Wimbledon, ENGLAND, July 1 (wimbledon.com) - Daniela Hantuchova underlined her growing stature in the women's game when she reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon with a 6-4, 7-5
victory against Jelena Dokic today.
The fast-rising 19-year-old from Slovakia has promised much this year,
particularly since her win over Martina Hingis, the 1997 Wimbledon
Champion, at Indian Wells. And at this year's Championships, she is
delivering.
Dokic, who shot to fame by beating Hingis as a 16-year-old at Wimbledon,
went in as favourite. But the seventh seed from Yugoslavia, also 19, lost
her edge after throwing away a break advantage in the second set.
Hantuchova, the 11th seed, has made rapid strides since Nigel Sears
from Britain took over as her coach after last year's tournament. She
underlined that in the opening set when she broke Dokic in the third game
and then served out for the lead. Even a break for rain during the second
set failed to break her rhythm, but the Yugoslavian lost hers.
Dokic had reached the last 16 for the fourth successive year while
Hantuchova only made the second round last year on her Wimbledon
debut. The Slovakian will now face Serena Williams in the mood to defeat
the second seed.
She said: "I have beaten a couple of top 10 players but this is one of my
biggest wins because it is in a Grand Slam. I definitely feel I'm a crowd
favourite and I appreciate their support."
Dokic added: "I was a little surprised to go out. The rain break made a
difference. How far she goes depends on how Serena plays."
