ZURICH, Switzerland -- Anna Kournikova denied on Tuesday that Melanie Molitor, mother and coach of doubles partner Martina Hingis, had been recruited to help lift her out of a slump and turnaround a career that has yet to produce a singles title.

"I heard the reports that she (Molitor) is my coach which is not necessarily true," Kournikova said after her 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Amanda Coetzer in the opening round of the Swisscom Challenge.

"We did work together with Martina when we were getting ready for Switzerland and when we practice for doubles but there is no official anything."

Molitor, voted Switzerland's coach of the year in 1998 after guiding the tiny alpine nation to the Fed Cup finals, also denied the reports, saying through the WTA, "that she is not her (Kournikova's) coach."

While Kournikova and Molitor insist there is no official working relationship, they have spent an increasing amount of time training together in Florida and Switzerland.

Kournikova is still trying to win her first singles match after returning to the tour following a nine-month layoff with a a foot injury.

During the winter, Kournikova who has been coached by parents Alla and Sergei since Eric van Harpen was fired in August 2000. Kournikova worked out at Hingis's home in Saddlebrook and again in Switzerland as she battled to regain fitness.

Kournikova, 20, also said that there was also no truth to reports that she was about to embark on an acting career and had been tapped for a role in the next Bond film.

"I only learned about this last night on the Internet," Kournikova said laughing. "Right now I'm just happy I'm healthy.

"Bond girls, I think you have to do a lot of tough things, and I don't think I'm physically ready for that."