NEW YORK—As recently as 18 months ago Kristie Haerim Ahn was struggling desperately with her tennis, trying somehow to find joy in it before she was faced with the ultimate decision about whether to give it up for good. Yesterday (Friday, Aug. 22), as she flung her racket in the air, screamed and fell on the court with both hands atop her head in shock, there was plenty of joy overflowing to all her friends and family who had crossed two rivers to watch her stunning victory.
Ahn, a feisty kid from Upper Saddle River, NJ, had just beaten No. 4 seed Anna Lapushchenkova, 6-4, 6-4, in the third round of the qualifying tournament to earn an unlikely spot in the U.S. Open main draw. That’s main draw, as in the one Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic play. Not too shabby for a 16-year-old young woman ranked 758th in the world.
UPDATE—Unseeded qualifier Kristie Ahn lost in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) to Russian Dinara Safina this morning in 1st round action at the U.S. Open in Flushing, New York. Ahn, just 16 from Upper Saddle River, NJ, nonetheless showed flashes of a solid game that made her one of the hottest players on the pro circuit prior to the Open. Ahn is arguably Asian America’s No. 1 women’s singles player.
