Sport | Tennis

Hantuchova feels her best is yet to come

Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, one of the upcoming stars on the WTA circuit, feels that her best is yet to come.

  • By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:36 May 3, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
  • Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova feels that her best is yet to come.

Dubai: Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, one of the upcoming stars on the WTA circuit, feels that her best is yet to come.

"My best tennis is yet to come... I haven't fulfilled my potential as yet," Hantuchova said following her win against Russian Maria Kirilenko for a quarterfinal spot in the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open on Tuesday.

"I definitely want to tap this potential to be a better player. I have to get it out and I believe it will come," she said.

The 23-year-old Hantuchova tasted success early during her career - breaking into the top 100 singles ranking since 2001. She reached her best-ever singles ranking of world number five at the end of August 2002 when she won her first Tour singles title and reached six semifinals in one year.

A mature person now, Hantuchova draws a lot from the past. "I think I am my biggest critic. Perhaps, I was too hard on myself," she said.

"I was in the top 10 and I doubt if I was prepared for it at all," she admitted.

"Maybe, success came a bit too early for me. I may have not made the right decisions on and off the court and that affected my growth."

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