===========
KREMLIN CUP (Moscow, Russia; carpet (Supreme); WTA Tier I)
=========== http://www.kremlincup.ru/

I don't have access to Eurosport myself, but a video of Anna's first-
round match - and only her first round - has come into my
possession, so I have incorporated it into this report.

Anna's golden autumn became even more golden as she added the Moscow
title to her maiden Guangzhou title with three wins over top-10
players! (not including the walkover over Maria Sharapova). Prior to
this tournament, the only two times in her career she had beaten top-
10 players were her wins over Nadia Petrova at San Diego and
Montréal 2006, when Petrova was going through a dramatic slump.

Anna started with a brilliant 6-1 6-2 thrashing of Dinara Safina,
and finished with back-to-back upsets of Elena Dementieva and
Petrova to take her second WTA Tour singles-title, and move up from
#24 to a career-high #16 in the WTA Tour singles-rankings.

Anna's week at Moscow has greatly strengthened her application for a
place in my Eternal Fanship, though I'm not ready to induct her just
yet. She has lovely, flairsome groundstrokes; unfortunately all that
I saw of her Moscow-campaign was the last five games against Safina,
but what sticks in my mind is the point at 2-2 (15/0) in the second
set where Safina hit a ball down the middle, and Anna spanked an
acute-angled off-forehand winner just inside the sideline.

------
Photos
------

http://www.kremlincup.ru/www/gallery/gall_10.10.06.shtml
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=267818&page=3 (Seri)
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/photogallery/?Event=moscow
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=chakvetadze
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=236270&page=9&pp=15 (HQs)
Search Getty Images for "chakvetadze"
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W1E121FFD
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K45521EFD

I love the one with the Super Maria Sisters!


Video of presentation-ceremony (in Russian):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=V5_LhIBowsg

Anna looked and sounded very nervous giving her champion's speech!

-----------
First round (Tuesday 10th October)
-----------

+ Anna Chakvetadze d. DINARA MUBIN QIZI SAFINA [7], 6-1 6-2

When I saw this result on CEEFAX, I pumped my fist and said,
"yes, yes, YES!"

Unfortunately the person who recorded this for me had trouble
getting a video-recorder to access British Eurosport, and missed all
of the first set and the first three games of the second. :-(

Apparently, Anna was brilliant in the first set, but she only hit
three or four /brilliant/ winners - I'm talking about the added
value that puts my Eternal Fanship head-and-shoulders above
everybody else - in the coverage I saw (I did see more of this added
value from Anna at Birmingham and Eastbourne this year, but that
evidence is inadmissible since I don't have those matches on video).


Second Set
----------

Safina serving 2-1: 40/15. Safina forehand just wide. 40/30. Anna
hit a deep error-forcing forehand return, and said "C'mon". 40/40.
Safina forced Anna to net a passing-shot. Ad Safina. Anna hit a
short-angled error-forcing crosscourt backhand return. Deuce #2.
Safina netted a backhand volley off a defensive lob. Ad Anna (break-
point). Safina challenged a call against her, and something
resembling a smile crept into Anna's face when Hawkeye showed that
the ball was not only out, but nowhere near a line! Safina hit a
forehand winner down the line. Deuce #3. Anna hit a down-the-line
backhand just wide, and used up one of her challenges. Ad Safina. A
hard crosscourt forehand from Anna forced Safina to net a forehand.
Sam Smith said Anna had the second-best crosscourt forehand in the
game (after Elena Dementieva). Deuce #4. And again! Ad Anna (BP #2).
Good retrieval by Anna, but Safina saved the break-point with a
forehand drive-volley winner. Deuce #5. Anna netted a forehand. Ad
Safina. Anna backhand winner down the line, just inside the
sideline. Chris Bradnam: "Just effortless timing, isn't it?" Sam
Smith: "Takes the ball so early when she wants to. You look at these
two Russians, and they have commitment and focus that is almost
beyond belief." Deuce #6. Anna hit a deep error-forcing forehand
return, and Safina used up her one remaining challenge as Hawkeye
showed it plumb on the baseline - ha ha! Ad Anna (BP #3). Safina
netted a forehand to give Anna the break back.

