Ashley Harkleroad lost her Sanex WTA Tour debut at the Ericsson Open on Wednesday. Tennis fans shouldn't fret if they missed it.
Most players tend to shy away from comparisons.
Harkleroad welcomes them, especially the ones that draw parallels to Anna Kournikova. A resident of Wesley Chapel outside of Tampa, Harkleroad is billed by many as this country's answer to Kournikova. Like her Russian counterpart, Harkleroad has top-10 talent. She also has an appeal that transcends the court. Nike has picked up on it, which is why it is bankrolling Harkleroad, along with European racket string manufacturer Babolat.