- Katarina Zoricic 2002 News
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- Wednesday 11/6/02
- Today, at the Chanda Rubin - Van der Meer - Juniors at Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA, it was Katarina Zoricic (seeded #1) vs. Amanda Avedissian (unseeded), in the Round of 16.
- KAT WON: 6-1, 7-5! YEA! And WOW!
- This match had some "controversy" about line-calls, mostly Amanda frustrating Kat, but they were not "absurd". Amanda played quite well, and Kat less so, but Kat is the better player. Kat took the 1st set, then Amanda went up a break from 4-3 to 5-3, then the match moved under the lights. Kat then won 4-in-a-row for 7-5, and the match. Amanda was not robbed.
- Nice win today, Kat!
- Tomorrow, in the Quarterfinals, it will be Katarina Zoricic (seeded #1) vs. Yvette M. Hyndman (unseeded). Yvette was a bit "picky" in her line calls today (maybe more than "a bit"), winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 over the #6 seed, Heidi El Tabakh. "Pickiness" like that is not a long-term winning strategy, though.
- Hyndman also seemed to have considerable ability, though.
- Win again, Kat, WIN AGAIN!
- (By the way: it was during this match today that I clearly discovered Katarina's tremendous Beauty, and Talent, and Ability, and, especially, SPIRIT!)
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- Thursday 11/7/02
- Today, at the Chanda Rubin - Van der Meer - Juniors Quarterfinals it was Katarina Zoricic (seeded #1) vs. Yvette M. Hyndman (unseeded).
- KAT WON: 6-3, 6-3! YEA!
- Both players played very well. Yvette, who had been a bit "picky" in at least one previous match, was very fair with her line calls today (but most of Kat's winners were clear).
- Kat struggled a bit - but was clearly the better player - that was even clear to Yvette, I think, who did not have a "bad day" by any means.
- Tomorrow, for Kat, will be vs. Theresa M. Logar (unseeded), who has advanced impressively with a win (6-0, 6-0!) over young and talented (but unseeded) Kimberly Couts, then a 7-6(7-2), 6-2 win over (unseeded) Nicole J. Shabaz, then a win over the #4 seed, Tara Iyer: 6-4, 6-4.
- Win again, Kat, WIN AGAIN!
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- Friday 11/8/02
- Today, at the Chanda Rubin - Van der Meer - Juniors, it was a Semifinal: Katarina Zoricic (seeded #1) vs. Theresa M. Logar (unseeded).
- KAT WON: 6-7(3-7), 7-5, 6-4! YEA! And WOW!
- It seems obvious that this was a very exciting match. Unfortunately, I missed it. (I took some visitors from out-of-town sailing on my S2 8.0c, and that was much fun - but, even so, oh well....)
- You're a Finalist, again, Kat! WIN tomorrow!
- The other Finalist is Alexandra J. Hirsch (seeded #3), who won a 3-setter today over a very good player, Jessica M. Kirkland (seeded #2): 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
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- Saturday 11/9/02
- Today was the Chanda Rubin - Van der Meer - Juniors Final at Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA: Katarina Zoricic (seeded #1) vs. Alexandra J. Hirsch (seeded #3).
- KAT WON: 6-2, 7-6(12-10)! YEA! And WOW!
- Kat is THE CHAMPION! Again! Two tournaments in a row! WOW!
- And I saw every point today!
- Both Katarina and Alexandra played very well. Generally, Kat was frustrated by Hirsch's ability, and Hirsch was awed by Kat's ability. The first set was almost "mellow" (at least compared to the 2nd set) and a late break decided it. It was much closer than 6-2. The Kat-serve games were VERY close. The 2nd set was almost all breaks, and very close. Kat had a match-point before the tie-break, and a few in it (Hirsh also had some set-points).
- In this match, Hirsch made errors at bad times (including double-faults), and Kat lunged at, and returned, many clear winners from Hirsch. Also, Kat served very well, and had winners which were far from lunge range for Hirsch. The tie-break was very frustrating for Kat, and Hirsch liked it (until the end). A 3rd set probably would have gone to Kat in a blow-out - but it may have gone to Hirsch in a blow-out - or it may have been close. I'm glad there was no 3rd set (although the tennis was excellent!), and I suspect Kat is also!
- There were some bad line calls (that's to be expected), and maybe Hirsch suffered more from them, but they were not, ultimately, decisive calls.
- (There might be some more detailed details of this match posted here, at some later date.)
- Congratulations, Katarina, on a GREAT Title Win today! You earned it and deserved it!
- (By the way: Before the match today I spoke briefly with Kat, and gave her some copies of pics from matches earlier this week, and asked her if it would be OK with her if I made a "KatWorld" Web fan-site. She seemed to like that idea. I asked if I could call it "Official", and she seemed fine with that. I told her I would try and make it very nice - and I have tried to do that. I plan to do a major design upgrade sometime before mid-2003....)
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- Tuesday 11/12/02
- This week Kat is at the Chanda Rubin - Evert - Juniors in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
- Kat is seeded #2 and drew a "bye" in 1st Round. Tomorrow it will be KZ vs Andrea K. Remynse.
