NEW YORK (AP) - Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian has all of the moves of a tennis player and more. Mikaelian, who has been playing for Switzerland in the past season, won her opening match Sunday in the junior girls competition at the U.S. Open, beating Salome Devidze of Georgia 6-2, 6-1.
But she got more publicity when she approached officials after losing her first-round match in the women's singles last week and requested to be listed as an Armenian, becoming the first player in the U.S. Open history to switch nationalities midway through the tournament.
But she got more publicity when she approached officials after losing her first-round match in the women's singles last week and requested to be listed as an Armenian, becoming the first player in the U.S. Open history to switch nationalities midway through the tournament.