Molik breaks women's drought - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Molik breaks women's drought

By Don Woolford 11/01/2003 05:36:06 AM Comments (0)

Alicia Molik has broken an eight-year drought in Australian women's tennis by capturing a WTA title in Hobart.

The 21-year-old from Adelaide capped the greatest fortnight of her career by beating American Amy Frazier 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the Moorilla International Women's Tennis Tournament final.

The 94th-ranked Molik beat five more highly ranked opponents on her way to being the first Australian to claim a WTA title since Nicole Bradtke in Auckland in 1995.

Against the second seeded and much more experienced Frazier, Molik ran comfortably through the first set.

But in the second, Frazier found her range with her fierce double-handed backhand, forcing Molik onto the defensive.

Frazier ran to a 4-2 lead and although Molik levelled, she could not deny the American the set.

In the decider, with both having trouble holding serve, Molik gradually got on top.

As she started mixing her game more, Frazier's big ground strokes lost some of their potency.

Molik served for the match at 5-3 but could not convert as Frazier drove two clean winners.

But that was her last gasp.

Frazier conceded match point with a double and then netted an overhead backhand volley to give a delighted Molik her first big title.

Molik said she was delighted by her win and by the way she played.

"It was a bit of a relief actually, it was a bit of a nerve-racking match," she said.

"It was game I was prepared to lose as long as I played my game. And it worked. I pulled it off."

Molik said the victory - which followed wins over three higher ranked opponents in the Hopman Cup in Perth last week - was the result of two years of hard work with coach David Taylor from Bathurst.

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