- Go, Kat, GO! WIN!
- In Doubles, Kat is teaming with Megan Moulton-Levy, and they are seeded #1. Their 1st match will be vs. Emma Bailey/Shannon Robinson, also maybe tomorrow.
- Go, KZ/MM-L, GO! WIN!
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- Friday 11/15/02
- This has been an interesting week for Katarina at the Chanda Rubin - Evert - Juniors in Boca Raton, Florida, USA - and continues!
- The tournament was organized in a very interesting way, for one thing. In Qualifying Singles, there were no seeds, and 48 became 6 who advanced, in 3 rounds (1 of the 6 did well in Main Draw: Audra Cohen, getting to QF). In the Main Draw Singles, there were 48 players: 16 seeds got 1st Round "byes" (Katarina was seeded #2), while 26 others faced either each other, or the 6 Qualifiers (in the "Round of 64"). Twelve of the 16 seeds lost their 1st matches (including Katarina). In Doubles, I can find no evidence of Qualifying (although there may have been). In Doubles Main Draw, 9 teams (8 seeds plus one other) received 1st Round "byes", while 14 teams played a "Round of 32". Interesting.....
- ANYWAY: On Wednesday, Kat played her 1st Singles (actually 2nd Round - Round of 32) vs. Andrea K. Remynse, a visibly clearly younger player (barely 14). Well, Remynse (unseeded) d. Zoricic (seeded #2): 7-5, 7-5. Oh well....
- I have no problem at all with this loss. A great player can be great with a win ratio far less than 90%! Katarina had won 9-in-a-row Singles, including 2 Finals, so maybe she was "due". And the score shows that each set was won with a break after 5-5 (but it's probably more complicated than that). There may have been a "shoes" issue (Kat's shoes "broke" last week). And Remynse has advanced to the "Round of 4", playing tomorrow, so she's clearly no fluke.
- So, it was then Doubles time for Katarina! Kat teamed with Megan Moulton-Levy, and they were seeded #1, getting a 1st Round "bye".
- In the Round of 16, it was KZ/MM-L d. Emma Bailey/Shannon Robinson: 6-2, 6-1. YEA! Impressive!
- In the Round of 8 (Quarterfinals), it was KZ/MM-L d. Alessandra Jordan/Caren Seenauth: 6-7(5-7), 7-6(7-1), 6-4. YEA! WOW! VERY impressive!
- In the Round of 4 (Semifinals), it was KZ/MM-L d. Stacia M. Fonseca/Katrina Lomidze: 7-5, 6-4. Very, very, WOW! And: YEA!
- Tomorrow's Final will be Katarina/Megan (seeded #1) vs. the #8 seeds Whitney Deason/Nicole J. Shabaz.
- Go, Katarina/Megan, GO! WIN!
- (Tomorrow's Singles will also be interesting. The #1 seed, Nicole R. Pitts, will face the #9 seed, Whitney Deason (also playing Doubles later), and Andrea K. Remynse (unseeded - the victor over Kat) will face the much older, and very emotional, Varvara Lepchenko (also unseeded).)
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- Tuesday 11/19/02
- At the Chanda Rubin - Evert - Juniors in Boca Raton, Florida, USA (a Grade 4 Tournament) it was Katarina Zoricic/Megan Moulton-Levy (seeded #1) vs. Whitney Deason/Nicole J. Shabaz (seeded #8) in the Doubles Final this past Saturday.
- Well, Deason/Shabaz prevailed: 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Oh well.... But just playing in the Finals is VERY GOOD, Kat! I hope it was also VERY FUN!
- (By the way, Deason also advanced in Singles on Saturday, #9 seed over #1 seed, then won the Final on Sunday vs. Varvara Lepckenko (unseeded): 6-1, 6-0! So Deason had a good week, eh?)
- I have heard that Kat was "mentally tired" after her 9-in-a-row Singles wins (getting 2 Titles), and it was a bit distracting being the "center of attention" upon her return to her US home-base. I'm told that Kat relaxed and enjoyed the Doubles, and wasn't overly "serious" about it (although that QF win was about 3 hours, and the SF and Finals were clearly not "quick"). And new shoes (Adidas, $100+) had to be broken in, and were.
- Katarina is practicing (and doing school-work!) this week.
- Next week is the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships, a Grade 1 Tournament, in Bradenton, Florida, USA, North America. Kat is entered in the Girls 18 Main Draw (although she's only 15, and could have entered the Girls 16 Main Draw).
- Let's go, Kat! Go, Kat, GO!
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- Tuesday 11/26/02
- This week, Katarina is at the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships, a Grade 1 Tournament, in Bradenton, Florida, USA, North America.
- This being a Grade 1 Tournament, Katarina was unseeded, and (as "luck" would have it) faced a seeded player today in the 1st Round (Round of 64) of Girls 18 Singles Main Draw (although Kat is still just 15, and could have competed in the 16 Tournament).
- Today was Katarina Zoricic (unseeded) vs. Andrea Petkovic of Germany (seeded #11 - actually younger than Kat - barely 15).
