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Bank of the West Classic - Stanford (USA)
1st Round
Anna Kournikova beats Anna Smashnova
6:3, 6:2
July 23, 2002

 

 

"Everything just really worked for me."

"After losing so many matches in a row, I learned from them. I really felt comfortable. I really felt confident with my strokes."

"I was going for my shots. I didn't want to get into her game, not play (points) too long. I wanted to go to the net and attack."

"We've been working a lot with the basics and putting my game together."

"After losing so many matches row, it feels great."

"I guess I finally got over it and I went out with nothing to lose,'' said the 21-year-old Kournikova, who last won in mid-May. "I felt like everything was going the way I wanted to, and I was really prepared to play."

"I'm healthy and I've got a new coach."

"Last week when we were practicing in Miami and it was about 100 degrees and I couldn't hit a ball," the 21-year-old said.

"I didn't feel great (coming into the tournament) but I knew if I put in the work I would eventually play well."

"Last year, I came back (from injury) too fast when I should have worked more on my base. The last couple months, we've been working on making changes in my game and it's hard to do that when you are playing tournaments."

"We've been working hard for the last three months, working on a lot of new things, and I've been going through a lot of changes in my game and in life."

"Now it looks like it's coming together. It's still not going to happen overnight, but feels great that we got something done tonight."

"I don't have the patience (to stay on the baseline)," Kournikova said. "It's not my style of game."

"I'm starting to feel really comfortable. Today's match, that's a great step forward."

"It looks like it's coming together," she said. "The way I played today was great. But I don't know what happens tomorrow."

Did any fans give up on her?

"It's too bad for the people that gave up on me," she said with a laugh, "but I've always felt great support from my family, my friends and the fans."

A win Thursday and Kournikova can test that theory against No. 2-ranked Venus Williams.

"That's a little too far," Kournikova said with a smile. "I'm just taking one day at a time and one match at a time."

 

 

 


Find out more at Anna's offical website:
www.kournikova.com