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Daniela Hantuchova Profile |
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Birth Date: April 23, 1983
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Birth Place: Poprad, Slovakia
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Birth Name: Daniela Hantuchova
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Height: 5'11"
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Biography |
The tennis sensation Daniela Hantuchova was born on April
23, 1983, in Poprad, Slovakia. Her father Igor was a
Computer Science professor at the University of Technology
at Bratislava while her mother Marianna was a toxicologist
(she would eventually leave this profession to manage her
daughter's career).
Tennis was a sport that everyone in the Hantuchova family
played. However, it really was her grandmother Helena, a
former Czech national player, who was responsible for
introducing Daniela to a racket at the age of 3.
Sensing that Daniela loved the sport and had potential,
Helena signed her up at Slavia STU, one of the largest
tennis clubs in Bratislava. On indoor hard and clay courts,
Daniela studied under Joseph Bulko.
At age 13, Daniela began getting serious about her game. She
started spending her winters training at the Bollettieri
Academy in Bradenton, Florida, a tennis school responsible
for such success stories as that of Maria Sharapova.
In 1998, Daniela began competing seriously. She joined the
ITF Circuit, qualifying in her hometown of Bratislava. In
1999, she won two ITF challenger titles, Jackson and Fano.
Daniela then turned pro and joined the ranks of the WTA,
playing her first tournament again at Bratislava.
Even though she finished the 1999 season ranked at number
201, in 2000, people began to take notice of Daniela. She
reached the quarterfinals in Strasbourg and Luxembourg,
beating top 10 player, Nathalie Tauziat, in the latter
tournament.
Daniela showed equal promise playing doubles. With partner
and countrywoman Karina Habsudova, she won her first Tour
doubles title at Bratislava. By the end of the season 1999,
these accomplishments combined to propel Daniela to the
number 108 ranking in the WTA standings.
She fared even better in 2001. At the Australian Open, her
first Grand Slam event, Daniela made it out of the round
robin to be defeated in the first round by fellow sexpot
Anna Kournikova.
She went on to another first round elimination at the U.S.
Open, then made it to the second round at Roland Garros. At
Wimbledon that year, Daniela won her first Grand Slam title,
taking the top spot in mixed doubles with her partner Leos
Friedl.
Before the end of the year, Daniela had also reached the
semifinals in Birmingham and Oklahoma. Going into the 2002
season, she shot up to number 38 in the world. She
solidified this ranking further by winning the Australian
Open mixed doubles title with new partner Kevin Ullyett.
In March of 2002, Daniela reached the finals at Indian Wells
and beat Martina Hingis to win her first professional title,
earning over $2 million US in prize money.
In addition to these accomplishments, Daniela had reached
the quarter or semifinals at the other tournaments, such as
the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the finals at the Porsche
Tennis Grand Prix. Once again, she moved up in the rankings,
finishing the year at number 8.
Daniela also returned to the ITF in 2002, playing for her
country in the Fed Cup. With her contributions, particularly
against Spain, Slovakia won the Cup.
2003 started on a good note as Daniela reached the last few
rounds of every event she entered -- Sydney, the Australian
Open and Indian Wells. Top tier players like Lindsay
Davenport, Venus Williams and Amanda Coetzer were the ones
keeping her from victory.
Three months into the year, Daniela was the number 5 player
on the Tour. Then, things abruptly turned around. She
couldn't buy a win anymore. For the rest of the year, she
went from failure to failure, plummeting to number 19 by the
end of the season.
Desperate for a solution, Daniela terminated her
relationship with longtime coach Nigel Sears. A trial period
with replacement Harold Solomon didn't work out, and she
soon rehired Sears.
In 2004, Daniela gradually began to regain her form. She
reached the finals at Eastbourne, beating the powerful
Amelie Mauresmo on the way. She then reached the 3rd round
at Wimbledon, before being eliminated by eventual champion
Maria Sharapova. |
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Other
Information |
She struggled with a weight problem in 2003, becoming
dangerously thin. She also continually had emotional
breakdowns during her matches. Fortunately, she has gotten
her act together as of 2004 and has been climbing steadily
in the rankings.
She won the 2002 Pacific Life Open by defeating five-time
Grand Slam winner and former world number 1 Martina Hingis,
becoming the lowest seeded player to ever win a Tier 1
singles title.
Won the 2005 Hopman Cup playing for the Slovak Republic with
Dominik Hrbaty.
Winner of the 2005 French Open mixed doubles title playing
with Fabrice Santoro.
Reached the final of the JP Morgan Chase Open in 2005 but
lost to Kim Clijsters. |
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