|
 Don't
just sit there, men. Get yourself down to the All England
Club and start screaming the name Anna Chakvetadze (pronounced
chuk-veh-tadh-zeh). "I want the support of British men,"
laughs the 22-year-old, who, in some pictures looks
fantastically 'housing estate'. 'I want them to come and
cheer for me. And the more handsome the are, the better."
Handsome. Sorry, we meant good, one rung climbed.
Next step? Conversation. Anna likes old-school
wrestling. "It sounds funny, but I like it," smiles the
former world number five. "I went to a practice session
once and it's been a hobby ever since. I always looks for
their results." Third piece in the jigsaw? A Present "I
love handbags," dictates the Moscow-born masterpiece. And
finally? The proposal. "A proposal? Wow," giggles the
honey whose career earning top $3 million. "No one has ever done
that before, but maybe this year..."
Maybe. When did you first take up tennis?
My mum took me to tennis group when I was great.. There
were a lot of good players at the club - Maria Kirilenko and
Vera Dushevina to name two - but initially I was weak, so no one
wanted to play against me. I kept practising and by the
time I was 14 I was one of the best.
What would you be if you weren't a tennis player?
I've studied sports psychology, so perhaps something to do with
that. Or modelling - that would be fun.
Did you enjoy our shoot?
Definitely. It was tough because I was sick, but I still
had fun. Plus I've never modelled in a swimsuit before, so
I loved seeing how I looked.
Which is you favourite crowd?
I think my home crowd in Moscow is very special, but I also
enjoy the Wimbledon crowd and I have lots of friends in New
York. When I play there about 15 of them sit in my box
cheering, so I hear my name there, which is fantastic.
We hear they hear you, too?
Sometimes they do, but I think it's good to show your emotions
on court. Not too much, obviously, and I have been getting
better at staying calm recently. I mean, I did break a
racket before yesterday during practice, but that was an
accident...honest. |
