Polona Hercog began the 2009 season ranked No.243 in the world but by the end of the year the Slovene with the high-jumper's physique had leapt to No.70. A first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour quarterfinal and a string of ITF wins highlighted her promise, but last week at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL she raised the bar considerably, beating Alizé Cornet, Agnes Szavay and Carla Suárez Navarro to reach her first Tour final. Although Venus Williams eventually found her measure, there was consolation for the 19-year-old when she won the doubles with Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
We caught up with Polona during the Monterrey Open, where she is competing on a new career-high ranking of No.53.
First let's talk about the Acapulco final. What was going through your mind when you were up a set against Venus?
PH: I didn't go on court thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm playing Venus'... I went on court to win. So I managed to stay pretty focused. I think in the first set I was aggressive and playing well and Venus was still searching for the best way to play me - it was our first meeting. Obviously she worked it out! I can say she has been my toughest opponent so far.
How did you get into tennis?
PH: When I was four my father took me to a club that had been opened by (1977 French Open champion) Mima Jausovec in our neighborhood in Maribor. I trained there until I was 14, when I went to Italy for one-and-a-half years.
Are you still in touch with Mima?
PH: Yes, in fact she still comes to watch me play sometimes. I was in her club for 10 years - she's been like a second mother to me.
What's you coaching situation at the moment?
PH: I'm with Zoltan Kuharszky who is based in Budapest, so I have an apartment there. But actually I don't get to it much. It's a nice city but when I have time I prefer to go home to see my family and pets. I have a cat, a dog and an eight-year-old turtle called Kara.
How do you describe your playing style?
PH: I think I play more like the men. I have a good serve, can serve and volley. I'm six feet tall so I try to use my height well. My favorite shot is the forehand... and I tend to run around the backhand so I can hit it.
Are you working on any particular aspect of your game at the moment?
PH: Physical preparations - off-court training - is a big focus. I'm also trying to remove some of the reserve from my backhand slice and also make my forehand even more aggressive.
What are your goals in tennis?
PH: My aim is to reach the Top 10. I'm still pretty young and my game is still developing… maybe I need a little more time because I have a lot of different shots and I'm still learning to make the most of it.
Do you have a tennis idol?
PH: I've admired Justine Henin since I was little. I like the way she approaches every match point by point and doesn't play the same way as everyone else. I hope I'll have a chance to play against her now that she is back.
What's Maribor like?
PH: It's Slovenia's second biggest city and there's a big rivalry with the capital, Llubjana! A river runs through it and I think it's a good place for young people. Our house is about five minutes from the center.
How far did you go in your education?
PH: I'm still doing my final year. I have five smaller exams to do first and then before I graduate I will have to do five big exams. I'm not sure when that will be possible but if not this year, next year. I study while I'm on the road.
What is your favorite subject?
PH: I like math and biology.
You mother is a florist with a shop attached to the family home - what is your favorite flower?
PH: I have to confess I don't have one… I'm really not interested in it. My poor mother says I should just stick to tennis!
If you could steal a shot from another player, what would it be?
PH: Roger Federer's backhand.
What do you like about life on Tour?
PH: I love to travel and visit new places and it's a special feeling to be part of the Tour - a big life experience. I can't imagine going back to normal life.
Have you been snowboarding lately?
PH: No, unfortunately I haven't done it for about 18 months, and I hear the snow is starting to melt in Slovenia so I have missed my chance for another year!
Did you catch any of the recent Winter Olympics?
PH: Not on TV but I did follow it pretty closely in the papers and online. Slovenia won three skiing medals, which was great.
What quality do you appreciate most in others?
PH: Honesty.
If you were marooned on a desert island with only one luxury, what would you want it to be?
PH: My BlackBerry.
If not tennis…
PH: I might have been interested in physiotherapy but with travelling so much I don't have time to keep up the subjects I would need. As well as Slovenian and English I speak Italian, so maybe I would so something with languages.
