- Katarina Zoricic 2004 News
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- Tuesday 6/1/04
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Last month, Katarina visited the strange US State of Texas, North America for a couple of weeks. Kat played Pro ball (where the $$$ are!) with considerable success!
- In El Paso, at the 10K there, Kat played Singles in the Qualifying and got a good 1st Round (Round of 64) win vs. Lauren Albanese (USA): 6-4, 6-4. YEA!
- In 2nd Round El Paso Qualifying (Round of 32), Kat faced Alexa Glatch (USA). Well, this was a loss: 6-0, 6-3. Oh well...
- Meanwhile, Kat teamed with Elizabeth Dolan (USA) in Doubles. In 1st Round Doubles Qualifying (Quarterfinals, sort of), Zoricic/Dolan gave the crowd a very great show, with a victory over Acquistapace (AUS)/Landes (USA): 2-4, 5-4(2), 5-4(2). YEA!
- In 2nd Round Qualifying Doubles (Semifinals, sort of - actually Finals, sort of), it was Zoricic/Dolan vs. Tilocca (NED)/Todorova (USA).
- This match may not have been particularly dramatic, but was probably, still, a very good show for the crowd! ZD d. TT: 4-2, 4-0. YEA!
- So it was on to the Main Draw for Zoricic/Dolan. YEA!
- In 1st Round Main Draw Doubles (Round of 16) Zoricic/Dolan faced Huh (USA)/LaPorte (USA), a "wild-card" entry. And ZD d. HL: 6-2, 6-3. YEA!
- For 2nd Round Main Draw Doubles, it was Zoricic/Dolan vs. the sister team of Rolle (USA)/Rolle (USA). Well, this was a loss, with RR d. ZD: 6-2, 6-3. Oh well... (My hunch is that it was closer than the score indicates - and a good show for the crowd!)
- El Paso was a good tournament for Katarina! Kat got a good Singles win in a Pro tournament, and the loss is not particularly significant (Glatch is very good). And Kat had considerable, and impressive, success in Doubles!
- WELL DONE, Kat!
- So then it was on to Houston for another 10K Pro Tourney.
- Katarina played only Singles at this Tournament, for some reason. But that's OK!
- In 1st Round Qualifying Singles (Round of 64), Katarina faced Nina Munch-Soegaard (USA). Kat won: 6-3, 6-1. YEA!
- So then it was 2nd Round Qualifying Singles (Round of 32). This was Kat vs. Elizabeth Freeman-Young (USA). Kat won again: 6-0, 6-1. YEA! And WOW!
- The 3rd (and Final) Round of Qualifying Singles (Round of 16) for Kat was vs. Courtney Vernon (USA). This match gave the crowd some excitement and drama - Kat won: 6-2, 7-6(7-2). YEA!
- So it was on to Main Draw - the Qualifying Draw of 64 had been reduced to 8 who advanced. Kat was very rightly in those 8!
- In 1st Round (Round of 32) it was Kat vs. Lauren Imre (USA), a "wild-card" entry. Kat got this win nicely: 6-4, 6-1. YEA!
- For 2nd Round (Round of 16) it was Katarina vs. Gabrielle ("Gabby") Baker (AUS). For this match, Kat gave the crowd a great show, and won very impressively: 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. YEA!
- In 3rd Round Main Draw Singles (Quarterfinals), Kat faced Bruna Colosio (BRA), the #5 seed. Well, this was a loss: 6-2, 6-2. Oh well... (Colosio is very good.)
- VERY WELL DONE in Houston, Kat!
- SO: May in Texas for Kat, playing in 10k Pro tournaments, was 6 Singles wins, and 2 losses. WOW! Doubles was 3 wins, 1 loss. Also WOW!
- VERY WELL DONE in Texas!
- And here's a pic!
- TAKE CARE, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Monday 6/14/04
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This past week, Katarina played in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, North America on clay courts, outdoors, in the "BC Decker" at the Hamilton Tennis Club. And she played very well!
- In Hamilton, Kat played in another Pro tournament, moving up from the 10k's that she played in Texas last month to this $25,000 test. YEA!
- Because of her excellent performances, in both Singles and Doubles, in last month's Texas events, Kat received a "wild-card" into both events in Hamilton, despite this also being a clear "step-up" in class. Appropriate!
- Ironically, perhaps, Katarina left the typical extreme heat of Texas for very atypical extreme heat about 1000 miles north in Canada.
