Agniezska Radwanska

Radwanska Leads Polish Surge into New Tennis Season

When the draw was released for the Australian Open, fans and experts alike eagerly looked ahead to potential star-studded week two match ups, but few could have predicted that Agniezska Radwanska would be among the final contenders for the year’s first Grand Slam crown.

The 18-year old native of Krakow, Poland sparkled ‘Down Under’ reaching her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final thanks to impressive victories over World No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova and hard-hitting Nadia Petrova. In fact, Radwanska has developed quite a reputation as a ‘giant killer’ on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She knocked out none other than defending champion Maria Sharapova in the third round of the U.S. Open last September and also got the better of former World No. 1 Martina Hingis in Miami in March.

Radwanska has been playing on the Pro Circuit since she was fourteen and has already crafted an envious tennis resume. She is one of several teen extraordinaires who have become forces to be reckoned with and currently stands as the second youngest player ranked inside the Top 30. She earned her first two Tour titles in a breakthrough 2007 campaign, winning the singles trophy at a summer hard court Tier IV event in Sweden and also ruling in doubles with her younger sister Urszula at a clay court tournament in Istanbul. Radwanska was named the 2006 Tour ‘Newcomer of the Year’ for her on-court achievements.

The self-proclaimed fan of alternative music and actress Nicole Kidman enjoyed a standout stint on the junior circuit highlighted by wins at Roland Garros in 2006 and Wimbledon in 2005, success that seems to have translated seamlessly to the upper echelon of the game.

Radwanska is one of several Polish-born players who are poised to leave their mark on the 2008 tennis season. At 17, Urszula Radwanska is well on her way to following in her sister’s footsteps and Warsaw native Marta Domachowska, experienced a rebirth of sorts at the Aussie Open, reaching the fourth round before being ousted in a spirited tussle with Venus Williams.

Regardless of where her tennis path may lead, Radwanska has already proven that she belongs amidst the worlds best and showed during the Melbourne fortnight that she certainly isn’t intimidated by big names or occassions.