Daniela Hantuchova will have to learn to keep her cool if she wants to lift the Eastbourne crown.

That is the warning from her Lewes coach Nigel Sears.

Twelve months ago, Hantuchova served for the title at 6-5 in the third set against Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova but failed to take advantage and slipped to defeat.

Sears, who has guided the Slovakian's career for four years, believes his protege needs to show more composure should she get a second chance to win the Hastings Direct International Championship trophy.

He said: "I am not going to say she can win Eastbourne because there is such a strong field.

"But Daniela's game is well suited to grass and she is always going to be a threat on it if she plays her best tennis.

"If she can focus and give it her best shot, she will give herself a chance.

"To do that she has to remain calm under pressure and handle any difficult on-court situations more maturely than she did last year. We all know the ability is there."

Sears feels Hantuchova has returned to her best after a "flat couple of months" which followed reaching the third round of the Australian Open and three successive quarter-finals in Tokyo, Doha and Dubai.

Her run to the third round in the French Open, only losing out to the rejuvenated Kim Clijsters, who makes her Eastbourne debut this year, and a mixed doubles triumph with home player Fabrice Santoro, has put the bubble back in the world No. 22's game.

Sears said: "It's good to see. We had been really rocking for the first three months of 2005 but, as Daniela followers will know, it is a roller coaster of emotions with her and she just went flat.

"I think it came about because she put too much pressure on herself. Once she started to do well again, she wanted to do unbelievably well.

"But her performances at the French Open showed she has turned the corner and settled down again.

"Overall, I am pleased with how things are going."

Sears believes the doubles successes Hantuchova has enjoyed this year have played their part in getting the Slovakian back on track.

With Ai Sugiyama (Japan), she reached the semi-finals in Berlin and quarter-finals in Rome before combining with Santoro at Roland Garros to add to her Grand Slam mixed doubles victories at Wimbledon (with Leos Friedl) and the Australian Open (with Kevin Ullyett).

Sears said: "Even during her flat period, she was enjoying doubles. Doubles is something that seems very uplifting for her confidence. She had a lot of fun in Paris with the crowd behind her and Santoro.

"Daniela has a good record in doubles. Three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles is not bad for a 22-year-old and she has also made another Wimbledon final in the event."

The waif-like figure of Hantuchova a couple of years ago at Devonshire Park helped promote suggestions that she had an eating disorder.

And when she plummeted from the world top ten down to 54, alarm bells were ringing in many quarters.

Also, she split with Sears at the end of 2003, with suggestions of off-court problems.

But four months later they were back together and the pattern of loss of weight and form was reversed.

Sears said: "She is healthy and fit. Daniela has been in good shape for a while. All that other stuff is behind her. As she matures mentally we'll see her get better and better. She showed she is getting stronger in the mind when she asked me back after our break.

"We have our moments but we have a very good relationship. I love working with her."

Sears believes Hantuchova, who recently did a model shoot for Italian Vogue, will leave her mark on grass this year.

After her run to the Devonshire Park final in 2004, it took eventual champion Maria Sharapova to stop her in the third round at Wimbledon the following week.

Sears hopes she can improve on those campaigns, starting at Eastbourne which has eight of the top 20 in the field, including Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Anastasia Myskina and defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

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