Near midnight for a balmy Miami evening and also the flooring of 1 associated with town’s hottest nightclubs is warming up. Given that DJ cranks within the music, all eyes are interested in an accumulation of blond ьber-goddesses who will be dancing up a storm, attracting lascivious glances out of each and every red-blooded guy within the space. Nevertheless the girls, who’re uniformly blonde, leggy and flaunting their perfect figures in barely-there dresses, are not the ubiquitous supermodels for which Southern Beach is famed. No, they are the increasing stars associated with the ladies’ tennis circuit enjoying a uncommon particular date while they attempt to get to be the next Maria Sharapova – whom, incidentally, is within the middle regarding the flooring, waving her hands around wildly despite complaining of the neck damage early in the day.
The event may be the kickoff celebration when it comes to Sony Ericsson Open. This really is one of several world’s tennis tournaments that are largest after the Grand Slams, but additionally usually the essential relaxed compliment of its location on Key Biscayne, a palm-fringed area simply south of downtown Miami however a million kilometers from the pressures of Wimbledon.
Probably the most promising player associated with the team is Daniela Hantuchova, a 24-year-old Slovakian that is rated ninth in the field. As with any the girls, she talks in faltering English, is reserved and it is utterly centered on the one thing – winning. Tonight she walks the carpet that is red one other young hopefuls through the previous communist countries of Eastern Europe whom consented to be interviewed and photographed exclusively for Live.
Intriguingly, girls, whom include Russian-born Maria Kirilenko and Michaella Krajicek, the cousin of 1996 Wimbledon champ Richard Krajicek, studiously avoid one another regarding the dancefloor, each creating court due to their very very own number of salivating males in several spots round the venue that is lavish the Opium Garden. Them all dream of emulating the achievements of Sharapova, the Russian-born Wimbledon winner that has channelled her success right into a multimillion-pound kingdom many thanks to sponsorship addresses corporations such as for instance Nike, Canon, Land Rover, Colgate and Sony Ericsson. These earn her a calculated Ј20 million per year.
‘People see all of these girls from Russia and Eastern Europe and additionally they think there is certainly a factory that turns us away,’ claims Hantuchova in a barely audible throaty purr. ‘But I think the actual response is that individuals all was raised in a tradition that encourages effort.
‘I knew whenever I had been 5 years old and first found a racket that we desired to be considered a tennis player that is professional. From a really very early age that is all we centered on. It really is good for individuals to simply just take a pursuit due to the method We look, but I guarantee you that tennis is my focus that is primary.
Face-to-face, Hantuchova appears 5ft 11in in her own bare foot, of which 44in are her perfect feet, stretching as much as this smaller mortal’s throat. She talks four languages – Slovak, German, English and Spanish – and studied piano that is classical eight years.
Running her pink-tipped fingers through her locks, she states, ‘It is strange in my opinion when individuals concentrate on exactly just how we look. It really is good to be complimented, but i’m an athlete, a sportswoman that is professional. I give attention to my tennis.’
Her face clouds once I talk about the subject of the negative press she encountered at the beginning of her job. In 2002, she reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon together with United States Open and had been lauded whilst the next thing that is big. Then again came a period of quick weight loss that left her body searching shockingly skeletal. Rumours of an eating disorder implemented and also by Wimbledon 2003 she had been a wreck, crashing out in the 2nd round.
Of the painful time, she claims, ‘It had been extremely tough.
I happened to be young and I also read precisely what had been discussed me personally. A lesson was learned by me from that, which will be that folks prefer to build you up only to tear you down once again.
‘I am prepared now and I also am a much more resilient individual.
I believe far a lot of focus is wear just just how ladies look. You never hear individuals referring to Tiger Woods’s fat or just just what David Beckham consumes.
However with girls there’s this huge give attention to looks. Individuals should concentrate on the game.’
Three more girls with Eastern vow
MARIA KIRILENKO: Age 21. POSITION: 32. From Moscow, Russia. Height 5ft 8in. ‘Stella McCartney required a model whenever she ended up being approached by Adidas to develop tennis primabrides.com/asian-brides gear. She seemed through photographs of girls in the trip and picked me personally. I assume I will be her muse. I do not understand some of her dad’s music. I’m sure he had been in team called the Beatles, but that is more my father’s generation. I prefer contemporary Russian pop music music We began playing at seven when my father took me personally to view a competition. We fell so in love with tennis, but We also love soccer – I help Chelsea. We just take a soccer beside me every-where; it will help me warm up and remain supple and quick. I meet Stella twice a 12 months in london. We practise in every the prototypes of her clothing and advise her on how best to cause them to more content.’