Big hands to Tammy at the Wimbledon

Nothing to say except that we are so proud of you!

credit: wimbledon.org

Tammy Tamarine Tanasugarn, the only Thai lady professional tennis player in the Wimbledon, made it through to the quarterfinal for the very first time in the history. Grass court is her favorite. And the Wimbledon is where she performs the best out of all Grand Slam tournaments (reaching the forth round for 7 times). It was only this very year that she is at her top form and played very well, winning over the second-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-2 the other day.

Just only a few hours ago, Tammy played against seven-seeded Venus Williams. They met six times before this and Tammy could never win even a single set from Venus. This time, even though Tammy still ended the match by losing two straight sets at 4-6, 3-6, it was a memorable match. Tammy didn't give Venus an easy game and there were a lot of great rally and killing shots. Bravo to Tammy and we are so proud of you!



To know more about Tammy, I'd like to lend a hand to an article by Scoop Malinowski who contributed an interview profile for www.tennisweek.com (original article, click here)

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Before she ever had cut her teeth on her first tennis match, tennis was already tinged with an alluringly sweet taste for Tamarine Tanasugarn. While some kids growing up dreaming of playing on Wimbledon's Centre Court, Tanasugarn's childhood tennis dreams combined a sweet tooth and her desire to use one of the sport's most prestiguous trophies for more practical purposes — as a candy dish.

"I was watching Tracy Austin win the the U.S. Open (1981). And I told my mom — I forgot that already — she told me that I said I want to get that U.S. Open trophy," Tanasugarn remembers. "She asked me why. And I said 'I'm gonna put my candy on the trophy [smiles].' That's my earliest tennis memory."

Since then, the 31-year-old Los Angeles-born, Bangkok-bred Tanasugarn, has realized her share of tennis dreams. If memorable moments were M&Ms, Tanasugarn could fill a racquet bag with hers.

The 5-foot-5 Tanasugarn is one of the few women on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour still capable of playing serve-and-volley tennis in singles. She has captured two singles titles — the 2003 Hyderabad and last week's 's-Hertogenbosch championship on grass where she won two matches in qualifying to reach the main draw then scored five straight wins, including straight-sets conquests of Alona Bondarenko in the semifinals and French Open finalist Dinara Safina in the final to raise her rank to No. 60.

She won two doubles titles partnering Maria Sharapova, has competed in four Olympic Games for Thailand (she carried the Thai flag at the 1996 Olympics) and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon six times. She will play New Zealand's Marina Erakovic for a place in the fourth round of The Championships with the winner facing either second-seeded Jelena Jankovic or 31st-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.

Scoop Malinowski caught up with Tanasugarn for this interview in which she explains why Francesca Schiavone always brings a smile to her face and what former World No. 1 is her favorite player to watch.



Born On: May 24, 1977 in Los Angeles, CA (she holds dual citizenship in the USA and Thailand)

Tennis Inspirations: "It's Monica Seles. And my king. I'm very honored and proud to be Thai and born in his country."

Hobbies/Interests: "I like to read, like to go shopping, go out, relax, beaches."

First Tennis Memory: "Talking to my mom, I was watching Tracy Austin win the the U.S. Open (1981). And I told my mom — I forgot that already — she told me that I said I want to get that U.S. Open trophy. She asked me why. And I said I'm gonna put my candy on the trophy [smiles]. That's my earliest tennis memory."

Pre-Match Feeling: "Just like to go out there, have fun and enjoy. And play my best. Just keep focused and play my game."

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Orange sherbet."

Greatest Tennis Moment: "Doing well at the U.S. Open, fourth round (by beating) Daniela Hantuchova in 2003."

Most Painful Moment: "Against Natalie Tauziat in Birmingham. Six match points in a row and I lost the match."

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: "Probably in the Hantuchova match at the U.S. Open, I thought I served for the match and I finished the match and it was not the match. It was just 5-3. And then I was like jumping around on the court and, like, I thought I finished the match. And everybody was laughing and everything. On Arthur Ashe court. And I was very embarrassed. I was laughing myself. And then good that I finished the match 6-4."

Funniest Player Encountered: "I think Francesca Schiavone. Very, very funny and crazy and very friendly to everybody. And somehow she just walks in sometimes and does something wild. It's hard to explain. I like her. You see her and you smile and laugh."

Toughest Competitors: "I feel like the top 5 and Serena Williams (she's 0-6 vs. Serena), Venus (0-6), Seles (0-6) and Davenport (0-5)."

Favorite Player To Watch: "I loved to watch Agassi."

People Qualities Most Admired: "I think right now everybody's going too fast, you know? Too quick. I think I want people to take their life in easy and sometimes I watch everybody with so much stress and it's not a good life. Just take it easy. Like in the U.S., they're very rushed. Like going everything. So take it easy."

Scoop Malinowski created the Biofile interview in 1992. Scoop is a Tennisweek.com contributor, noted boxing expert and accomplished recreational tennis player who has competed in the USTA Nationals and the National Public Parks Championships at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. He captured the 2006 Tennis Week.com singles title with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory over one of tennis journalism's top players, Dan Markowitz, surprisingly smashing only two racquets in the process. His latest book chronicling the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson fight will be released in the coming weeks. Please check out his redesigned web site www.thebiofile.com to read Biofiles of New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck and baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.