Zuzana Kučová

Zuzana Kučová
Kučová at the 2010 Open GDF Suez
Country (sports) Slovakia
ResidenceBratislava
Born (1982-06-26) 26 June 1982 (age 42)
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro2000
Retired2013
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$418,032
Singles
Career record328–258
Career titles8 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 101 (7 June 2010)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open1R (2010)
French Open2R (2013)
Wimbledon1R (2010)
US Open1R (2010)
Doubles
Career record104–106
Career titles4 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 175 (7 December 2009)

Zuzana Kučová (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈzuzana ˈkutʂɔʋaː]; born 26 June 1982) is a former Slovak tennis player.

She won eight singles titles and four doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 7 June 2010, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 101. In December 2009, she peaked at No. 175 in the WTA doubles rankings. She is the sister of Kristína Kučová, also professional tennis player.

Career

Kučová qualified for the 2004 French Open, and drew 10th seed Vera Zvonareva in the first round of the clay-court tournament. She struggled to find a way past the Russian and was beaten in straight sets.

In 2008, Kučová competed at the 2008 GDF Suez Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary.[1] She knocked young Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky out of the tournament in the opening round, but failed to defeat hometown favourite Gréta Arn in the second, bowing out in straight sets.

Kučová qualified for her second Grand Slam championship, the 2010 Australian Open, by beating Julia Schruff in the third round of qualifying. She drew Gisela Dulko in the opening round, and after a first set shocker that lasted just 18 minutes,[2] Kučová fought back, but was ultimately knocked out in three sets. Following 18 months absent from the tennis court, Kučová qualified for her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance in three years at the 2013 French Open. There, she caused a huge upset by defeating 24th seed Julia Görges in straight sets. In the second round, she lost to Virginie Razzano in three sets. Her last professional tournament was at the 2013 French Open.

Personal life

Kučová's younger sister Kristína is also a tennis player.

ITF finals

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 24 (8–16)

Outcome No Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. 10 September 2000 ITF Zadar, Croatia Clay Switzerland Myriam Casanova 4–6, 1–6
Runner-up 2. 8 October 2000 ITF Cairo, Egypt Clay Austria Sandra Klemenschits 4–1, 4–2, 1–4, 4–5(4), 3–5
Winner 1. 24 June 2001 ITF Algiers, Algeria Clay France Mathilde Johansson 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 3. 29 July 2001 ITF Horb, Germany Clay Czech Republic Lenka Novotná 5–7, 4–6
Runner-up 4. 2 September 2001 ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany Clay Germany Lisa Fritz 1–6, 0–6
Runner-up 5. 30 September 2001 ITF Verona, Italy Clay Germany Angelika Rösch 4–6, 0–6
Runner-up 6. 2 June 2002 ITF Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina Clay Austria Sybille Bammer 6–2, 4–6, 5–7
Runner-up 7. 14 July 2002 ITF Darmstadt, Germany Clay Germany Sandra Klösel 4–6, 6–7(3)
Winner 2. 30 March 2003 ITF Rome, Italy Clay Romania Delia Sescioreanu 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–0
Runner-up 8. 19 September 2004 ITF Sofia, Bulgaria Clay Hungary Virág Németh 1–5 ret.
Runner-up 9. 29 May 2005 ITF Campobasso, Italy Clay Ukraine Mariya Koryttseva 7–5, 1–6, 5–7
Runner-up 10. 9 April 2006 ITF Athens, Greece Clay France Aurélie Védy 2–6, 7–5, 3–6
Winner 3. 15 December 2007 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard Germany Syna Kayser 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 11. 22 December 2007 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard South Africa Chanelle Scheepers 2–6, 0–6
Winner 4. 25 October 2008 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard Romania Ágnes Szatmári 7–6(5), 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up 12. 14 June 2009 ITF Zlín, Czech Republic Clay Slovenia Polona Hercog 3–6, 1–6
Runner-up 13. 19 July 2009 ITF Darmstadt, Germany Clay Germany Sarah Gronert 1–6, 1–6
Runner-up 14. 10 October 2009 ITF Jounieh, Lebanon Clay Romania Alexandra Dulgheru 6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Winner 5. 16 October 2009 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard Greece Anna Gerasimou 6–3, 7–5
Winner 6. 24 October 2009 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard Russia Nina Bratchikova 6–0, 7–6(5)
Runner-up 15. 3 April 2010 ITF Monzón, Spain Hard Belarus Anastasiya Yakimova 4–6, 6–4, 3–6
Winner 7. 24 April 2010 ITF Bari, Italy Clay Czech Republic Zuzana Ondrášková 6–4, 6–2
Winner 8. 23 October 2010 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard France Natalie Piquion 6–2, 6–0
Runner-up 16. 30 October 2010 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard Russia Nina Bratchikova 5–7, 1–6

Doubles: 8 (4–4)

Outcome No Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 6 August 2000 ITF Bucharest, Romania Clay Czech Republic Dominika Luzarová Romania Liana Ungur
Romania Edina Gallovits-Hall
5–7, 0–4 ret.
Runner-up 2. 15 October 2000 ITF Cairo, Egypt Clay Czech Republic Barbora Blahutiaková Austria Sandra Klemenschits
Austria Daniela Klemenschits
0–4, 0–4, 0–4
Winner 1. 25 March 2001 ITF Rome, Italy Clay Czech Republic Iveta Benešová Italy Claudia Ivone
Italy Roberta Vinci
4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up 3. 29 July 2001 ITF Horb, Germany Clay Slovakia Martina Strussová Germany Annette Kolb
Croatia Ivana Zupá
6–7(0), 2–6
Winner 2. 2 September 2001 ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany Clay Czech Republic Renata Kučerová Czech Republic Gabriela Chmelinová
Czech Republic Lenka Novotná
w/o
Runner-up 4. 22 January 2006 ITF Fort Walton Beach,
United States
Hard South Africa Chanelle Scheepers Canada Maureen Drake
Czech Republic Vladimíra Uhlířová
6–2, 4–6, 5–7
Winner 3. 17 March 2007 ITF Cairo, Egypt Clay (i) Slovakia Kristína Kučová United Kingdom Melissa Berry
Netherlands Michelle Gerards
6–7(3), 6–4, 6–3
Winner 4. 13 June 2009 ITF Zlín, Czech Republic Clay Slovakia Kristína Kučová Czech Republic Nikola Fraňková
Germany Carmen Klaschka
6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 W–L
Australian Open A Q1 Q1 Q1 A A A Q2 1R Q3 A A 0–1
French Open A Q2 1R A Q1 A A Q1 Q3 Q1 A 2R 1–2
Wimbledon A Q2 Q1 Q1 A A A Q1 1R Q3 A A 0–1
US Open Q3 Q1 Q1 A A A Q1 Q2 1R Q1 A A 0–1

References

  1. ^ "Zuzana Kučová Stats, News, Photos, Record". Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Australian Open Tennis Championships 2010 – Scores". Retrieved 20 January 2010.