Mauresmo thirsty for more Melbourne glory

PARIS, Jan 11: Amelie Mauresmo, a connoisseur who always celebrates her sweetest moments with a rare vintage, hopes there will be more red wine to sip after this month's Australian Open.

The enigmatic Frenchwoman, who banished a reputation for losing her nerve on big occasions by winning the tournament last year, said she still felt thirsty.

''I want more because once you've tasted what it's like you want more,'' she said.

For years the athletic Mauresmo arrived in Melbourne full of expectations before leaving the Australian Open wondering why it had not quite worked out.

Things are different now. After claiming her maiden grand slam crown, she went on to win Wimbledon and held on to the number one ranking for 34 weeks before finishing the year at number three.

The 27-year-old felt she had proved herself even before last year, having become the first French player to reach number one in September 2004, an achievement she still describes today as her finest memory.

Nobody questioned her potential but until 2006 she had a record for collapsing when it mattered most and, no matter how successful in other tournaments, she had never won a grand slam.

BRIGHT FUTURE '

'I was always able to question myself after failures, which is never an easy thing to do,'' she said.

''The difference now is probably that I have the right answers because I know myself better. I definitely improved last year, both physically and mentally, and that made me hungry for more.'' It was at the Australian Open that Mauresmo burst on to the scene, reaching the final as an unseeded 19-year-old in 1999.

A bright future looked certain for the powerful teenager but she failed to move past the semi-finals of any grand slam in the seven years that followed.

Martina Hingis, who beat Mauresmo in Melbourne in 1999, stirred up controversy before that final by saying the Frenchwoman, who had openly professed her homosexuality, played like a man.

Mauresmo silenced her critics at last in Melbourne last year, even though her triumph came after Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne retired midway through the final.

Henin-Hardenne quit while trailing 6-1 2-0, citing a gastric illness, gifting a subdued Mauresmo the title she had craved for so long.

WATCHED NOAH

Mauresmo was gracious in victory but it was not until she beat Henin-Hardenne in the Wimbledon final six months later that she understood the kind of elation she had missed out on in Melbourne.

''It was disappointing not to have a match point and an end to the match, that is why Wimbledon is a little bit ahead (as a memory) for me,'' Mauresmo told reporters before this week's Sydney International.

''It was not a question for me at the Australian Open whether I deserved to win. I felt I really deserved the trophy. But was I robbed? Just of emotion.'' Mauresmo was not even four when she decided she wanted to play tennis after watching on television when Frenchman Yannick Noah won the French Open in 1983.

Always excited come Australian Open time, this year she has to deal for the first time with being the main attraction.

''It was different this time because there were television crews and photographers waiting for me at the airport,'' she told reporters after landing in Australia.

''I didn't look too great after a long flight but nevermind.

I experienced fantastic moments last year and I know it can't be better but I hope to get the same results and live through the same emotions.''

Reuters