Sam Smith: "I can't believe this is the same player I saw when she
was 14. I remember her playing a dead rubber - Russia against
England - some team-competition, and she did literally burst into
tears every time she lost a point! And now she seems to have all the
emotional control; the /passion/'s still there."

Anna serving 2-2: Service-winner out wide. 15/0. Anna spanked a
lovely off-forehand winner just inside the sideline - a prime
example of the flairsome power that makes me consider her a likely
candidate for my Eternal Fanship! 30/0. Service-winner on the
service-line. 40/0. Safina forehand volley-winner. 40/15. Safina
sprayed a backhand long & wide.

Sam Smith: "Chakvetadze had great momentum - she lost it, and now
she's got it back again."

The commentators said that one of Anna's motivations for beating
Safina was that Safina had received much more funding as a junior
than Anna, suggesting that the Russian Tennis Federation thought
Anna wouldn't be able to control her emotions. Perhaps they funded
Safina because of the success of her brother Marat. It certainly
wasn't because Safina was better-looking than Anna! ;-)

Safina serving 2-3: Service-winner down the middle. 15/0. Safina
forehand smash-winner. 30/0. Safina hit a backhand volley long, and
screamed! 30/15. Double fault. 30/30. Safina backhand just long.
30/40 (break-point). A deep forehand return forced Safina to net a
forehand, putting Anna up a break.

Anna serving 4-2: A deep serve forced a short forehand return down
the middle, and Anna hit a lovely flairsome crosscourt forehand
winner. Chris Bradnam: "Anything central on the forehand has been
hammered!" 15/0. Ace out wide. 30/0. Safina backhand winner down the
line. 30/15. Safina sprayed a forehand wide. 40/15. Ace down the
middle.

Safina serving to stay in the match at 2-5: Anna netted a sliced
backhand. 15/0. Double fault. 15/15. Anna backhand just long. 30/15.
Safina netted a backhand dropshot. 30/30. Safina forehand wide.
30/40 (match-point). Anna punished a short first serve with a
crosscourt backhand return-winner just inside the sideline - Anna
apologised for it clipping the netcord, but that didn't make much
difference. Anna didn't even allow herself a smile until she was
signing autographs!


Statistics
----------

Anna had a W:UE ratio of 18:11, Safina a woeful 6:23. Anna served
all 5 aces for the both of them. Anna broke 6 times from 9 break-
points, Safina once from one. Anna returned so well that Safina only
won 37% of the points when she got her first serve in (Anna 81%).
The point-score was a crushing 57-31.


Epilogue
--------

Chris Bradnam praised an "outstanding" performance by Anna, and
tipped her to win the title! I just wish I could have seen the whole
match, as I only saw three or four of Anna's /brilliant/ winners,
and didn't see enough to evaluate her by the standards of my Eternal
Fanship.

But I do feel that Anna is heading towards my Eternal Fanship, and
continuing to improve as a tennis-player. At the rate she's going,
induction in 2007 is a distinct possibility!

Anna didn't look as superficially attractive as she often does (e.g.
French Open 2005, Birmingham & Eastbourne 2006, where I couldn't
take my eyes off her) - there were fewer of her cute little habits
on display, and she has an unfortunate outbreak of spots at the
moment - I'm allowed to point that out because my own face was as
zitty as a pizza when I was a teenager, and it's still pretty bad
now! ;-)

Safina has since pulled out of Zürich with medical fatigue syndrome.

------------
Second round (Thursday 12th October)
------------

+ Anna Chakvetadze d. Francesca Schiavone, 7-6 (7/3) 6-4

Anna led 5-1 in the first set, but almost let it slip away (it
became 5-6).

-------------
Quarter-final (Friday 13th October)
-------------

+ Anna Chakvetadze d. MARIA YURYEVNA SHARAPOVA [2], walkover

I was really looking forward to Maria playing the ultracute Anna
again, so it's a real shame that the Friday 13th jinx struck again!

The WTA Tour gives "right foot strain" as the reason for Maria's
withdrawal. But some sources say she had pain in her right hip. The
Slovak word "noha" means both "foot" and "leg". If Russian also has
one word for both, perhaps that would explain the confusion? Slovak
doesn't use "noha" to mean "hip", though...