- It was so hot in "Steeltown" (Hamilton) that, on the 1st day of Main Draw play, only 2 matches were able to finish before play was halted due to the heat.
- Katarina's 1st Round Main Draw Singles (Round of 32) was one of those 2 that finished. And it was probably very exciting for the crowd!
- KAT WON! YEA! It was KZ d. Lisa D'Amelio of Australia: 6-4, 7-5. YEA!
- In the 2nd Round (Round of 16), though, Kat was apparently somewhat humbled by Argentina's Soledad Esperon (seeded #3): 6-1, 6-1. Oh well... (But I bet it was closer than that score indicates!)
- Meanwhile, in Main Draw Doubles, Katarina teamed with also Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, and in 1st Round (Round of 16), Zoricic/Wozniak faced Milic (CAN)/Perez (CAN).
- ZW WON: 6-2, 6-2. YEA!
- In 2nd Round (Quarterfinal), ZW faced Greau (FRA)/Krishnamurthy (CAN).
- ANOTHER WIN for ZW: 6-4, 6-1. YEA!
- The 3rd Round (Semifinal) for ZW, however, was a loss to Smashey (USA)/Soukup (CAN) (the #3 seeds): 6-1, 7-5. Oh well... (But that was obviously a close and exciting 2nd set, eh?)
- This was an EXCELLENT Tournament for Katarina! Barely a week after clearly showing her considerable abilities at a pair of 10k events in Texas, Kat just as clearly showed that she is in no way out of place at a 25k event. Losing to #3 seeds is "not a problem"!
- VERY WELL DONE, KAT!
- And here's a pic!
- TAKE CARE, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Thursday 6/17/04
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This week, Katarina played in the "Women's Futures", a 10k tournament, in Mount Tremblant, Quebec, Canada, North America on clay courts, outdoors, at the Mount Treblant Beach and Tennis Club. And she played quite well!
- Katarina's 1st Round Main Draw Singles (Round of 32) was Kat (a "wild-card" entry) vs. Jodi Kenoyer (USA), the #7 seed.
- KAT WON! YEA! It was KZ d. Jodi Kenoyer: 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. YEA! And a GREAT show for the crowd, certainly!
- In the 2nd Round (Round of 16), the crowd got another great show! Lauren Cheung of Australia took the 1st set in a very close 7-5. Then Kat "showed her stuff" and took the 2nd set 6-1! But the 3rd set went to Cheung 6-3. Oh well...
- In Main Draw Doubles, Katarina teamed with also Canadian Ekatarina Shulaeva, and in 1st Round (Round of 16), Zoricic/Shulaeva faced Tanya Rice (CAN)/Valerie Tetreault (CAN).
- Well, this was a loss: 6-2, 6-4. Oh well...
- This was a VERY GOOD Tournament for Katarina! With a "wild-card" entry, Kat defeated a seeded player in 1st Round Singles. That ain't hay! The rest just might reflect playing 4 tournaments in about 5 weeks...
- WELL DONE, KAT!
- TAKE CARE, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Friday 7/16/04
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This week, Katarina got some more Pro experience.
- It looked like Kat would have to Qualify, but the 10k in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, North America, moved her into the Main Draw. YEA!
- In the 1st Round (Round of 32), Kat faced Jennifer Tuchband (USA), a player of very near Kat's current rank, with similar Pro experience, but several years older (perhaps due to college?). (Both players were unseeded.)
- Anyway, Jennifer Tuchband d. Katarina Zoricic: 6-2, 6-1. Oh well...
- Kat also got some more Pro Doubles experience this past week (and that's GOOD!) - but this was also, unfortunately, a loss.
- Teaming with Stella Maslen (of Great Britain) in 1st Round Qualifying (Quarterfinals), the South African team of Anca Anastasiu/Kelly Anderson defeated Zoricic/Maslen: 4-1, 4-1. Oh well... (There were no seeds in the Doubles Qualifying.)
- These things happen... Win some, lose some... Life goes on...
- At least Baltimore is a city that can be very FUN!
- TAKE CARE, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Friday 8/6/04
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Katarina played in the "big leagues" this past week at the Canadian Open (Rogers Cup) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, North America - a $1,300,000 Tier I WTA Tournament. WOW!
- Both of Kat's matches (a Singles and a Doubles) were in Qualifying, and Kat got into both as a Wild-Card, and both were losses, but the Doubles loss was certainly not anything to be ashamed of, and the Singles loss was actually something which seemed to show Kat playing very well - at a level far above her current WTA ranking!
