Monica Saddles
See also: Saddles (homonymy)
Monica Seles (born the December 2nd 1973 with Novi Sad, Serbia) is a professional player of Tennis of the ex- Yugoslavia, naturalized American in 1994.
First cogneuse of the history of its sport and number one world at the beginning of the Years 1990, it beats all the records of Précocité before being stabbed in full match, in April 1993 with Hamburg. After 28 months of complete stop, it joins again with the competition without never finding the top of its form.
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Career
Monica Seles makes its first appearance in a tournament of the circuit WTA in March 1988 with Boca Raton, in Florida: it is fourteen years old. Left-handed, it holds its Raquette with two hands on the two sides, extremely rare technique with the more high level. Camped on its basic line of short, it immediately marks the spirits by the power of its blows, without precedent at any woman, and by the howling S by which it accompanies them. Its accelerations of reverse (often played short and crossed, before the top of the rebound of the ball), returns of service and fulgurating passing shots, in particular, make strong impression.Successes do not delay. April 30th 1989, it gains its first title with Houston vis-a-vis Chris Evert. Then, author of one thundering beginning of season 1990, it gains Roland-Garros on June 10th against Steffi Graf, at the age of sixteen years and half: an unequalled record.
At 17 years, three months and nine days, it becomes, on March 11th 1991, youngest number one world with classification WTA since Tracy Austin in 1980. During the two years which follow, its reign is without division. Animated by an unshakeable determination, it imposes its tennis and its mental force to carry out a double Small slam (1991 and 1992) where only Wimbledon escapes to him.
1993 opens on similar bases when it gains its third consecutive Open of Australia, its eighth trophy in Grand Slam at 19 years - better than Maureen Connolly in the Années 1950. Its domination however sees brutally stopped on April 30th, at the time of the tournament of Hamburg: whereas it carries out its quarterfinal on the central court, flattering unbalanced of Graf, Günter Parche, benefits from the change on sides to cross the safety fences and to plant a knife in the back to him. June 7th, it must give up its throne for the benefit of its dauphine.
If the wound is surface, Monica Seles pains to be raised of the traumatism. It returns to the play only in August 1995, after an exhibition very mediatized against Martina Navrátilová with Atlantic City. It gains of entry the Open of Canada, without losing a set, then reached the final with Flushing Meadows.
In January 1996, it removes the International ones of Australia at the expense of Anke Huber, its ultimate dedication in Major.
Thereafter, in spite of progress with the service and the stolen , it fails to reconquer its leadership : into relative overweight and often wounded, it does not avoid the against-performances. Regularly beaten by Graf and vis-a-vis young talented rivals (Martina Hingis) or more athletic (Lindsay Davenport, the Come sisters and Serena Williams), it is satisfied with honourable certificates of merit.
It signs its last blow of glare in May 1998, a few weeks after the death of her father and Entraîneur of always, Karolj, by rising finally French Open . Of black vêtue, she mystifies favorite Hingis in half before returning the weapons against Arantxa Sánchez.
Monica Seles gained 53 titles into simple during its career, including nine in Large Slam and three Masters of sharp (1990-1992). She also took down a bronze medal with the Olympic Games of Sydney in 2000.
The question of knowing how much Monica Seles would have enriched its prize list, without this blow dealt by fate of April 1993, remains obviously unanswered. This champion less did not enact of them the standards of the female tennis of today: to overflow the adversary in rate, if not to punish it as of the first opportunity. With an increased physical engagement, the players of the following generation, Russian at the head, will adopt in their majority this style of coercive play, sometimes décrié for its character machinal and stereotyped.
Handicapped with the foot by a fracture of stress, it disappears from the circuit after its premature elimination with International of France in 2003, without never officializing its sporting retirement.
In 2007, it disputes three matches of official reception, again against Navrátilová (fifty years), and maintains the doubt as for its hypothetical return.
Striking facts
- Monica Seles is initiated with tennis at six years on a parking space with his/her father who, to amuse it, hangs a net between two cars. Very quickly, it finds its racket too heavy and takes the practice to hold it with two hands, in reverse as in right blow.
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It gains its first tournament at nine years, although it does not include/understand all the rules of the game yet.
