======================
TORAY PAN PACIFIC OPEN (Tokyo, Japan; indoor carpet; WTA Tier I)
====================== http://www.toray-ppo.co.jp/
Photos
------

http://www.danielafrenchsite.com/pictures/index.php?cat=0
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=210331&page=12
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=hantuchova
Search Getty Images for "hantuchova"

-----------
First round (Tuesday)
-----------

+ DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [6] d. Jelena Jankovic, 2-6 6-4 6-4

Daniela looked to be rushing headlong into humiliation at 2-6 0-2,
and was also 0-3 and 2-4 down in the third set, so... well recovered!

Yahoo! Sports: "Hantuchová struggled in the first set, but after
adjusting to the speed of the indoor carpet, the sixth seed's extra
power and precision saw off Jankovic's challenge."


Daniela quotes
--------------

"I wasn't aggressive enough in the first set, so after that, I told
myself to hang in there and wait for my chances. I kept fighting and
tried to be more aggressive and go for my shots.

"I definitely feel like I always play well in Tokyo, and I think I'm
off to a good start this week. I love the court here. I like the
speed. It's like grass, which is my favourite surface. I always
enjoy coming here, and hopefully this week I'll go a few steps
further in the draw.

"Everyone knows the season is too long. It starts in January and
ends in November. We're still people. We're not robots."


------------
Second round (Thursday)
------------

- DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [6] lt. Samantha Stosur [Q], 7-6 (7/5) 6-2

A disappointing result, as it denied us a mouthwatering match with
Maria Sharapova in the next round. I would have loved to see Daniela
go all the way at this tournament, as Iva Majoli did in 1996
(beating the great Monica Seles in the quarter-finals and Martina
Hingis in the semis, just as Daniela would have had to do).

But it was I who got to choose whether Daniela and Maria would play
each other at the Australian Open or at Tokyo, and it's certainly
better that they met in a BBC-televised Grand Slam fourth round than
in a Tier I quarter-final! :-)

I saw Stosur play Maria at Birmingham 2005, and she played a blinder
there, even if only to take a set off Maria. With her big serve and
serve-volley game, Stosur is ideally equipped to be a threat at
Tokyo, which has the next-fastest surface to grass.


First Set
---------
HANTU *__@* * * *_ 6(5)
STOSU _*@__* * * * 7(7)

Daniela serving 0-0: saved two break-points before holding.
Stosur serving 0-1: held to 15.
Daniela serving 1-1: broken to 15.
Stosur serving 2-1: broken to 15.
Daniela serving 2-2: held to 15, sealed with an ace.
Stosur serving 2-3: held to 30.
Daniela serving 3-3: held to love.
Stosur serving 3-4: held to love.
Daniela serving 4-4: held to 15.
Stosur serving 4-5: held to 15, sealed with an ace.
Daniela serving 5-5: held after saving break-point (one deuce).
Stosur serving 5-6: held to 30.

6-6 tiebreak: Daniela 2/0*, *2/1, *3/1, 3/2*, 4/2*, *4/3. Daniela
double fault. *4/4; Stosur *5/4, *5/5; Stosur 5/6* (set-point),
Stosur won the first set 7-6 (7/5) in 53 minutes.


Second Set
----------
HANTU @__*____ 2
STOSU _@* *@*@ 6

Stosur serving 0-0: 30/30, broken to 30.
Daniela serving 1-0: saved a break-point, wasted a game-point,
broken after two deuces.
Stosur serving 1-1: held to 15.
Daniela serving 1-2: held to 15.
Stosur serving 2-2: held to 30.
Daniela serving 2-3: 0/30. Ace. 15/30, 15/40 (2 BPs), 30/40, broken.
Stosur serving 4-2: held to love.
Daniela serving 2-5: 0/40 (3 MPs) -> 40/40, ad D, Deuce #2,
ad S (MP #4), Stosur won the match 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 in 1h25m.

It looks like Daniela put in a respectable performance until
6-7 2-3, but then it all went pear-shaped - just three bad games at
the end of a match that had been almost as close as possible.


-------
Doubles
-------

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ/AI SUGIYAMA [3]:
1r + Tina Krizan/Jennifer Russell, 6-3 6-2
qf - Nicole Pratt/Mara Santangelo, 6-2 3-6 6-3


Daniela's next tournament will be Doha (week of 27th February).

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danielahantuchova/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/