As always, Nick Bollettieri is happy to talk up any player that has passed through his academy. But Mike Tyson references?
From The Commercial Appeal: 'She's like a Tyson'
When Nick Bollettieri talks about Nicole Vaidisova, it isn't immediately clear if he's describing the next great women's tennis player or a contender for the heavyweight title.
The No. 1 seed in this week's Cellular South Cup, Vaidisova is a 16-year-old Czech by way of Germany who packs a big serve and an increasingly powerful resume...
"She's no longer the little girl on the block. She's a veteran now," said Bollettieri, the perma-tanned tennis guru who has coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Venus and Serena Williams and has been working with Vaidisova since she first came to his eponymous, Bradenton, Fla.-based academy in 1999.
"Her serve is becoming a major weapon. She's a hitter. She's like a (Mike) Tyson," Bollettieri added. "She comes out slugging from both sides. She's a tall girl, and she's becoming much stronger physically and she's believing she belongs on the tour. Even though she's a big girl at 6-1, you'll find she's very coordinated. She has no ego at all, but she's a tough mama."
"Doing what she did last year is almost unheard of," Bollettieri said. "No one expected a young rookie to win five tournaments (so soon). She's got a lot to defend right now."
Most players would be thrilled with Vaidisova's results, but she was dissatisfied in losing to eventual champions Amelie Mauresmo in Melbourne and Elena Dementieva in Tokyo.
"I was a little disappointed. I always want to do better," Vaidisova said. "I go to every tournament expecting to win. I'll come (to Memphis) wanting to win again. That's my goal."...
While Vaidisova could have chosen to play in the more prestigious Dubai tournament this week, she elected to return to Memphis...
After being away from her family in Florida for nearly two months at the start of the year, she decided to return home to rest up and work on her game at the Bollettieri Academy.
"I played a lot of matches in a row, and it was hard because I was sick and injured and tired. It's tough going to different countries," she said. "I didn't want to go to Dubai and Doha, and I liked it last year in Memphis."
At the same time, Vaidisova is enjoying the perks of being one of the best, and most-talked about, players on the tour.
"It's fun. You get to see things normally you wouldn't -- different people, different cultures.
"I try to walk around each city a little bit to get a feel for where I am, if I have time."
Increasingly, Vaidisova has little to spare.
The attractive teenager already has appeared in Elle Girl, Rolling Stone and Life & Style, and she appears in Reebok's "I am what I am" advertising campaign.
"The photo shoots are fun. I definitely want to do that a little bit. It's definitely part of it, but you always have to think tennis first and fit everything else around it," she said. "You have to learn to say, 'No, I can't do it,' even if you want to do it."
While Vaidisova admits enjoying the attention and opportunities her talent and looks have created, she bristles at the inevitable comparisons to other tennis player-celebrities such as Maria Sharapova and Anna Kournikova.
"People always compare people, but you don't want to waste energy or time to think about other people's expectations," she said. "I don't bother with what people say because it just puts extra and unuseful stress on you."
nicole, your a great player for your age, but just not that good looking- get over yourself.
Posted by: natasha | February 23, 2006 at 01:39 PM
after seeing nicole for the first time i thought i was watching maria sharipova until they showed the score on t v. after losing a heartbreaker in france,i still think she is a future no.1 player she is also pleasant to look at she just needs a little maturity
Posted by: john | June 09, 2006 at 08:58 AM