Having spent the last couple of years very much in the shadow of her compatriots -
Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova, Anastasia Myskina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena
Dementieva - Anna Chakvetadze has sneaked in under the radar at this year's Australian
Open and meets Sharapova in the quarter-finals. The 19-year-old, who is actually a
month older than Sharapova, possesses excellent groundstrokes but it's her tactical
nous that will determine whether or not her impressive run continues. "If I use my
game plan, you know, correctly, then I can win I think," she told reporters.
The 12th seed, who won at Hobart in the run-up to the Open, benefited from a
walkover when she and Sharapova were last scheduled to meet - in the Kremlin Cup in Moscow
last October. The last time they actually played each other was in Los Angeles
in 2005, when Sharapova won in three sets. The encounter does not seem to have
made too deep an impression on Sharapova, however. "I've never played her before,"
she said. "Yes, I have. What am I saying?"
Chakvetadze's 6-4 6-1 defeat of the experienced Patty Schnyder took her tally to 21
wins from her last 22 matches. Not that you'll catch her bragging about it. Content
to maintain a low profile, she dismisses her run in Melbourne as the consequence
of a lucky draw. "I think I had a pretty good draw, especially the first two rounds,"
she said. She has won three titles since October. Elena Dementieva, Nadia Petrova,
Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic are on the list of impressive scalps. At present,
there is no coach to share the plaudits, but her father, Djambuli, appears to be
contributing significantly in that role. "He's not like my coach, he's just my dad,"
she insists. "He's helping a little bit. I'm just trying to think by myself."
Chakvetadze caused a few ripples at the 2004 US Open when she announced herself on the
Grand Slam stage with defeats of Barbara Schett and third-ranked Anastasia Myskina. A top
100 ranking soon followed, but she had to wait until September 2006 for her first WTA
singles title. She beat Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in the final in Guangzhou, China.
Boosted by the win, she stunned the tennis world by following this up with an amazing
run at the Kremlin Cup Tier I tournament in Moscow the following month. Unseeded for the
event, she left Dinara Safina, Francesca Schiavone, Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova
in her wake as she streaked through to her second title.
Chakvetadze started playing tennis under the guidance of her mother, Natalia, at the age
of eight. Away from the court, she likes to spend time relaxing with friends, watching
soccer and reading detective novels. She enjoys all types of music.
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