Article for Week 08 July 2002
Casanova upsets Sanchez-Vicario in final
July 14, 2002
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Wild card Myriam Casanova claimed her first title Sunday, beating top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the French Community Championships.
The 17-year-old Casanova, ranked No. 119, overpowered the former world No. 1 with strong returns and powerful serves.
Sanchez-Vicario dominated early, but Casanova rallied for a 6-2 in the second set and seized control of the match from her visibly tired opponent.
``I was a bit tired ... Myriam certainly had the upper hand,'' Sanchez-Vicario said.
An emotional Casanova said she had dreamed of playing Sanchez-Vicario, adding that to play her and win was ``the greatest.''
Casanova, who reached the third round at Wimbledon last month, upset No. 6 Virginia Ruano-Pascual in the semifinals and seventh-seeded Martina Muller in the quarterfinals.
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