Likhovtseva Seizes Her Chance
Monday, June 20, 2005
It's fair to say that Elena Likhovtseva is on top of her game at the moment.
Only this month the Russian reached a career-high ranking of No. 15 for the
first time in five years after finding herself in the semi-finals of Roland
Garros a few weeks ago.
But when the No. 13 seed stepped out on Court 3 for her match against Israeli
Anna Smashnova at midday, some of the sparkle was missing. The muggy
temperatures could have played a part - the 29-year-old moved sluggishly
round the court, was forever reaching for her towel and was noticeably
distracted by movement in the crowd.
Perhaps the most likely fact to be playing on her mind was that, despite
having an equal head-to-head record after six meetings, Smashnova emerged
victorious at their last contest in May.
On paper then, the game could have been close as neither player is a grass
court specialist and both prefer baseline play. However, the Russian's
backhand proved to be the bane of her game in the first set, with a number of
crosscourt backhands collecting too frequently in the bottom of the net. Much
sighing and regular stares in the direction of her camp followed as she found
it increasingly difficult to cope with the meticulous angles and pace being
hit by her opponent.
But then an overrule by the umpire seemed to interrupt Smashnova's thoughts
and Likhovtseva seized the opportunity, approaching the net to finish points
off concisely. The game-plan worked and with buoyed up confidence her
backhand returned, helping her take the match 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour.
Written by Helen Gilbert
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