World Gets to Know Surprising Czech

You beat the reigning No. 1 player and the former No. 1 in consecutive matches and people are bound to get curious.

Which is why 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic met with a small group of international reporters the morning after her French Open victory against Venus Williams, two days after her win over No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France.

Today in the semifinals, 16th-seeded Vaidisova will play No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, followed by an all-Belgian match between No. 2 Kim Clijsters and No. 5 and defending French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Although Vaidisova spends about three to four months at home in Prague and the rest of the year in Bradenton, Fla., at Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy, she feels thoroughly Czech.

“You get a little bit of the American mentality because you spend so much time there, but I would never, ever consider myself American,” she said. “I’m very proud of my country and always very honored to play for it in Fed Cup. Hopefully in the Olympics.”

There are five women from the Czech Republic ranked in the top 53 on the WTA Tour. Vaidisova’s uncle is Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic, who once played on the men’s tour and won 25 career doubles titles.

“Czechs are very hard working, smart people, but also they’re not as confident as Americans,” Vaidisova said. “They don’t shout out to the world about how great the country is. But we have great athletes.”

The teenager displayed a flash of humor when someone asked her agent how he found her. She answered the question with a joke.

“A garage sale,” she said.