Czech Vaidisova hangs up racket at 20

FASTBREAK:

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 08:41:00 03/18/2010

Filed Under: Tennis, Retirement

PRAGUE?Czech tennis player Nicole Vaidisova has decided to end her career at the age of 20, the Czech daily Sport announced on Wednesday, quoting her stepfather and former coach Ales Kodat.

"Her agent told me last week... She's fed up with tennis and that's understandable. She started very young," Kodat said.

Vaidisova, who was seventh in the world in May 2007 before sliding to her current 176th spot, won her first WTA tournament in Vancouver in 2004 at the age of 15 years and three months.

Overall, Vaidisova has won six tournaments and reached the semi-finals at the French Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2007.

Kodat said she had turned down a wild card to play in Miami starting on March 23.

He also confirmed Vaidisova would soon marry her 31-year-old compatriot Radek Stepanek, the world number 17.