Aided by an Olympic bronze medal and some new-found confidence, Australia's Alicia Molik is garnering more attention than usual at the US Open.
Molik captured the women's singles bronze medal at the Olympic tennis tournament earlier this month by beating French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, of Russia, 6-3, 6-4.
In her first match since winning the bronze, Molik crushed France's Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-0, 6-2 on Monday in the opening round of the 17.8 million dollar US Open.
"It (Athens) has given me a huge amount of confidence," Molik said. "The fact I went out and played a bronze medal match. That was probably the most pressure I've ever had to play under in my life.
"So I come out with a medal and I think that was a great feat for me."
The 23-year-old Molik, who is seeded 17th, needed just 53 minutes to dispatch Cohen-Aloro.
She hammered eight aces to her opponent's one and had more winners, 29-17. The first set took just 22 minutes.
"In the last 12 months, 24 months my tennis has steadily improved," Molik said. "I can produce and am up there with the top girls."
Molik is feeling more comfortable on the court and is hoping that will translate into another strong showing at her fifth US Open. Her best previous result was reaching the third round in 2001.
{{/usCountry}}Molik is feeling more comfortable on the court and is hoping that will translate into another strong showing at her fifth US Open. Her best previous result was reaching the third round in 2001.
{{/usCountry}}"I know when to use my aggression now," Molik said. "I know the exact time to turn it up."
Molik advances to the second round where she will face either Daniela Hantuchova, of Slovakia, or Camille Pin, of France.
Molik has now defeated four of the world's top 15 players in the last month.
She beat world No.2 Amelie Mauresmo in San Diego before losing to the Frenchwoman in the Athens semi-finals.
Molik opened her Olympic campaign with victory over sixth-ranked Elena Dementieva of Russia, the French Open finalist. She also beat Japan's Ai Sugiyama, currently the world No.13.
"It is easier when you go out and play match after match after match and continually do the same thing," Molik said.
"It was something I was searching for before. But I manage to repeat it day in and day out now."