Hey guys, it's been awhile.

It may seems like I am not a fan since I rarely post anything here now but truth is, I am actually a silent reader. And above all, I always wish Daniela her best in her tournament.

And for the QF against Vika, I hope she finds her rhythm and serve it out well. We never know what to expect from our Dani.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my reading is that Dani is top 30 unless she loses tonight and Flavia makes the final, and right now, she is tub-thumping Vinci's butt.

. But surely the most appropriate Crosby,Stills and Nash song is Helplessly Hoping? !

Good one, Benji. It may well be.

One thing about us Daniela fans, we are true supportersWe support Daniela because we love who she is, her honestly, courage and fight, her style and her heart.

So well put, eddy. I'm not so worried about tonight as opposed to Indian Wells because, if I remember right, it was chilly there and in New York tonight the weather is supposed to be ideal. And there is no comparison between an Indian Wells crowd and the one I hope gets behind Daniela tonight. If things are rolling her way, it'll be nuts!

Just hope she does herself justice. Not expecting a win-Vika is 29-1 on hard courts for the year,but she has a real chance to show the world what a fine tennis player she has developed into.

She sure could! How many players not named Serena have winning or even career records against Vika? Strong service ala Monday or the Paszek double bagel would be a must, and I think she can throw some of her wily experience at Vika and open the court for some winners. This should be fun for all of us if Dani plays well. Certainly I'm not gonna say she will win without a doubt, but we all are correct feeling she has a shot.

My stomach is churning, I'm so nervous and it's still over an hour away...We know Daniela will fight more than Suarez Navarro did last night that's for sure...so at least that's something...

NEWS
Home > News > Daniela Hantuchova's unexpected run
Daniela Hantuchova's unexpected run

By Matt Cronin
Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Daniela Hantuchova is pretty much a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense person. There is no double speak dribbling out of the 30-year-old Slovak’s mouth. She still believes in her game, even though she is sitting more than 40 spots below her career-high ranking. If she eventually realizes her dream of winning a Grand Slam title, fine. If she does not, that’s OK, too.

Wins and losses don't mean as much to her as they did, say, back in 2002, when she reached her sole US Open quarterfinal, or five months after that, when she reached a career-high No. 5 ranking.

“I just appreciate everything a lot more," Hantuchova said after her three-set win over American Alison Riske in the fourth round. “I appreciate just being able to be a tennis player, being healthy, doing what I'm doing, because it's a big privilege to be in this position, to be so lucky in my life.”

Hantuchova has been competing in WTA tournaments since 1999 and almost never stops traveling. She has played more than 1,300 matches in her career, and that doesn't count Fed Cup, where she has been a committed, diligent player for her nation, competing in 35 matches and leading her team to the title in 2002. She has played 260 three-set singles matches, more than any other active player.

She acknowledges that the travel can be a grind, but she accepts it, puts in her work and tries to keep her chin up. After a rough spring, she won the grass-court title in Birmingham but then sputtered all the way up until the US Open, sporting a 2-6 record.

But once she got to New York, her level picked up, and she took out four up-and-comers: Maria Sanchez, Victoria Duval, Julia Glushko and Riske. There was no rhyme or reason as to why. She did not expect to be preparing for a quarterfinal against world No. 2 Victoria Azarenka and thinking she had a chance.

“I guess the best things happen when you don't expect them,” she said. “Just fighting like crazy, really leaving everything I've got on the court. Really putting my heart into it because it means so much to me. I guess sometimes you keep trying, keep trying, and then you don't know why, but it just comes all together.”

The striking Hantuchova, who has always gone out of her way to publicize her sport, has gotten plenty of attention over her career, but very little of that was because of her doubles play. But last month, she teamed up with former No. 1 Martina Hingis again, and the pair contested five tournaments together. The news of that pairing made headlines the world over. Hantuchova praised Hingis up and down for her deep knowledge of the game and how she was still very talented, but the two haven’t had much success so far, going 3-5 and falling in a tough two-setter to top seeds Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani in the first round of the US Open.

“We had so much fun,” Hantuchova said. “All the matches were really great, really unfortunate with the draw, but I still think it was a great match. We really enjoyed it. Had our chances. Still, coming back after so many years off, it's never easy. I think she handled everything really well, and I really enjoyed it.”

Since she came on tour, Hantuchova has owned a two-handed backhand to die for and has been blessed with soft touch. She has developed a much bigger forehand and a very good first serve. She bombed 15 aces against Riske, which keyed her first run to a Grand Slam quarterfinal in more than five years. She couldn’t remember the last time she hit that many aces in a match.

“I guess 11 years ago,” she said with a smile, referencing her 2002 US Open quarterfinal run.

That year, Hantuchova knocked out former Roland Garros champion Iva Majoli, as well as a future US Open champion, Justine Henin, before going down to Serena Williams. Of the quarterfinalists that year, only three are still active: Venus Williams, Serena and Hantuchova. They may not be as quick as they were back then, but the 30-somethings are still capable of ruling.

“I think it's the experience – that we've been through so much, we know exactly what to do,” said Hantuchova. “Sometimes we don't do it, but we know what we should be doing.”

Has anyone got a stream link with American commentating? I can't stand the English ones!