"Michelle Larcher de Brito might not hit a tennis ball like a 14-year-old, but she talks like one.
When asked if she had any impressions of Sacramento after just a few hours in the area, the Capitals' latest prodigy said, "I haven't seen a whole lot, but it's great that the mall is next to the stadium. After playing, I can go to the mall."
Making her home and World TeamTennis singles debut, Larcher de Brito led the Capitals to a 25-11 victory over the Houston Wranglers on Wednesday night at Allstate Stadium at the Galleria at Roseville.
Larcher de Brito, the youngest player in league history at 14 years and five months old, wowed the announced crowd of 3,124 with an array of passing shots as the Capitals won their third consecutive match after opening the season with two losses.
Larcher de Brito won both of her sets, teaming with Capitals veteran Elena Likhovtseva to beat Bryanne Stewart and Mashona Washington 5-3 and later routing Washington 5-1.
"I surprised myself (in singles)," Larcher de Brito, a native of Portugal who turned pro in February, said while signing autographs for kids not much younger than herself, if any. "I was very nervous, but I played very well."
In her debut on the big-league WTA Tour in March, Larcher de Brito stunned 27-year-old American Meghann Shaughnessy, ranked No. 43 in the world at the time and once No. 11, in the first round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.
"(Larcher de Brito) hits the ball very hard for a (14)-year-old," Likhovtseva said Wednesday night. "She just rips it, and it feels like she enjoys the game."
Washington, the younger sister of former Wimbledon finalist Mali-Vai Washington, returned to competitive tennis a week ago after missing one year because of knee surgery. She declined to comment on Larcher de Brito's performance.
"I was focusing on how I was playing," said Washington, who was ranked a career-high No. 50 in 2004.
Larcher de Brito lost her serve once in each set against Houston (1-5), double-faulting once each time.
"The serve is not the strongest part of my game," conceded Larcher de Brito, who's listed at 5-foot-4 and 125 pounds. "It's always been a struggle. I feel comfortable on groundstrokes and with my movement.
When asked if she had any impressions of Sacramento after just a few hours in the area, the Capitals' latest prodigy said, "I haven't seen a whole lot, but it's great that the mall is next to the stadium. After playing, I can go to the mall."
Making her home and World TeamTennis singles debut, Larcher de Brito led the Capitals to a 25-11 victory over the Houston Wranglers on Wednesday night at Allstate Stadium at the Galleria at Roseville.
Larcher de Brito, the youngest player in league history at 14 years and five months old, wowed the announced crowd of 3,124 with an array of passing shots as the Capitals won their third consecutive match after opening the season with two losses.
Larcher de Brito won both of her sets, teaming with Capitals veteran Elena Likhovtseva to beat Bryanne Stewart and Mashona Washington 5-3 and later routing Washington 5-1.
"I surprised myself (in singles)," Larcher de Brito, a native of Portugal who turned pro in February, said while signing autographs for kids not much younger than herself, if any. "I was very nervous, but I played very well."
In her debut on the big-league WTA Tour in March, Larcher de Brito stunned 27-year-old American Meghann Shaughnessy, ranked No. 43 in the world at the time and once No. 11, in the first round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.
"(Larcher de Brito) hits the ball very hard for a (14)-year-old," Likhovtseva said Wednesday night. "She just rips it, and it feels like she enjoys the game."
Washington, the younger sister of former Wimbledon finalist Mali-Vai Washington, returned to competitive tennis a week ago after missing one year because of knee surgery. She declined to comment on Larcher de Brito's performance.
"I was focusing on how I was playing," said Washington, who was ranked a career-high No. 50 in 2004.
Larcher de Brito lost her serve once in each set against Houston (1-5), double-faulting once each time.
"The serve is not the strongest part of my game," conceded Larcher de Brito, who's listed at 5-foot-4 and 125 pounds. "It's always been a struggle. I feel comfortable on groundstrokes and with my movement.
No kidding."
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/268965.html
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