French Open: Hantuchova’s stressful wait

If there is one Grand Slam where world No 10 Daniela Hantuchova would love to set the record straight, it’s the French Open. Her best showing there has been the fourth round, while she has reached at least the quarter-finals in all the other slams, including a semi-final showing at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Since then, a stress fracture has kept her out of the game and the tall Slovakian beauty is keeping her fingers crossed.

Speaking to XPRESS as she recovers, the four-time Grand Slam mixed doubles winner said: "It has been a very frustrating time to tell you the truth. The foot is continuing to be problematic. It was a very bad injury. I had an MRI early last week which confirmed the foot needed more time to heal."

Race against time

So will she be fit for Paris? "I hope so," she said. "Right now I am trying to stay hopeful. I miss the game so much and Roland Garros is wonderful. And what’s not to love about Paris!"

Incidentally, clay has not been one of Hantuchova’s favourite surfaces and she realises the difficulty of coming to grips with it without any match practice. "If I am able to play, I realise that I will not be as prepared as I would like typically moving into a Grand Slam. All I can do is play my best, considering the circumstances, and expect to have a positive experience regardless of the outcome," she said.

Desert dreams

And while Indian Wells happens to be her favourite hunting ground, having won the Tier I event twice in her career, Hantuchova has a soft spot for Dubai as well. "Dubai is quite a neat place. The new and modern meets the desert and the Arabian Sea. The city gets bigger and changes every time I return. I enjoy playing there and I reached the Quarters twice. The organisers of the tournament do a great job.

"Also I can’t wait to go back and visit the Arabian horse I befriended last year! I have been hearing lots of nice things about the new Ernie Els golf course in Dubai so I hope to get a chance to check it out next year," she said.

Finally, how is her relationship with Ana Ivanovic following the Australian Open controversy?

"We all know women’s tennis is an extremely competitive sport so it’s not easy or conducive to have close relationships with other players. She can be your opponent the next day, next week and the week after. One of many challenges we face as an athlete in an individual sport, but I guess every profession has the good and not so good aspects. That’s just part of life. Ana is great champion, talented and nice. I have nothing negative to say," she said.

Daniela off court

• Hantuchova has a passion for golf and plays at every opportunity
• She loves movies and literature and always catches up with the latest on offer
• Her favourite activity is cooking