Kournikova beats rattled Schnyder

Patty Schnyder must have wished she were somewhere else than Stadium Court at the Bausch & Lomb Championships yesterday, because it certainly looked as if she were.

Schnyder appeared uninterested and aloof during a 40-minute 6-0, 6-2 quarterfinals loss to Anna Kournikova. The sixth-seeded Schnyder listlessly loped around the court, and even appeared to sometimes quit on points.

And the 20-year-old Swiss native confirmed those observations after the match.

''I hate playing her and I don't play if I'm on the court against her,'' Schnyder said. ''It's her person and everything around her. It's not her game.

''It's not the tennis that's the problem. It's my mind.''

The state of Schnyder's mind has been under scrutiny the past several months. Schnyder dumped coach Eric van Harpen for German Rainer Harnecker, a 42-year-old described as a healer and who urges Schnyder to drinkquarts of orange juice daily because it is similar to a mother's milk, according to the Zurich newspaper Blick. Schnyder's parents have been quoted as saying they will not accept their daughter until she leaves Harnecker.

Schnyder was quoted in a German paper as saying she would like to reconcile with her parents, but that they must give Harnecker - who Swiss newspapers reported is under investigation by German police for possibly breaking laws on alternative health care - a chance to explain himself.

The controversy hasn't affected her tennis, though.

She won the season-opening Gold Coast event before hooking up with Harnecker, and her ranking has risen into the top 10. But Kournikova didn't see a player who is among the world's best yesterday.

''I think she has problems at home,'' Kournikova said. ''I don't think she's happy. She doesn't look like a happy person to me, that's all.''

Schnyder spoke of friction between herself and Kournikova that dates back to Kournikova's 6-1, 6-3 third-round victory at the Bausch & Lomb last year.

Schnyder accused Kournikova of using stalling tactics, which angered her and disrupted her focus last year.

''We're not really the best of friends on tour,'' Schnyder said. ''There's been some fighting.''

Kournikova, however, said she wasn't aware of any problems.

''I haven't ever spoken to her,'' Kournikova said. ''I think she's a nice girl. I've never had any conversations with her, or any problems.''

Whatever the reason, Schnyder can't seem to get past Kournikova.

She lost to Kournikova at Amelia last year in straight sets and also fell to the Russian in three sets last week at the Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head Island, S.C. During that match, Schnyder rallied from a 4-5, love-30 deficit to win the first set 7-6, but Kournikova went on to rout her 6-0, 6-3 in the next two.

''Last time I was really impressed with myself that I could really play my game for one set,'' Schnyder said.

''Then I quit playing. I just can't play against her.''

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