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www.wimbledon.com
 I have seen the future of ladies’ tennis. Two Russians, average age 20,
playing from the baseline with powerful forehands and two-handed
backhands, one groaning on every shot, the other one exhorting herself
in English.
Anna Chakvetadze and Evgeniya Rodina put in a great display of power
tennis but the nuances that once characterised the women’s game were
conspicuous by their absence.
The Russians hugged the baseline and treated net approaches strictly as
a necessary evil, only coming in when their opponent was metaphorically
on the canvas and the point was guaranteed. In the end, No. 8 seed
Chakvetadze overcame solid resistance from her unheralded compatriot –
ranked 100 places below her in the world – to record a 6-4, 6-3 win and
qualify for the fourth round.
During the opening exchanges, it was difficult to tell which player was
eighth in the world and which one 108th. Rodina belied her lowly ranking
and showed the qualities that took her past No. 27 seed Virginie Razzano
in the first round.
Chakvetadze, meanwhile, was patchy on service, alternating aces and
double faults with alarming regularity and showing why she has only won
one tournament this season, after peaking at No. 5 in the world a year
ago on the back of quarter-final appearances at the Australian and
French Opens.
The first set was a tale of two rain-breaks – one avoided, one not. The
first was imminent as the Rodina serve came under threat, but by the
time the younger of the two Russians had battled through four deuces,
the weather had improved and the match continued.
Breaks of serve were exchanged on a regular basis, however, and when the
rain began to fall more heavily, Rodina was again on the back foot,
serving to save the set at 4-5 and deuce. When play resumed, Chakvetadze
was the quicker out of the blocks, securing the first two points after
the resumption and taking the set 6-4.
The match turned out to be the proverbial game of two halves. The
rain-break settled Chakvetadze’s nerves and stalled Rodina’s impetus.
The 19-year-old began to sigh, berate herself and implore the sky while
her more established opponent kept her cool, allowing herself a rare
fist-clench on the better points and generally going about her business
– the mark of a top 10 player, in fact.
The only stutter came at the end, when two double faults (of seven she
served) allowed Rodina a stay of execution, but Chakvetadze served out
two games later to clinch a 6-4, 6-3 win and secure a fourth-round tie
with No. 18 seed Nicole Vaidisova.
Chakvetadze is training at Justine Henin’s 6th Sense academy and working
with the Belgian’s former coach and mentor Carlos Rodriguez. An
injection of the six-time Grand Slam champion’s deft touch and overall
tennis savvy are surely what is required if the Russian is to make the
transition from top 10 player to champion. |
