Molik dumps Sanchez-Vicario out of Qatar
Open
By Anil John
Australian Alicia Molik caused a major upset when she dumped veteran Spaniard
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario from the first round at the WTA Qatar Open.
The 21-year-old Molik, still looking for her first title on the Tour, used her
powerful all-round game to good effect to clinch a 6-4, 6-3 victory against the
third-seeded Sanchez-Vicario who has won more than $US16 million ($A31.35 million)
on the Tour.
Molik was broken in the seventh game as Sanchez-Vicario went 4-3 up, but the rising
Australian won the next three games to finish the set in style.
Molik continued the good work in the second set when she broke Sanchez-Vicario
in the second game and kept her serve to race to a 3-0 lead. Thereafter, the games
went with serve and although the world No 16 seemed to find her rhythm towards
the end, it was too late.
"Alicia played really well and I never got a chance," said Sanchez-Vicario.
"She is a big girl and her serve is really powerful. It was a bad day for
me."
Molik was confidence personified.
"I knew my game plan and played to it," she said. "It was to attack
from the start. I have beaten her before and I know her game.
"Even when I was a game down in the first set, I knew I could beat her. She
was a bit slow and my shots were too fast. It was a combination of both."
Meanwhile, fourth seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand made rough weather of her
first round match against Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland but squeezed home
7-5, 7-6 (7-4).
Tanasugarn now meets Kristie Boogert of the Netherlands, who defeated Adriana
Gersi 6-2, 6-2.