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Kournikova Downs Wimbledon Semifinalist Mirjana Lucic
Former Cardinal Katie Schlukebir advances in doubles draw.
July 28, 1999
STANFORD, Calif. - Before a sold-out crowd at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium Tuesday night,
Anna Kournikova won her first-round match at the Bank of the West Classic,
defeating Wimbledon semifinalist Mirjana Lucic 6-4, 6-2. Also at night,
Jennifer Capriati defeated Conchita Martinez 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Kournikova, 18, is making her first appearance at the Bank of the West.
She jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead against her 17-year-old opponent and
survived losing three straight games to the hard-hitting Lucic. Capriati,
23, continued her comeback that has her ranked 48th in the world by
upseting the 18th-ranked Martinez.
Katie Schlukebir, who led Stanford to the 1997 NCAA team championship as a
senior, took advantage of the familiar surroundings to advance in the
doubles draw. Schlukebir, currently ranked 51st in the world in doubles,
teammed with Amy Frazier for a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over Maureen Drake and
Louise Pleming.
In other first-round singles matches, 18-year-old Katarina Srebotnik, who
won the title in her first-ever pro tournament earlier this year, defeated
former UCLA player Jane Chi 6-3, 6-1, and Sandrine Testud defeated former
French Open champion Iva Majoli 6-1, 6-1. Corina Morariu beat Anne Gaelle
Sidot 6-1, 6-4 and Fabiola Zuluaga beat Tamarine Tanasugarn 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
In doubles Tuesday, Mary Joe Fernandez and Lisa Raymond beat Srebotnik and
Tina Krizan 6-2, 6-2; Chanda Rubin and Testud defeated Barbara Schett and
Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-1; and Cara Black and Alicia Molik upset
fourth-seeded Irina Spirlea and Caroline Vis 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
In Wednesday's afternoon session, beginning at noon, Mary Joe Fernandez
meets Drake, Schett plays Frazier, and Kournikova and Elena Likhovtseva
play Catalina Cristea and Anke Huber on court 1. Court 2 has Likhovtseva
versus Schnyder and Zuluaga versus former Stanford star Anne Kremer. In
the evening session, beginning at 7:30 p.m., world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport
begins her title defense against Rubin, third-seeded Amanda Coetzer faces
Raymond, and Tanasugarn and Elena Tatarkova meet Martinez and Patricia
Tarabini.
More information is available at the Bank of the West website.