|
ANNA
S. TAKES OUT HENIN AT NASDAQ-100
Smashnova
smashes to two titles in 2002
By
Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net
 |
|
Susan
Mullane
Camerawork USA, Inc.
|
Anna
Smashnova – the woman with a perfect name for a tennis player,
albeit you don’t often see her performing overhead smashes
– is having the time of her life on the tennis court in 2002.
A
Russian born-Israeli citizen, Smashnova pledged to make 2002 the
year when tennis would be all about her. Thus far, the plan is
working according to form – she earned two titles in January
at Auckland and Canberra – bring her singles trophy count
on the Sanex WTA Tour to four – and has posted some very
important match victories.
Here at the Nasdaq-100 Open, the 25-year-old Smashnova upset sixth-seeded
Belgian Justine Henin, a Wimbledon finalist in 2001, in the second
round. Last week at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells she
advanced to the quarterfinals with an upset of sixth seeded Meghann
Shaughnessy.
“Most important, I think I’m playing for myself this
year from the beginning of the year,” Smashnova said. “I’m
not thinking about anything or anybody. I’m just trying to
enjoy and play for myself. I wasn’t really playing for somebody
else (in the past). But there were many things I was thinking
– the coach, the parents, what the people think, I win, I
lose, too many thoughts around.
“Maybe it comes with an age, I don’t know. This year
has just been different, maybe because I’m very happy also
in my life. Maybe it’s experience, maybe because I work really
well and I got a lot of confidence. But I just decided this year
that I just want to play for myself and not really think about
anyone else, what people will think if I win, if I lose.”
DEALING
WITH WARLIKE CONDITIONS IN ISRAEL
Smashnova’s
goal for the year and the way she is realizing it is something
to admire, but some people around the game are a bit startled
her “all about me” attitude in a time when Israel is
experiencing tense warlike conditions. But Smashnova insists that
the unrest in the streets of Israel – even with her parents
being there – is not really of much concern.
“I’m
not really thinking about back home,” Smashnova said. “It’s
politics. This is sports. It’s two different things, so I’m
just trying to play tennis and do my best.”
When
pushed on the issue with reference to even Americans can no longer
stick to their nonchalant isolationist beliefs since 9/11, Smashnova
was a little more giving on the situation. It’s difficult
to imagine that she would be able to separate herself so completely
from the problems at home, but it’s easy to comprehend why
someone, especially someone fortunate to be removed from the heart
of the crisis, wouldn’t want to have a natural defense, push
something unpleasant to the back of their minds, and somewhat
pretend it isn’t happening .
“I
don’t really like to talk about politics – sorry, “
said Smashnova, who did fulfill her mandatory service to the Israeli
army in 1997. “When I go home, okay, obviously I will not
go to places where there might be something happening, but I try
not to think about it. I go home, it’s my home, that’s
where my parents live. But I train in Italy a lot, so I don’t
actually go home that much anymore as I used to before.”
Smashnova’s family made the move to Israel in her early teens
and she graduated from the American International High School
outside of Tel Aviv, which explains her perfect command of the
English language.
“I
was 14, it was 12 years ago almost (that we moved to Israel,”
Smashnova said. “(We went) because we were Jewish. So we
just went to Israel because that’s a state for Jewish people.”
MORE
TIME IN ITALY
These
days Smashnova heads to Rome or outside of Milan more often than
not because her coach, Claudio Pistolesi, a former player who
also is her boyfriend of a year-and-a-half, lives in Italy. Pistolesi
is having a great season – he also works with 29-year-old
Davide Sanguinetti, who has won his first two career titles this
year at Milan and Delray Beach.
Back in the 1990’s, there were great expectations for Smashnova
on the circuit – she won the 1991 Roland Garros junior singles
title and in 1994, Tennis Magazine named her their Female Rookie
of the year. But it seems that like Pistolesi’s other charge,
Davide Sanguinetti, Smashnova has turned into a late bloomer.
|