It would have been a very interesting match in terms of
competitiveness, too. Anna had thrashed world #10 Dinara Safina 6-1
6-2 in the first round, and she went on to win the title with wins
over Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova. Anna has flairsome power on
her groundstrokes now, and may very well be the next player I will
induct into my Eternal Fanship.


Maria quotes
------------

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to play today. I felt pain in my
right {hip/foot} back in the hotel after my first match here. I
couldn't practise and even walk yesterday. I have to pull out. I'm
really disappointed, but I have no choice.

"I hurt my foot during my match on Wednesday, and since then I did
everything possible to be ready for my match today. But when I woke
up this [Friday] morning it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to
play. I'm really disappointed because I felt I was playing really
well lately.

"I could not train today. I will not be able to step out on the
court today. If I'm not able to give a hundred percent, I'd rather
not play at all.

"I feel strongly the season needs to be made much shorter, with more
breaks for players to rest, in order to be in peak condition when we
do play. I know the Tour is taking this issue seriously, and I am
looking forward to the changes that will lead to a healthier
schedule for players."

From www.mariasharapova.com:
>>>
Hi everyone,

I'm so sorry to say that I have to pull out of the tourney in
Moscow. Right after my first round I started to feel slight pain at
the top of my right foot and by the time I went to bed I had trouble
walking normally. Yesterday it wasn't any better, so I stayed in the
hotel and got treatment on it throughout the day. I was hoping for
it to get slightly better by today but when I got up and walked on
it, it was pretty much the same. Thirty minutes ago I put my tennis
shoes on and tried to run around the room, but felt pretty useless.
It's weird how these things just come on out of nowhere, but I guess
that's part of it. I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself, as there
are a lot of other things happening in the world, a lot worse than
this. So with that I am going to go to the site right now and do the
whole sing and dance of pulling out....seeing the doctor, signing
the forms, and buttering up the press. To all my Russian fans that
were expecting to see me today, I am so so sorry and I hope to see
everyone really soon! I am hoping to recover by next week's
tournament....which means lots of treatment and ice in the next
couple of days. Ciao! P.S expect to see a doodle really soon!
<<<

Said doodle is now online, and includes the following paragraph:
>>>
I will start this with my foot update. It is slowly getting better
day by day and I am hoping to start hitting again Monday. These
little nagging injuries are not very convenient in the their timing
but what can you do! But honestly after playing for nine months, you
should start booking rooms at all the local tournament hospitals in
advance. J/K!! I have been getting so much treatment that I'm not
quite sure which one is helping. Is it the magic cream, the hot and
cold therapy, my trainer's potions, or the needles that poke out of
my foot daily for twenty minutes?
<<<

Anna quotes
-----------

"I'm disappointed not to play, especially with Maria here in Russia.
I'll try to use my time off to relax and get ready for my semi-final
match.

"I have played Dementieva before, and she has beaten me every time,
but I'm a stronger player now, and I think I have a chance to win."

----------
Semi-final (Saturday 14th October)
----------

+ Anna Chakvetadze d. ELENA VYACHESLAVOVNA DEMENTIEVA [4],
7-5 3-6 6-0

I'm very glad that Anna proved herself a worthy semi-finalist after
a walkover to get there. It's also a nice revenge for two previous
losses to Dementieva: a 6-2 6-1 thrashing in 2r Australian Open
2005, and a 6-1 4-6 7-6(5) heartbreaker in 3r US Open 2005 - after
Anna had led 3-0*, 4-3* (40/15) and 6-6 (4/2*) in the third set.

www.wtatour.com: "The unseeded teen struggled with her left shoulder
early on, even getting medical treatment after three games, but she
still managed to win the first set. The No.4-seeded Dementieva won
the second, but appeared to have used up all her energy and
Chakvetadze pounced, losing a total of six points in polishing off
her fifth career Top 10 victory and reaching her first Tier I final."


I got the following information from the WTAworld.com scoring-thread:
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=268909&page=32


First Set
---------

CHAKVETADZ __@ @ @* *@* 7
DEMENTIEVA *@ @ @__*___ 5

Anna made an error-strewn start, and was broken to 30 for 2-0. But
she broke back to 15 with the help of an off-forehand winner, then
called for the trainer, who massaged Anna's shoulder - I wish I had
that job! ;-)

Despite a backhand winner down the line, Anna found herself facing
15/40 at *1-2; she saved the first break-point with an ace, but
Dementieva converted the second for 3-1.

