Klara Koukalova’s winding path reaches the Al Habtoor Challenge final

DUBAI // Klara Koukalova and Maria Sharapova made their grand slam debuts on the same day, facing off in the opening round of the 2003 Australian Open after making it through the qualifying rounds.

Koukalova was 20 at the time, senior to Sharapova by five years, and ranked 70 spots higher, as well (No 113, while the Russian was No 183).

So the 6-4, 7-6 win for the Czech was not really a surprise.

In the next round, Koukalova stunned then No 7 Monica Seles in three sets and the world was suddenly buzzing about this young talent – the daughter of a taxi driver, who had grown up idolising Martina Hingis.

However, Koukalova’s career has not panned out the way she, or her fans, would have wished.

It has been a roller-coaster ride. She can boast victories over the likes of Serena Williams (Marbella, 2009), Li Na (2010 Danish Open) and Garbine Muguruza (from whom she won 11 successive games from 4–6, 2–5 to down the Spaniard in the 2014 Florianopolis final), yet she is now No 106 in the world rankings.

Sharapova, on the other hand, has gone on to top the world rankings and win five grand slams during her career.

The Russian is in Prague this weekend as a member of her country’s team in the Fed Cup final, hoping to stop hosts Czech Republic from winning their fourth title in five years.

Koukalova is not part of the Czech team.

Instead she is here in Dubai and preparing to take on Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay in Saturday’s final of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge.

“I am happy to be in the final,” Koukalova said after her 7-6, 6-3 win over Russia’s Alexandra Panova in Friday’s first semi-final.

Buyukakcay, who surprised No 1 seed and defending champion Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania in the quarter-finals on Thursday, fought back from a set down to beat compatriot Ipek Soylu 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the other last-four match.

“I am really happy because now I am fighting for every single point for the Australian Open, so the final is giving me a better chance,” Koukalova said. “I have another chance tomorrow, so we will see.”

Having peaked at No 20 in the WTA rankings in April 2013, Koukalova, 33, still dreams of success at the top level and that dream keeps her going. “Well, I am still enjoying and that is the most important thing for me,” she said.

Koukalova, who went by the surname Zakopalova, between 2006 and last year, during her marriage to Czech footballer Jan Zakopal, from whom she is now divorced, said she has no regrets about her career path.

“I believe everybody has some ups and downs,” she said.

“But I still enjoy competition and that is my motivation. I like to win and if you win, you feel amazing.

“You work for this all year. That’s why I like it.

“If I am fighting like this, I think I will get better and better. I want to return to the spot I was at. I know every year it gets tougher because I am getting older.

“But I am here, and if I did not believe it was possible, I would not be here.”

Koukalova explained that “it doesn’t really matter” whether she is playing on the WTA Tour or in a US$75,000 (Dh275,400) tournament like the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge.

“I just want to enjoy the competition,” she said.

arizvi@thenational.ae

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