# Zuzana Kučová

Zuzana Kučová (Slovak pronunciation:; born 26 June 1982) is a former Slovak tennis player.
She won eight singles titles and four doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. On 7 June 2010, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 101. In December 2009, she peaked at No. 175 in the WTA doubles rankings. She is the sister of Kristína Kučová, also professional tennis player.

## Career

Kučová qualified for the 2004 French Open, and drew 10th seed Vera Zvonareva in the first round of the clay-court tournament. She struggled to find a way past the Russian and was beaten in straight sets.
In 2008, Kučová competed at the 2008 GDF Suez Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary. She knocked young Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky out of the tournament in the opening round, but failed to defeat hometown favourite Gréta Arn in the second, bowing out in straight sets.
Kučová qualified for her second Grand Slam championship, the 2010 Australian Open, by beating Julia Schruff in the third round of qualifying. She drew Gisela Dulko in the opening round, and after a first set shocker that lasted just 18 minutes, Kučová fought back, but was ultimately knocked out in three sets. Following 18 months absent from the tennis court, Kučová qualified for her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance in three years at the 2013 French Open. There, she caused a huge upset by defeating 24th seed Julia Görges in straight sets. In the second round, she lost to Virginie Razzano in three sets. Her last professional tournament was at the 2013 French Open.

## Personal life

Kučová's younger sister Kristína is also a tennis player.

## ITF finals

* Legend
* $100,000 tournaments
* $75,000 tournaments
* $50,000 tournaments
* $25,000 tournaments
* $10,000 tournaments

### Singles: 24 (8–16)

| Outcome | No | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | 10 September 2000 | ITF Zadar, Croatia | Clay | Myriam Casanova | 4–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 8 October 2000 | ITF Cairo, Egypt | Clay | Sandra Klemenschits | 4–1, 4–2, 1–4, 4–5$^{(4)}$, 3–5 |
| Winner | 1. | 24 June 2001 | ITF Algiers, Algeria | Clay | Mathilde Johansson | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 29 July 2001 | ITF Horb, Germany | Clay | Lenka Novotná | 5–7, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 2 September 2001 | ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany | Clay | Lisa Fritz | 1–6, 0–6 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 30 September 2001 | ITF Verona, Italy | Clay | Angelika Rösch | 4–6, 0–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 2 June 2002 | ITF Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Clay | Sybille Bammer | 6–2, 4–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 14 July 2002 | ITF Darmstadt, Germany | Clay | Sandra Klösel | 4–6, 6–7$^{(3)}$ |
| Winner | 2. | 30 March 2003 | ITF Rome, Italy | Clay | Delia Sescioreanu | 6–3, 6–7$^{(5)}$, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 19 September 2004 | ITF Sofia, Bulgaria | Clay | Virág Németh | 1–5 ret. |
| Runner-up | 9. | 29 May 2005 | ITF Campobasso, Italy | Clay | Mariya Koryttseva | 7–5, 1–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 10. | 9 April 2006 | ITF Athens, Greece | Clay | Aurélie Védy | 2–6, 7–5, 3–6 |
| Winner | 3. | 15 December 2007 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Syna Kayser | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 11. | 22 December 2007 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Chanelle Scheepers | 2–6, 0–6 |
| Winner | 4. | 25 October 2008 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Ágnes Szatmári | 7–6$^{(5)}$, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 12. | 14 June 2009 | ITF Zlín, Czech Republic | Clay | Polona Hercog | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 13. | 19 July 2009 | ITF Darmstadt, Germany | Clay | Sarah Gronert | 1–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 14. | 10 October 2009 | ITF Jounieh, Lebanon | Clay | Alexandra Dulgheru | 6–3, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 5. | 16 October 2009 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Anna Gerasimou | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Winner | 6. | 24 October 2009 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Nina Bratchikova | 6–0, 7–6$^{(5)}$ |
| Runner-up | 15. | 3 April 2010 | ITF Monzón, Spain | Hard | Anastasiya Yakimova | 4–6, 6–4, 3–6 |
| Winner | 7. | 24 April 2010 | ITF Bari, Italy | Clay | Zuzana Ondrášková | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 8. | 23 October 2010 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Natalie Piquion | 6–2, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 16. | 30 October 2010 | Lagos Open, Nigeria | Hard | Nina Bratchikova | 5–7, 1–6 |

### Doubles: 8 (4–4)

| Outcome | No | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | 6 August 2000 | ITF Bucharest, Romania | Clay | Dominika Luzarová | Liana Ungur Edina Gallovits-Hall | 5–7, 0–4 ret. |
| Runner-up | 2. | 15 October 2000 | ITF Cairo, Egypt | Clay | Barbora Blahutiaková | Sandra Klemenschits Daniela Klemenschits | 0–4, 0–4, 0–4 |
| Winner | 1. | 25 March 2001 | ITF Rome, Italy | Clay | Iveta Benešová | Claudia Ivone Roberta Vinci | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 29 July 2001 | ITF Horb, Germany | Clay | Martina Strussová | Annette Kolb Ivana Zupá | 6–7$^{(0)}$, 2–6 |
| Winner | 2. | 2 September 2001 | ITF Bad Saulgau, Germany | Clay | Renata Kučerová | Gabriela Chmelinová Lenka Novotná | w/o |
| Runner-up | 4. | 22 January 2006 | ITF Fort Walton Beach, United States | Hard | Chanelle Scheepers | Maureen Drake Vladimíra Uhlířová | 6–2, 4–6, 5–7 |
| Winner | 3. | 17 March 2007 | ITF Cairo, Egypt | Clay (i) | Kristína Kučová | Melissa Berry Michelle Gerards | 6–7$^{(3)}$, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 4. | 13 June 2009 | ITF Zlín, Czech Republic | Clay | Kristína Kučová | Nikola Fraňková Carmen Klaschka | 6–3, 6–4 |

## Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key :
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | W–L |
| Australian Open | A | Q1 | Q1 | Q1 | A | A | A | Q2 | 1R | Q3 | A | A | 0–1 |
| French Open | A | Q2 | 1R | A | Q1 | A | A | Q1 | Q3 | Q1 | A | 2R | 1–2 |
| Wimbledon | A | Q2 | Q1 | Q1 | A | A | A | Q1 | 1R | Q3 | A | A | 0–1 |
| US Open | Q3 | Q1 | Q1 | A | A | A | Q1 | Q2 | 1R | Q1 | A | A | 0–1 |