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While it takes part in the United States with a test junior, the Orange Bowl , the Monica young person is located by Nick Bollettieri. Accompanied by her Zoltan older brother, it joined his academy in Florida in 1985, followed soon by her parents. The legend wants that older boys, inter alia Jim Courier, refuse to exchange balls with it with the drive, of fear of being ridiculous.
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As of its first match on the professional circuit, it eliminates then Helen Kelesi, 31e world (7-6, 6-3).
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In 1989 in Roland-Garros, his gallop of full-scale experiment Slam, it offers flowers to the public and its adverse while entering on the court; Zina Garrison, with the third turn, hardly appreciates and asks him of the remballer. Not head of series, Monica Seles is stopped only in semi-final by Steffi Graf (3-6, 6-3, 3-6).
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After its defeat with Rome in 1990 (1-6, 1-6), Martina Navrátilová, coiled passing shots, will affirm to have been “reversed by a truck” .
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Of November 1990 in February 1993, Monica Seles takes part in 36 tournaments: it gains 24 of the 35 finales which it reaches. Over the same period, it gains 55 of its 56 duels in Large Slam.
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Finally of Masters of 1990, it dominates Gabriela Sabatini in 3 hours 47 minutes, at the time of the first match of the era Open ever played by women in five handles.
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to be noted, at the beginning of 1991: its success with the Hopman Cup in mixed double with Goran Prpić on behalf of the socialist Federal republic of Yugoslavia.
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In 1991 with Open of Australia, opposite in semi-final with Mary Joe Fernández, it saves a match point to the third set (removed 9 plays with 7) then allocates the test vis-a-vis Jana Novotná.
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Its unexplained Forfait in Wimbledon in 1991 feeds from the extravagant Rumeur S, in particular which it is pregnant of sound sparring partner .
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With US Open in 1991, its semi-final vis-a-vis Jennifer Capriati (6-3, 3-6, 7-6) remains a reference by the new speed and the violence of the exchanges, preceding female tennis developed a few years later.
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At the end of a memorable final in 1992 against Steffi Graf (10-8 in the decisive sleeve), it tears off its third French Open of continuation.
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It triumphs in Flushing Meadows in 1992 without conceding the least handle, giving up only 27 plays in seven turns.
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the famous cries (Grunt S) which it pushes during its matches would have been measured to 80 Décibel S. In Wimbledon in 1992, the complaints of Tauziat and Navrátilová, a warning of the referee and the mockeries of the Tabloïd S English force it to dispute its final without emitting the least sound. Of these ahans exasperating according to some, she will say that they leave to him the mouth for better attacking the ball and that they would have started at twelve years, while playing against Carrie Cunningham.
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It becomes American citizen on March 16th, 1994.
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On its return to the competition in 1995 and circumstance, the WTA grants to him, for fourteen tournaments, the place of Co-number world.
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It publishes a Autobiographie in 1996: From Fear to Victory (literally: of the fear to the victory ).
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One decrees the Prix Bud in 1989 and the Orange Prix to him in 1996.
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In 2005, the American journalists of Tennis Magazine elect Monica Seles with the thirteenth row of the “forty great champions of tennis of these forty last years” , men and women confused, behind Andre Agassi and in front of Stefan Edberg.
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In its own role, it appears in an episode of the American series a nanny of hell , diffused in March 1996 on the television channel CBS.
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It admires Suzanne Lenglen.
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Seles lives with Sarasota, in Florida. Since it stopped the competition, it is devoted to caritative works, for example the assistance with the ill children or handicapped at the sides of Andrea Jeager.
Prize list
Course in Large Slam
Course with the Masters
Fed Cup
No
Olympic Games
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Barcelona (1992) : not being aligned in Cut of the Federation, Monica Seles is not authorized to take part in the Olympic test, in strict application of the payment of ITF - and independently of the Guerres of Yugoslavia.
- Atlanta (1996) : defeat in quarterfinal against Jana Novotná (5-7, 6-3, 6-8)
- Sydney (2000) : eliminated in semi-final by Venus Williams (1-6, 6-4, 3-6), it beats then Jelena Dokić for the bronze medal (6-1, 6-4).
Classifications WTA
Victories/defeats in career
External bonds