- GREAT NEWS from Bradenton: Katarina Zoricic d. Andrea Petkovic: 7-6(7-4), 5-7, 6-2. YEA! This was a TREMENDOUS victory for Kat! Over a (probably appropriately) seeded, and much higher ranked, player.
- And it was done in very impressive fashion: holding on to take the 1st set in a tie-break, then playing an obviously close 2nd set, then putting it away clearly in the 3rd set. A GREAT show for the crowd!
- Is it about SPIRIT, perhaps?
- After today is tomorrow (there's always tomorrow - and that's a GOOD thing!) - in the Round of 32 Singles it will be Katarina Zoricic (unseeded) vs. Alexandra J. Hirsch (unseeded). It is scheduled for 10am. Hirsch also got an impressive victory today (although over an unseeded player: Sesil Karatancheva): 6-7(4-7), 6-1, 7-5.
- Mostly, though, tomorrow will be about a re-match of the Chanda Rubin - Hilton Head (Grade 4) Final, earlier this month, which Kat took in a 12-10 2nd set tie-break. Hirsch may feel that a 3rd set would have gone to her (she played very well - although I suspect a 3rd set would have gone to Kat, and quickly).
- This will likely be a VERY important match, for both players. And a GREAT show for the crowd!
- Let's go, Kat! Go, Kat, GO!
- (The Doubles Draw is not yet posted. And there may even be Mixed Doubles.)
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- Friday 11/29/02
- Katarina has had a very good week at the Eddie Herr in Bradenton, FL!
- In 1st Round, it was that GREAT win over a seeded player (described earlier), then the Wednesday re-match of the Hilton Head Final was settled clearly - Katarina Zoricic d. Alexandra Hirsch: 6-3, 6-3. YEA!
- In the Round of 16, yesterday, Katarina hugely defeated young phenom Katrina Tsang: 6-1, 6-2. YEA! (A press report says Kat charged the net "relentlessly".)
- Then, today, Katarina (unseeded) took the 1st set from the #2 seed, Jarmila Gajdosova: 6-3. YEA! But then JG took the next 2 sets: 6-2, 6-2. Oh well....
- (By the way: a person who was there reports that this was a "very close match" - with Kat up 2-1 in the 2nd set, then Kat had a game point returned which fell near (or on?) a line, far from the umpire, and the umpire called it in - an incorrect call, according to at least one person who was there, and had a good look at it. That game, then, eventually, brought 2-2, instead of 3-1, and Kat lost that 2nd set. The 3rd set was, apparently, also close - and may have been 6-3 - anyway: closer than the score indicates - but Kat lost the set, and match. Oh well...)
- (Also by the way: I've watched truly hundreds of "real" matches, and I have seen TONS of bad calls, but I have rarely, if ever, seen an umpire truly "favor" a player - bad calls seem to basically even out, in the course of a match. Although I have also seen bad calls happen at a particularly bad time for a player, I have rarely, if ever, seen a truly "match deciding" bad call. Bottom line: Kat lost the match - the bad call - and it was probably just one of many - was probably not decisive. Whatever...)
- Even so: VERY GOOD week, Kat! WELL DONE!
- (Katarina skipped the Doubles, both regular and Mixed - that's ok.)
- (By the way, the 4 players left are all seeded, with JG the highest seed remaining.)
- Next for Katarina may be the USTA International Winter Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, USA, North America - another Grade 1. Qualifying starts tomorrow - there is an indication that Kat will be in the Girls 18 Qualifying.
- DIG IT, Kat! You're rollin'!
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- Saturday 12/14/02
- (This update is late 'cause I was at sea for a couple weeks - sorry...)
- It seems Katarina skipped the Winter Champs, possibly because of a bit of knee tendonitis after the 2 Titles won recently (Hilton Head and El Paso). No biggie...
- This past week, Kat played at the Orange Bowl (Singles only) in Florida, seeded #2 in the Girls 16.
- In 1st Round, Kat got a great win over Qualifier Caitlin Arnould: 6-2, 6-0. YEA!
- In 2nd Round, however, it was Lejla Hodzic d. Katarina Zoricic: 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Oh well... (Clearly a good show for the crowd, at least, eh? Maybe still a "knees" issue for Kat?...)
- Katarina's 2002 "official" matches are probably now done. It has been a VERY GOOD year!
- Kat's still only 15, yet this year she's gotten Titles in the 18 group. Nice!
- Katarina has shown that she very much likes playing, and winning(!), and has clearly demonstrated great abilities, talents, smarts, and spirit. This past year implies, without doubt, that Kat can continue to advance, steadily, despite inevitable occasional temporary setbacks, and be a true WTA contender at a young age, perhaps pre-20. That is, of course, if Kat wants to continue with tennis. Kat could be a doctor, or lawyer, or scientist, (or actress, or model) or whatever (she's only 15!). Kat's happiness is always most important (of course!), and I hope she realizes that. (I suspect she does.)
- Meanwhile, probably thousands of people greatly enjoyed Katarina's tennis in 2002 - and THAT AIN'T HAY!!
- Go, Kat, GO!
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