Useful Swiss crowd support for Swiss Schnyder

By Etienne Stekelenburg
October 19 2002

Noisy spectators give all their support to push the last Swiss player into the semi-final. Patty Schnyder beats Daniela Hantuchova from Russia 6:7 6:3 7:6 in a 2 hours and 42 minutes lasting battle. Schnyder outplayed her 19-year-old opponent who was clearly too tired at the end of the match.

After having a super weekend at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston USA last April, Patty Schnyder from Switzerland is trying to continue on the same level. In Charleston Schnyder was beaten in the final by Iva Majoli after playing a great tournament.

After being asked to compare both week Schnyder said that she enjoyed both weeks but she reached to final there and the week is not over yet in Zurich. She was feeling very good about the support she got from her home crowd. She also said that she had played better in Charleston.

Patty Schnyder said that at the beginning of the second set she was getting annoyed with herself after she started to think negative about her playing. She had many breakpoints in the first set and was even leading in the tiebreak and "you don’t get many chances against a player with so much confidence"

Looking ahead to the next match Schnyder said:” When I am feeling good I like to play against Martinez, you have to be patient and on a mental high spirit to have a chance, the most thing that worries me is her slice serve on the outside to my backhand. That can take me far away from the court.”

Patty Schnyder could not hear herself breathing after she had two match points, the home crowd was making so much noise. She said she totally enjoyed it when the public is behind her for support. It gave her energy and the strength to tuck away a loss.

The longest rally took the ball 27 times over the net. Schnyder: “Yeah that is very long for her, it happens to me more often”