- In the Doubles Qualifying, Kat teamed with fellow Canadian Valerie Tetreault, and this was a one-round (ie. Finals) match, vs. the team of Kristina Brandi (PUR)/Rossana Neffa-DeLosRios (PAR), who were ranked (in some way) much more than doubly above Kat/Val (#648 vs. #1734).
- Well, Kristina/Rossana def. Kat/Val: 8-2. No big deal - and not an upset. Even so, oh well...
- In the Singles Qualifying, the 1st Round was a Round of 32, and Kat (WTA ranked #730, a Wild-Card entry, unseeded) faced the #1 seed, Mashona Washington (USA - WTA ranked #84).
- One may think that a match between the #1 seed, ranked #84, and an unseeded Wild-Card, ranked #730, would be a double-bagel match - but this was very far from that!
- According to an observer, Washington led 2-1, then 3-2, then took the 1st Set 6-2. Oh well... But in the 2nd Set, Kat went up 2-0, then down 2-3, came back to 3-3, then down again 3-4, then came back again to 4-4 (these last four games were all service breaks), then Washington held and broke to take the Set, and Match: 6-2, 6-4. Oh well...
- So the #1 seed, ranked #84, defeated an unseeded Wild-Card entry, ranked #730. No big deal - and not an upset. And it was (sort-of) close! HOORAY for that! Even so, oh well...
- WELL DONE, Kat, in Montreal!
- TAKE CARE, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Tuesday 8/17/04
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Last week, Katarina again played in the "big leagues", this time at the Odlum Brown Women's Open, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, North America - a $110,000 Tier V WTA Tournament. WOW again!
- Kat was a Wild-Card entry into Singles Qualifying, again, and, again, faced a seeded player, ranked far above her, in Round #1 (Round of 32).
- SO: Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic (seeded #3, ranked #174) d. Katarina Zoricic (unseeded, ranked #731): 6-3, 4-1 retired. Oh well...
- The Good News (such as it is) is that at least Kat's "retired" was apparently not at all due to injury, but, according to an observer, Kat "felt sick" due to a "stomach problem". Hopefully, that lasted only a few days, at most, and is completely cleared up by now!
- The observer also reported that Kat "played really well", but "Nicole was better". That a player ranked #174 "was better" than a player ranked #731 is not shocking. That a player ranked #731 "played really well", even when she "felt sick" with a "stomach problem", against a player ranked #174, seems like a Good Thing!
- According to a web-source, it appears the match went like this (Nicole served 1st): 1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 3-6, 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, retired. Oh well...
- In more detail: Nicole served 1st, and was broken. Then Kat was also broken, putting the match back on serve. Then Nicole held, and Kat was broken again: 1-3. Then Nicole held (again), and Kat was broken (again): 1-5. Uh oh... But then Kat broke back for 2-5, then, after an injury time-out, held for 3-5, but Nicole took the set with a hold: 3-6. Oh well...
- In the 2nd set, Kat was broken ("after big struggle" according to an observer), but then Kat broke back to put this set back on serve. But then Kat was broken again, Nicole held, and, after another break of Kat, she retired, citing a "stomach problem": 1-4. Oh well...
- So, under the circumstances, it actually looks like Kat played quite a good match - and that's GOOD!
- (Probably because of Kat's "stomach problem", she didn't play Doubles.)
- My hunch is that Kat could get many wins in Challengers! Perhaps she will now go back to playing that circuit (especially since Wild-Cards may be harder to get in non-Canadian tournaments)...
- (By the way: Nicole went on to win 2 more matches in Qualifying to advance into the Main Draw, then won 5 Main Draw matches to take the Title! And she's all of (and barely!) 15 years old! At least she's not nearly as pretty as Kat!)
- TAKE CARE, Kat! And BE HEALTHY!
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- Tuesday 8/24/04
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This week, Katarina has moved back into the Juniors world (I'm FINE with that!) for the Under-18 Canadian Junior Championships at Parc St. Victor, in Laval, Quebec, Canada, North America.
- And Kat has done VERY WELL, in both Singles and Doubles! YEA!
- In 1st Round Main Draw Singles (Round of 64), Kat was seeded #5, and drew a "bye". YEA! (And correctly respectful!)
