VILLA DE MADRID 1999

(18th May 1999. Translation)

MAGÜI SEARCHES A TITLE

    Grown up in the shade of the successes of Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, but able to ‘walk alone and make their voices be heard’, the new generation of Spanish players arrive at this tournament with enthusiasm.

    Among them, maybe the one with a special feeling is Magüi Serna, who cried last year because of the chance lost in the quarterfinals against Patty Schnyder, when she couldn’t benefit from a 4-1 in the last set. It’s a year since then and the Canarian, who had saved the Spanish Fed Cup team from a defeat in Germany, has made progresses; she defeated Schnyder and Pierce in Roland Garros, she defeated the ‘reborn’ Steffi Graf.... But she hasn’t won a tournament yet, whereas Ruano and Torrens have. But she has got quality and eagerness for a win and although in Madrid there’s one of the players who always defeats her, although she’s a good friend of her (Davenport), why not?
 

(22th May 1999. Translation)

THE THIRD SPANISH PLAYER SEARCHES HER FIRST TITLE

    Among the emergent panorama of the Spanish women tennis, Magüi Serna’s case is a little strange. She has got quality without any doubt, and she's “strange” (for the Spanish tennis) because she prefers hard courts to clay courts, and because she was known in Wimbledon, where she played the junior final against Amelie Mauresmo in 1996. However, despite her great quality and her progress, she hasn’t won a title yet, and it isn’t because she hasn’t deserved it, because of lack of quality or lack of killer spirit. Last year, with Arantxa injured and Conchita in a bad moment, she took the responsibilities of the Spanish Fed Cup team and gave Spain a win in Germany. She defeated Mary Pierce in Roland Garros, and later she taught Graf that Arantxa and Conchita aren’t the only Spanish players to dread. But she hasn’t got that title yet, and she has come to Madrid, a chance she missed last year by a little, to search it.
 

(Translation from Diario La Provincia (21th May 1999)

Magüi Serna said goodbye to the WTA Villa de Madrid

    The Argentinian Paola Suárez qualified for the semifinals of the WTA Tournament Villa de Madrid after defeating yesterday the only Spaniard that was still playing, Magüi Serna-sixth seeded- by 6-4 and 6-2, while the Americans Lindsay Davenport-world number two-, Chanda Rubin and Amy Frazier completed the four semifinalists.

    The Argentinian’s solid game made that the match against Serna was only a step. Suárez, with a progressive efficiency, security in her serve and insisting on the Canarian’s backhand, reached her second semifinals this season in the WTA Tour, after the ones she reached in Bogotá.

    Magüi Serna, the only local hope in this Spanish tournament on clay, lost the first set by 6-4 and lost the second one in 29 minutes, couldn’t do nothing against the security of the Argentinian, who played her best match in the tournament without any doubt.

     “I’m very disappointed. I also played badly the two previous matches, but I won, which gave me confidence. However, I didn’t think I would go on whith this awful game. Paola has been better and has won fairly”, said Magüi while crying soon afterwards her elimination.

    The Argentinian Suárez, 22 years old, showed however the satisfaction because of her win. “I’ve played better than I could think. I know that my semifinals’ rival will be a difficult obstacle, but  I hope that my excitement for playing the final will give me the strength to win”, said the Argentinian player.
 

(Translation from Diario Marca (21th May 1999))

MAGÜI, GOODBYE WITH TEARS

The Open Villa de Madrid hasn’t got Spanish players in the semifinals, which are played today

    Magüi Serna lost yesterday against the Argentinian Paola Suárez (6-4, 6-2) in a match where the Canarian made many mistakes against Suárez’solidity with her drive and also with her backhand.

    After the match, Magüi showed with her disconsolate face and her tears that she had many hopes of reaching the semifinals: “It was a big chance, playing at home hasn’t influenced me, I haven’t played well any of the three matches” The analysis didn’t count on Paola Suárez’ level, who had got a 6-0 the previous day against the Swiss Patty Schnyder, winner last year.