Making her first appearance at the $25,000 Tevlin Challenger, Michelle Larcher De Brito is no stranger to success so far this year. The 14 year-old from Lisbon, Portugal is being hailed as the next Maria Sharapova after a string of very impressive achievements.Larcher De Brito turned pro in January 2007 and debuted on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings at No. 364, making her the youngest player in the Top 500 by more than one and half years. She played her first pro match in February 2007 at the Dow Corning Classic where she lost in three sets to Kristina Brandi, ranked No.184.
Following this tournament, Larcher De Brito was granted a wild card at the Miami Sony Ericsson Open in March. She went on to win her opening match against world No.43 Meghann Shaughnessy, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3). This result made Larcher De Brito the seventh youngest player of all time to win a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour main draw match and the youngest player to win since the age eligibility rule was implemented in 1995. She is also the first female from Portugal to defeat a Top 50 player.
Months later, Larcher De Brito still recalls the match with a huge smile on her face, “It was an unforgettable match, but it was not easy.”
Larcher De Brito is also the youngest player ever to be drafted to play World Team Tennis (WTT). She plays for the Sacramento Capitals who, with her help, won the 2007 WTT championship. Her WTT teammates include former world No.1 Lindsay Davenport and former doubles No.1 Anna Kournikova.
Larcher De Brito is also the youngest player ever to be drafted to play World Team Tennis (WTT). She plays for the Sacramento Capitals who, with her help, won the 2007 WTT championship. Her WTT teammates include former world No.1 Lindsay Davenport and former doubles No.1 Anna Kournikova.
Though admitting that the travel schedule is somewhat grinding, Larcher De Brito speaks highly of her experience saying, “I didn’t know what to expect from it but it was completely different and extremely fun.” She was also able to receive some advice from her elders about what life as a professional is like, “They gave me a heads-up about what to expect. It was very helpful.”
At the age of nine, Larcher de Brito and her family moved to the US to train with renowned coach Nick Bollettieri at the IMG Bollettieri Academy. Bollettieri has high hopes for his pupil claiming that she is a “rare breed.” The young phenom acknowledges the continuous support from her family and coaches saying that “they make my results possible.”
Despite all this recent success, her game still has room for improvement. While happy with her ground strokes and movement, she still feels as though her serve needs significant improvement, which is part of what brings her to the Tevlin Challenger in Toronto.
At the age of nine, Larcher de Brito and her family moved to the US to train with renowned coach Nick Bollettieri at the IMG Bollettieri Academy. Bollettieri has high hopes for his pupil claiming that she is a “rare breed.” The young phenom acknowledges the continuous support from her family and coaches saying that “they make my results possible.”
Despite all this recent success, her game still has room for improvement. While happy with her ground strokes and movement, she still feels as though her serve needs significant improvement, which is part of what brings her to the Tevlin Challenger in Toronto.
Unable to play anymore WTA Tour events this year due to her age, Larcher De Brito says that these smaller tournaments are very important. “It is good to have lots of match play and it really helps to build my confidence,” she said after defeating Canadian Katarena Paliivets, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round Wednesday.
Larcher De Brito is extremely poised and well-spoken for her age but she manages to find time to be a regular 14 year-old as well. She enjoys talking on the phone, seeing movies with her friends and listening to Justin Timberlake. She admires Martina Hingis for her “style of play” and Rafael Nadal for his “motivation and energy.”
Larcher De Brito is extremely poised and well-spoken for her age but she manages to find time to be a regular 14 year-old as well. She enjoys talking on the phone, seeing movies with her friends and listening to Justin Timberlake. She admires Martina Hingis for her “style of play” and Rafael Nadal for his “motivation and energy.”
Foto: Tenniscanada.ca
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