Zuzana Kučová (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈzuzana ˈkutʂɔʋaː]; born 26 June 1982) is a former Slovak tennis player.

Zuzana Kučová
Kučová at the 2010 Open GDF Suez
Country (sports) Slovakia
ResidenceBratislava
Born (1982-06-26) 26 June 1982 (age 42)
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro2000
Retired2013
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money$418,032
Singles
Career record328–258
Career titles8 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 101 (7 June 2010)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open1R (2010)
French Open2R (2013)
Wimbledon1R (2010)
US Open1R (2010)
Doubles
Career record104–106
Career titles4 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 175 (7 December 2009)

She won eight singles titles and four doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 7 June 2010, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 101. In December 2009, she peaked at No. 175 in the WTA doubles rankings. She is the sister of Kristína Kučová, also professional tennis player.

Career

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Kučová qualified for the 2004 French Open, and drew 10th seed Vera Zvonareva in the first round of the clay-court tournament. She struggled to find a way past the Russian and was beaten in straight sets.

In 2008, Kučová competed at the 2008 GDF Suez Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary.[1] She knocked young Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky out of the tournament in the opening round, but failed to defeat hometown favourite Gréta Arn in the second, bowing out in straight sets.

Kučová qualified for her second Grand Slam championship, the 2010 Australian Open, by beating Julia Schruff in the third round of qualifying. She drew Gisela Dulko in the opening round, and after a first set shocker that lasted just 18 minutes,[2] Kučová fought back, but was ultimately knocked out in three sets. Following 18 months absent from the tennis court, Kučová qualified for her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance in three years at the 2013 French Open. There, she caused a huge upset by defeating 24th seed Julia Görges in straight sets. In the second round, she lost to Virginie Razzano in three sets. Her last professional tournament was at the 2013 French Open.

Personal life

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Kučová's younger sister Kristína is also a tennis player.

ITF finals

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Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$75,000 tournaments
$50,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
$10,000 tournaments

Singles: 24 (8–16)

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Outcome No Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. 10 September 2000 ITF Zadar, Croatia Clay   Myriam Casanova 4–6, 1–6
Runner-up 2. 8 October 2000 ITF Cairo, Egypt Clay   Sandra Klemenschits 4–1, 4–2, 1–4, 4–5(4), 3–5
Winner 1. 24 June 2001 ITF Algiers, Algeria Clay   Mathilde Johansson 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 3. 29 July 2001 ITF Horb, Germany Clay   Lenka Novotná 5–7, 4–6
Runner-up 4. 2 September 2001 ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany Clay   Lisa Fritz 1–6, 0–6
Runner-up 5. 30 September 2001 ITF Verona, Italy Clay   Angelika Rösch 4–6, 0–6
Runner-up 6. 2 June 2002 ITF Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina Clay   Sybille Bammer 6–2, 4–6, 5–7
Runner-up 7. 14 July 2002 ITF Darmstadt, Germany Clay   Sandra Klösel 4–6, 6–7(3)
Winner 2. 30 March 2003 ITF Rome, Italy Clay   Delia Sescioreanu 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–0
Runner-up 8. 19 September 2004 ITF Sofia, Bulgaria Clay   Virág Németh 1–5 ret.
Runner-up 9. 29 May 2005 ITF Campobasso, Italy Clay   Mariya Koryttseva 7–5, 1–6, 5–7
Runner-up 10. 9 April 2006 ITF Athens, Greece Clay   Aurélie Védy 2–6, 7–5, 3–6
Winner 3. 15 December 2007 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Syna Kayser 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 11. 22 December 2007 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Chanelle Scheepers 2–6, 0–6
Winner 4. 25 October 2008 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Ágnes Szatmári 7–6(5), 4–6, 6–3
Runner-up 12. 14 June 2009 ITF Zlín, Czech Republic Clay   Polona Hercog 3–6, 1–6
Runner-up 13. 19 July 2009 ITF Darmstadt, Germany Clay   Sarah Gronert 1–6, 1–6
Runner-up 14. 10 October 2009 ITF Jounieh, Lebanon Clay   Alexandra Dulgheru 6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Winner 5. 16 October 2009 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Anna Gerasimou 6–3, 7–5
Winner 6. 24 October 2009 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Nina Bratchikova 6–0, 7–6(5)
Runner-up 15. 3 April 2010 ITF Monzón, Spain Hard   Anastasiya Yakimova 4–6, 6–4, 3–6
Winner 7. 24 April 2010 ITF Bari, Italy Clay   Zuzana Ondrášková 6–4, 6–2
Winner 8. 23 October 2010 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Natalie Piquion 6–2, 6–0
Runner-up 16. 30 October 2010 Lagos Open, Nigeria Hard   Nina Bratchikova 5–7, 1–6

Doubles: 8 (4–4)

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Outcome No Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. 6 August 2000 ITF Bucharest, Romania Clay   Dominika Luzarová   Liana Ungur
  Edina Gallovits-Hall
5–7, 0–4 ret.
Runner-up 2. 15 October 2000 ITF Cairo, Egypt Clay   Barbora Blahutiaková   Sandra Klemenschits
  Daniela Klemenschits
0–4, 0–4, 0–4
Winner 1. 25 March 2001 ITF Rome, Italy Clay   Iveta Benešová   Claudia Ivone
  Roberta Vinci
4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up 3. 29 July 2001 ITF Horb, Germany Clay   Martina Strussová   Annette Kolb
  Ivana Zupá
6–7(0), 2–6
Winner 2. 2 September 2001 ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany Clay   Renata Kučerová   Gabriela Chmelinová
  Lenka Novotná
w/o
Runner-up 4. 22 January 2006 ITF Fort Walton Beach,
United States
Hard   Chanelle Scheepers   Maureen Drake
  Vladimíra Uhlířová
6–2, 4–6, 5–7
Winner 3. 17 March 2007 ITF Cairo, Egypt Clay (i)   Kristína Kučová   Melissa Berry
  Michelle Gerards
6–7(3), 6–4, 6–3
Winner 4. 13 June 2009 ITF Zlín, Czech Republic Clay   Kristína Kučová   Nikola Fraňková
  Carmen Klaschka
6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 W–L
Australian Open A Q1 Q1 Q1 A A A Q2 1R Q3 A A 0–1
French Open A Q2 1R A Q1 A A Q1 Q3 Q1 A 2R 1–2
Wimbledon A Q2 Q1 Q1 A A A Q1 1R Q3 A A 0–1
US Open Q3 Q1 Q1 A A A Q1 Q2 1R Q1 A A 0–1

References

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  1. ^ "Zuzana Kučová Stats, News, Photos, Record". Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Australian Open Tennis Championships 2010 – Scores". Retrieved 20 January 2010.
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