Update 7:00 pm. Falling just two spots outside seedings for the 2012 main draw, Daniela Hantuchova faces a tough season opener.
With the tournament upgraded to a WTA premier event this year, the main draw is stacked with an impressive eight of the top 20 women and Hantuchova—currently ranked 24 on the WTA tour—could face a first-round clash with any one of them.
But awaiting the main draw announcement on Saturday, the popular and glamorous Slovak took some time out of her preparation to indulge her fashion eye in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall.
> Check out some photos of Daniela’s trip to Leona Edmiston
Injury derailed her 2011 campaign—a partial tear to her left achilles tendon forcing her to withdraw from the tournament before her scheduled first-round match—but the former world No.5 returned to Brisbane this week for the fourth consecutive year to prepare for the Australian Open.
Despite listing her favourite surface as grass, Hantuchova’s best Grand Slam result is a semifinal at the Australian in 2008, and after her injury woes and first-round loss in last year’s tournament, she has the opportunity for a lucrative Australian summer of tennis.
But pushing tennis aside, Hantuchova stepped inside the boutique of leading Australian fashion designer Leona Edmiston to try on some of the new season Australian designs.
> View the women’s qualifying singles draw
“It’s great to get away from the practice and all the training I’ve been doing the last few weeks and try on some nice clothes,” Hantuchova said.
As one of the game’s most photographed players, Hantuchova has graced the pages of fashion royalty, Italian Vogue and Sports Illustrated. So, it came as no surprise that the slender Slovak at 181 cm looked entirely the part in front of the cameras, draped by a classic little black dress and sporting a stunning pair of gold platform heels.
The 28-year-old has experienced a lot of international fashion— listing her favourite designers as Armani, Cavalli, Dior, and Missoni—but after being presented with a special gift by the sales assistants, it looks like she may add Leona Edmiston to the list.
“Hopefully I’ll have some more time to come back and do proper shopping,” she laughed before asking about stores in Sydney and Melbourne.
Despite her injury in last year’s tournament, Hantuchova returns as a loyal ambassador for the Brisbane International, citing it as the best preparation for the Australian Open—this year’s upgrade making it all the more enticing.
“It’s very exciting for the players and for the fans because there are so many great players to follow and it’s a good opportunity to start the year well,” she said.
“Playing here the facilities are so great and I think all the players couldn’t ask for better preparation.”
The upcoming year holds special significance for Hantuchova, whose face brightened at the mention of the Olympics—the event that sparked her tennis career.
“When I was five years old I saw Miloslav Mečíř win in Seoul in 1988 the gold medal for my country, and that’s when I started to play tennis, so obviously it’s going to be a very special year for me,” she said.
Her anticipation for the year ahead leaves her even more determined for a good result in Brisbane, but the mature Slovak is keeping a firm head on her shoulders as she prepares to reclaim a spot in the illustrious top 10.
“I’m here this year even more ready with a lot to prove to myself and I hope to get a good start to the year. But, even if that doesn’t happen I know I trained hard and practised well, and if it doesn’t happen here hopefully it’ll happen somewhere else,” she said.
When asked who she will play in the final, the ever modest Hantuchova—still sporting head-to-toe Leona Edmiston—politely laughed it off.
“First I have to get there, but thanks for the question,” she laughed. “Once I’m in the finals I really don’t care who I play.”