- The 2nd Round (Round of 32) Singles was Kat vs. (unseeded) Joanna Woo of Winnipeg, Manitoba - Kat won impressively: 6-4, 6-1! YEA!
- For the 3rd Round (Round of 16) it was Kat vs. the #10 seed, Natalia Toporowski of Etobicoke, Ontario.
- This was another win for Kat (and a great show for the crowd!): 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. YEA!
- So it was on to the Quarterfinals. It is "interesting" (and perhaps "odd") that this Draw started with 40 players (24 byes in the Round of 64) and 10 seeds, and remaining in the Group of 8 was the top 8 seeds - the #9 and #10 seeds had lost, as had all the unseeded players.
- Kat's Quarterfinal was vs. the #4 seed, Tania Rice of Burlington, Ontario. Well, this was a loss (and a tough one): 6-2, 6-0. Oh well...
- (By the way, the Group of 4 is the 4 top seeds - will the Final be #1 vs. #2, with #1 winning?)
- Meanwhile, despite (or perhaps because of?) Kat's losing in Main Draw, it seems Kat has moved into a "Consolation" draw, at the Quarterfinal level. At this point, she has 4 possible opponents for this match.
- Win again, Kat! WIN AGAIN!
- Katarina has also been playing Doubles at this Tournament (and that's a GOOD THING!).
- Kat teamed with Heidi El-Tabakh of Ontario, and they were seeded #3 in Main Draw. Kat/Heidi drew a "bye" in the 1st Round (Round of 32).
- (By the way, the Round of 32 was actually 20 teams, with 12 "byes", and 6 seeds.)
- The Round of 16 was Kat/Heidi vs. (unseeded) Erica Chen of Winnipeg, Manitoba/Teo Costin of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
- This was a very nice win: 6-0, 6-1. YEA!
- Heidi, seeded #6 in the Main Draw Singles, then played her Quarterfinal (Round of 8) vs. Melanie Gloria (seeded #3). Well, Melanie took the 1st Set 6-1, then Heidi led 4-3 in the 2nd, but then Heidi retired injured.
- So then the Quarterfinal Doubles for Kat/Heidi was a "walkover" victory for the other team (does it really matter who that was?).
- This has been a VERY GOOD Tournament for Kat! And the "consolation" portion could well produce more GOOD NEWS! (There is no "consolation" for Doubles.)
- PLAY WELL, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Friday 8/27/04
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Kat's a WINNER! (sort of...)
- In the Under-18 Canadian Junior Championships at Parc St. Victor, in Laval, Quebec, Canada, North America, Kat, earlier this week, lost her Quarterfinal Main Draw Singles match (#4 seed defeated #5 seed) so was moved into the Quarterfinal round of the "Consolation Draw".
- (It is worth mentioning that the Round of 8 was the top 8 seeds - Kat was seeded #5 - the Semi's was the top 4 seeds, the Final was the top 2 seeds, and the #1 seed took the Title. That's either brilliant seeding, or a very rare thing, or both.)
- So Kat was placed into the Consolation Draw at the Quarterfinal level, and ended up facing Vanessa Heroux of Blainville, Quebec (unseeded in the Main Draw).
- Well, this was a victory for Kat, but not a very impressive one, as the score was 1-0, retired - injury. Hopefully, Vanessa is now ok, or will be soon. Even so: yea?
- In the Semifinal Consolation round, however, Kat got a very nice and impressive victory over the Main Draw #7 seed, Marija Milic of Toronto, Ontario: 7-5, 6-2. YEA!
- So the Consolation Final was Katarina Zoricic (Main Draw seed #5) vs. Maria Klokotzky of Kanata, Ontario (unseeded in the Main Draw, but she had made it to the Consolation Final, eh?).
- KZ d. MK: 6-3, 6-4. YEA!
- So Kat got as many wins as the Main Draw winner (but Kat also got a loss). So the #5 seed basically finished 5th: that's OK!
- WELL DONE, Kat!
- PLAY ON, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Thursday 9/9/04
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Lately, Katarina has played in a pair of HUGE Juniors tournaments (that's GOOD!) - although the results have been a pair of losses (oh well...).
- In the Canadian Open Junior Championships, a Grade 1 tournament at the Club de Tennis de Repentigny in Quebec, Canada, North America, Kat got a well-deserved Wild-Card into the Main Draw. (YEA!)
