The Hindu : Sport : King is queen of court overnight

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007
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Sport

Sport

King is queen of court overnight

Amitabha Das Sharma

— PHOTO: SUSHANTA PATRONOBISH

Daniela Hantuchova.

KOLKATA: Her name remained virtually obscured in the glare of the stars who have been drawing the arc lights as the declared favourites of the tournament.

The diminutive teenager from United States, Vania King, had upturned the arrangement of the Sunfeast Open overnight defeating Marion Bartoli.

King’s aggression had paid dividends leaving her superiorly ranked opponent counting over her mistakes that forced her to catch an early flight back home.

It was really a moment of triumph for King who had won just 15 matches after joining the Tour last year.

The 18-year-old had put in enough in her performance to prove that she really was one of the emerging talents in the WTA Tour. “I went in believing in myself and played a very aggressive game,” King said.

“I always go into a match giving myself a 50-50 chance and that paid off against Marion.”

The player from France blamed the slow surface of the makeshift courts in the Netaji Indoor Stadium, but agreed that her opponent had completely outplayed her.

King has also made a mark as a singer by performing in the U.S. Open (2006) and the Australian Open this year. “I started taking singing lessons when I was four. I carry tracks and songs on my computer and whenever I feel like singing, I play my computer and start singing,” she said.

A facile win over her first-round opponent, Poland’s Marta Domachowska, served as the right encouragement for the second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova to arrive at the post-match news conference draped in a saree. The Slovakian star looked gorgeous in a burnt orange georgette saree and kept the photographers busy. “I am loving it. I wish I could have played wearing it,” she said.

She was easy and humorous, giving witty answers to odd question. When one asked what she feels coming from a family devoted to academics, she quipped, “I am the stupid one in the family.” She went on to add, “I would have gone to the university, but I chose tennis over studies.”

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