent coaching can do and Daniela has a very good chance to end the year on a high note.


Hantuchova had a practice among the elite after an eight great joy. "I'm very happy with how I played today. Flipkens is a grueling chore has very good form. Winning the tournament in September in Quebec last week and forwarded to the semifinals in Linz, where potrápila quality toys., I knew it would be tough match but I was well prepared it., I fought for every ball and it paid off. In the third set, I beat it over kondičku. rozhadzovala I kept it and gradually her strength waned, with some balls later was," said Daniela Hantuchova.

On Friday against Dominguez Lino Slovak waiting another tough match. "It's very annoying player, which was confirmed recently in Fed Cup, where I won after a big fight. Now I'm ready for another marathon. Actively play and I try to dictate the pace of the game. Important thing is that I have two now trojseťákoch regenerated well and drew new strength," said Hantuchova.
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"It was a high-level debate," Hantuchova confirmed, "there was many rallies and long and dramatic exchanges. It has improved considerably in recent months, and if it continues like this, it will still go far" .

Very quickly, we realized the tactics developed by Hantuchova: she strikes usually safe cozy little sphere, has multiplied the input balls and floating, not wanting to give rhythm to the exchange, Flipkens and so can never rush into powerful strikes and tense. And as the Poprad native has significantly raise his level of play in relation to its introduction, the company was successful.

"I actually changed my usual game," Hantuchova admitted, "I did well today. This is something I have to do more and better in the future be able to adapt to the opponent."

"Yes, as in the first round, there were crucial points, but you know, I concentrate on every ball I play point by point, and there, I've done the work. This was one of my best matches here," the willowy Slovak analyzed.

As in 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, a finalist for the 2007 then accesses the quarterfinals, where the players waiting for a debate between non-head series against the Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino (WTA 54 ), it has consistently beaten in four meetings.

"The last time I remember, it was in Fed Cup this year," remembers the Slovak, "and it was a marathon match (won 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6 - 4 by Hantuchova, NDLA). It is a very experienced player. I expect many rallies again. It will be difficult, as always. But tomorrow is another day."
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wow, what a great news. Come on daniela, keep going!

You've got to like Daniela's chances against Dominguez Lino as Daniela's 4-0 in the head-to-head and Daniela won the last one on one leg on Dominguez Lino's best surface. At the same time Dominguez Lino had a good run in Beijing beating Vinci and Robson so she's got to be respected. Goerges lost to Niculescu so it opens the draw up some more but Daniela has to focus on getting past Dominguez Lino first.

It's the Phoenix rising from the ashes!!!
All I know at this moment is the score, but it's a safe bet that a bagel and winning the last 8 games means Daniela really finished strong. This is huge for her! According to a site that redoes the rankings daily, she will now pass a truckload of players and has a shot at crawling back into top 30. (Boy, it's nice to say that!) Sofia is now a real possibility. Oh, Yeah! Dare this be written again: Any tournament where Vinci is #1 seed is up for grabs! Go for it, Dani!!!

Just checked that site. Daniela is #31 as of the moment, and can get to #28 if all goes well. Wow!

A really good win by Daniela. She came through a tight first set and bageled Dominguez Lino in the second. Daniela came back from from 4-1 down in the first set and only lost one game the rest of the match. The first set was a break fest but Daniela stepped her level up and powered through the match.

This is her best winning run sine Pattaya and only the third time she's had consecutive wins since then. It goes to show what good coaching and a decent draw can do. It just feels so good that Daniela's doing so well and this will boost her ranking. It's a nice way to end the year although there's more to be done here. If it's good for us then it'll be even better for Daniela.

Hantuchova after the procedure between the elite quartet shine satisfaction. "I am very happy that I was able to advance to the semi-finals and I made it in two sets. Dominguez Lino is a very unpleasant and grueling the game does not me at all," she said after the game Slovak tennis player.

"The status of 1-4, I started to play more patient. Yet I missed the beginning nespanikárila details, I did not fall for the spirit, and I believed that when the administration will have a chance to break. Highly helped me that I started going to the net often. Assault celebrated the success of the game, it was confirmed that this is the right way. In the second set I had a match under control. important moments in my help fans who are always very well-disposed Luxembourg and support me. these tournaments go on board," said Hantuchova.
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Niculescu is grueling semifinal Hantuchova for a bit of an unknown. "It's one of the few female players on the WTA tour, you know, we have never even met in mutual duel. Unpleasant Play tennis and very specific. Certainly has the form, if you managed to beat in the quarterfinals smoothly Lucie Hradecka. expect a similar game like today, again I will not have much rhythm in the strikes. Mainly I have to be patient and concentrate and be well on their feet," said Slovak.
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Hantuchova: "I knew that it is not automatic."
Niculescu semifinal duel with a new challenge for the 29-year old

(SaS) - Daniela Hantuchova (SVK/38) proposes this week at the tenth time in the "BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open," the second time it is in the semifinals of the WTA-studded event in the Grand Duchy. On Friday, the 29-year-old sat down against Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino by (54) and was pleased with the turn in the first sentence: "I was quickly back with 1:4, my coach had me brought back on track. I followed his instructions strictly. He appealed especially to my patience, I often looked for the early conclusion of the point. But that the encounter would be no automatic was aware after our recent, three-hour Fed Cup duel. "

A preference in terms of semi-final opponent, the Slovakian had not, by the name Monica Niculescu (ROM/70) she was a little surprised. "Oh she is really in front," asked the right-handed members of the press. "Then I have to watch me her last balls yet, because so far we have never played against each other. But I know that she has a special way of playing, which I have set myself. But anyway we are now at a point where every battle is fierce," Hantuchova explained in terms of their semi-final task.
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Daniela beat Niculescu in doubles in Beijing so she's had an opportunity to play against Niculescu albeit doubles is different to singles. Niculescu's go to the final last year and she beat Goerges here so she's got to be respected.