Long before Michaella Krajicek ever toyed with tennis she experienced a transformative tennis moment - thanks to her older brother Richard - that prompted her to put down her Barbie and pick up a racquet.
Michaella recalls sitting in front of the family television at age seven watching her brother Richard beat Malivai Washington, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, to win the 1996 Wimbledon championship.
"I watched it on TV. Actually that was for me, as a child, the most impressive I've ever seen," Michaella says. "I remember I was at home, I was having a friend over, another girl, and we were watching. We weren't so much into tennis as we were into Barbies but we were watching it and it was quite cool. And yeah of course when he won it was incredible. I remember it, the feeling, so."
Times have changed, brother Richard is now the Rotterdam tournament director and Michaella continues the Krajicek tennis tradition as the world's 34th-ranked woman.
The 19-year-old Krajicek already has three career titles to her credit: she won the 2005 Tashkent title and collected the Hobart and 's-Hertogenbosch championships two years ago.
An aggressive baseline player, Krajicek owns career wins over Ana Ivanovic, Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Anna Chakvetadze.
Last summer, Krajicek fought off the seventh-ranked Chakvetadze, 7-6(8), 6-7(5), 6-2, en route to the Wimbledon quarterfinals where she won the first set before losing to eventual-finalist Marion Bartoli, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
She cracked the top 30 for the first time last month, but a left wrist injury has limited her to just three matches this season.
Krajicek begins this week's Sony Ericsson Open seeking her first win of the year. She has a first-round bye and will play wild card Marina Erakovic in the second round.
Scoop Malinowski caught up with Krajicek for this Biofile interview.
Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 150 pounds.
Born On: January 9, 1989 in Delft, Netherlands.
Hobbies/Interests: "I love reading. Watching movies is one of my biggest hobbies. Because I like to be up to date with all the newest movies. I'd like to learn English. That's one of my hobbies. Swimming. Riding bicycles."
Early Tennis Memory: "Ah well, watching my brother play the final of Wimbledon (at age 7 in 1996). I watched it on TV. Actually that was for me, as a child, the most impressive I've ever seen. I remember I was at home, I was having a friend over, another girl, and we were watching. We weren't so much into tennis as we were into Barbies but we were watching it and it was quite cool. And yeah of course when he won it was incredible. I remember it, the feeling, so."
Tennis Inspirations: "My brother, definitely, Serena Williams and Andy Roddick."
Favorite Movies: "The Notebook is on the top of my list. And I like the movie Click."
Favorite TV Shows: "I know this is gonna sound a little weird but I like South Park. And Lost right now."
Musical Tastes: "I don't really say any group or anything but I do like R&B music and pop. (Name some names please.) No I won't do that [smiles], I have too, seriously I have too many, it's too much. It's from every artist so."
Last Book Read: "Was the Shopaholic Series [smiles]. I don't remember, it's quite easy to read so."
First Car: "Oh, I don't have a car yet so."
Favorite Meal: "Caesar salad with chicken."
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Cookie dough, something like that."
Pre-Match Feeling: "For sure, being focused, being positive and win."
Greatest Sports Moment: "Well I loved winning my first WTA title, that was the biggest kick I've had (Krajicek defeated Akgul Amanmuradova, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 in the 2005 Tashkent final). And of course reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon was great."
Most Painful Moment: "Reaching quarterfinals of Wimbledon [losing to Marion Bartoli]."
Which matches were you at your very best, where you felt the joy of tennis the most: "I think every match I play I really enjoy. I just feel comfortable. But two matches I really enjoyed were was the final with Safina in Rosmalen (2006), that was incredible match. And I think I played well last year with Chakvetadze in Wimbledon. I mean, there are a lot of other matches these two I was playing really well."
Favorite Tournaments: "Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. And the tournament in Holland. I have to say that also. That's really one of the coolest tournaments as well, for such a small tournament."
Favorite Players To Watch: "Favorite players to watch...well, from male, as long as he's good looking [laughs]. I like almost everyone. (Can you name some names?) No I won't do that, they will think too much of themselves [laughs]! And from the females: I like to watch, there's a lot. The most talented I like to watch Hantuchova. The talented ones. And I like to watch the young girls playing. But Hantuchova is, I think, one of the most talented girls on the Tour. And Schnyder."
Funny Tennis Memory: "Well, what was unbelievable was I was hitting at Wimbledon last year. I was playing indoors because it was raining all the time. And I went to the court and my hitting partner didn't come. And this guy came up to me, tall, and I didn't recognize him. It was Pete Fleming. And we were just hitting. And my father knew the whole time. Actually he did introduce himself. But to me it didn't occur. So I think that was quite funny — hitting with such a legend and not even knowing the whole practice that you're hitting with, so."
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: "I don't know. I didn't really do anything embarrassing up to now."
Closest Tennis Friends: "Well there's one Dutch player, she's (Elise) Tamaela. She's second one after me. She's really a close friend. Then I have two players from Czech Republic, they're around 200."
Funniest Players Encountered: "Yeah that's what they are (the above mentioned). They're really good friends so they have good senses of humor as well."
Toughest Competitors: "I think any competitor that's in the top 100 are tough to play."
People Qualities Most Admired: "Honesty. I like when people are friendly. And respectful."
