Daniela in Zurich-Swisscom Challenge

By: Jessie Lin

            Daniela is playing her third straight tournament in Zurich this week.  The Swisscom Challenge is a Tier I event.  The top seed at Zurich is Amelie Mauresmo, who lost her #1 ranking just last week to Lindsay Davenport.  Davenport withdrew from the tournament due to a flu.  Daniela’s draw is again tough, but with her ranking right now, she’ll have to be very lucky to play someone who’s not well-known in the first or second round.  In the first round she will be playing wild card Vera Douchevina, one of the up and coming Russian teenager.  Daniela is going to have her hands full with Douchevina.  Douchevina made an impression to tennis fans when she took Jennifer Capriati to three sets in the third round of the US Open just last month.  If Daniela does beat Douchevina, she’ll have Maria Sharapova waiting for her in the second round.  No matter where Daniela goes, she’ll run into a tough opponent.

            In the last few tournaments Daniela has played, she has lost early.  These tournaments have all been Tier I’s or Tier II’s.  I think it would be wise for Daniela to change her plans, and maybe go play a Tier III once in a while.  Daniela is not going to be seeded in the Tier I and Tier II tournaments with her ranking right now, but she can get a seeding at a Tier III tournament.  Which means that she will have a easy first couple of rounds.  She can get better results at a Tier III right now, other than those first and second rounds she’s been losing recently.       

            Prediction: I have to say second round.  Sharapova hasn’t been as good right now as she was at Wimbledon, but she still has enough weapons to beat Daniela. Good Luck Dani!