- However, in the 1st Round (Round of 64) Kat faced Ayumi Morita of Japan. While Kat was ranked #178, Morita was ranked #54, and has won several tournaments this year.
- Well, although Kat won the 1st set very nicely: 6-1 (WELL DONE, Kat!), Morita took the next 2 sets: 6-1, 6-2 (oh well...).
- Kat did not play Doubles at this Tournament (oh well...).
- Then it was on to the US Open Girls Singles Qualifying at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, New York, New York, USA, North America.
- In the 1st Round (Round of 32) it was Katarina Zoricic (unseeded) vs. Sharon Fichman of Canada (seeded #2).
- Well, the seeded player defeated the unseeded one: 6-1, 6-4. Big deal! At least it looks like Kat never gave up, and gave that top seed a good scare in that 2nd set, eh? That's GOOD!
- Kat did not play Doubles at this Tournament, either (oh well...).
- My hunch is that the best progress comes from "baby steps", not "huge upsets" (although I really have no problem with "huge upsets"!).
- These two tournaments were obviously not "good news" for Kat - but they were clearly not, in any way, "bad news" either. Until Kat is #1 (and even after) she will face players better then her and they will improve her play and teach her things. Losses bring lessons: a gift!
- PLAY ON, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
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- Tuesday 9/21/04
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These past two weeks, Katarina has earned some victories, acquired much experience, played some great shows for the crowds, and pocketed some MONEY(!), playing in Pro tournaments. YEA!
- Last week, Kat was in Ashland, Kentucky, USA, North America, at the Our Lady Of Bellefonte Hospital Tennis Classic, a hard-court, outdoors, 25k USTA Challenger - and with some success! (YEA!)
- Kat was seeded #7 in the Qualifying Singles draw, and in 1st Round (Round of 32) Kat got the win over (unseeded) Raluca Civlei of Romania: 7-6(7-5), 3-0 retired. (Hopefully, Raluca is OK!)
- So Kat (and Raluca!) gave the crowd a very good show in the 1st set, and then it was a WIN for Kat (YEA!) (Although not an upset, technically...)
- The 2nd Round Qualifying Singles was Katarina Zoricic (seeded #7) vs. Tetiana Luzhanska of Ukraine (seeded #12). Well, this was, unfortunately, an upset, with Luzhanska getting the win: 6-4, 6-3. Oh well... Even so, it was probably even closer than the score indicates - and a good show for the crowd!
- Kat then teamed with Varvara Lepchenko of Uzbekistan in the Main Draw Doubles, and in the 1st Round (Round of 16), they faced the team of Natallia Dziamidzenka of Belarus and Kaysie Smashie of the USA (both teams were unseeded).
- Well, this was a loss for Kat/Varvara (although technically not an upset). Dziamidzenko/Smashie took it 6-3, 6-3. Oh well... (Even so, this could have been a good show for the crowd, and closer than the score indicates!)
- So, Ashland was a win and 2 losses - that's certainly not great, but not bad either! The move from 10k to 25k can be humbling. If anything, Ashland shows Kat is continuing to improve, and striving mightily to move "up in class". That's GOOD!
- This week, Katarina aimed for another move up in class - and with some success! (YEA!)
- At the Coleman Vision Tennis Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, North America, a hard-court, outdoors, 75k USTA Challenger, Kat was again in the Singles Qualifying - and got a WIN! (YEA!)
- In the 1st Round Qualifying Singles (Round of 32) it was Katarina Zoricic (unseeded) vs. (wild-card) Lauren Imre of the USA.
- Kat got the win, and very nicely: 6-3, 6-1. YEA!
- In the 2nd Round (Round of 16), Kat faced another wild-card - this time it was Iva Gersic of Croatia.
- Well, Gersic got the win: 6-3, 6-0. Oh well...
- (It looks like Kat is skipping Doubles in Albuquerque - that's ok...)
- So Kat has moved into the "high value" Challengers, and with some success! That's a GOOD THING! (Although there's really nothing at all wrong with doing very well at a 10k, even winning the Final!)
- Anyway: I have it on good authority that Kat is feeling very healthy lately and enjoying the tour and the matches - and that is (in my humble opinion) the GREATEST THING!
- PLAY ON, Kat! And HAVE FUN!
- (By the way, today I saw the film "Wimbledon" and liked it quite a bit. There is much to like about it, and very little to not like about it. Of course, I'm a HUGE Kirsten Dunst fan, but it's mostly not about her character. Recommended.)
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