Anna broke back for *2-3, but lost her serve from 40/0 up to trail
2-4*. But far from being psychologically destroyed, she pegged
Dementieva back from 30/0 in the next game, and with the help of a
backhand winner down the line and a smash, she broke after a couple
of deuces, to make it *3-4.

This ugly pattern of break-and-counterbreak is typical of a
Dementieva match, but Anna held for 4-4. She then pegged Dementieva
back from 40/0 to 40/40, had a break-point, but Dementieva held for
5-4.

Anna saved set-point at *4-5 (30/40), held for 5-5, and then broke
for 6-5 as Dementieva double-faulted on break-point.

Anna serving for the first set at 6-5: 15/0, 15/30, 30/30, 40/30
(SP), Anna won the first set 7-5 at 16:58 (1h08m).


Second Set
----------

CHAKVETADZ _* * *___ 3
DEMENTIEVA * * * *@* 6

In contrast to the first set, there was only one break-point in the
second: Dementieva converted it to lead 5-3, then served out the
second set to 15. Dementieva won the second set 6-3 at 17:34 (36m).


Third Set
---------

CHAKVETADZ *@*@*@ 6
DEMENTIEVA ______ 0

Anna broke to 15 for 2-0, held to 15 with an ace for 3-0, and with
another ace for 5-0.

Dementieva serving to stay in the match at 0-5: 15/0, 15/40 (2 MPs).
Anna hit a winner to win 7-5 3-6 6-0 at 17:58 (third set 24m, match
2h08m).


Dementieva quotes {before the match}
-----------------

"She has a day off, so she should be fresh. She's improved a lot
since the last time we played; I expect a tough match."


Dementieva quotes {after the match}
-----------------

"I was too tired in the end, and couldn't bring my best tennis to
the court today. I had two very tough matches this week, and was
trying very hard to be fully fit after I had some trouble with my
leg last week, but in the third set she was simply fresher than me.

"I've made too many unforced mistakes, while she played the key
points confidently."


Anna quotes
-----------

"I still can't believe I'm in the final of the Kremlin Cup. For
Russian players this is a very important tournament, and I'm so
happy to be just one match from possibly winning the title.

"I've been playing very well all week, so hopefully I can keep it
going for just one more day."

-----
Final (Sunday 15th October)
-----

+ Anna Chakvetadze d. NADEZHDA VIKTOROVNA PETROVA [5], 6-4 6-4

This was Petrova's first loss in six finals this year!

Anna went into this match having beaten Petrova in both their
previous meetings: 6-3 6-7 6-2 at San Diego 2006, and 6-1 6-4 at
Montréal 2006. But Petrova was in a dramatic slump then, and her
return to form since the US Open has been equally dramatic.

From www.wtatour.com:
>>>
In Petrova, she was facing a player who had been struggling mightily
with injuries in the days leading up to the final, but coming off
her fifth title of the season in Stuttgart and battling through to
this week's final, the No.5 seed left it all on the court anyway.

The two players served strongly and traded solid groundstrokes
throughout the one-hour, 31-minute final, and aside from a slight
comeback in the second set, where Petrova cut a 4-1 hole down to
4-3, Chakvetadze was in comfortable control throughout, finally
improving to 3-0 against her compatriot.
<<<

BBC Sport: "Petrova was playing with groin and chest injuries, and
could not cope with her in-form opponent."

Gennady Fyodorov for Reuters:
>>>
Chakvetadze who earned her maiden WTA title in Guangzhou, China two
weeks ago, outplayed the more experienced Petrova thanks to an
excellent all-round game and greater court coverage.

Petrova, who was chasing her sixth title of the year, was playing
with both thighs heavily strapped and was also nursing a chest
injury.
<<<

The match started at 13:37 local time (GMT+4). I followed the live
scoreboard, and used the scoring-thread at:
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=269071

Here are my comments as I wrote them at the time:


First Set
---------

PETROVA * * *__@__ 4
CHAKVET _* * *@ @* 6

Petrova serving 0-0: 15/15, 30/15, 40/30, held.

Two aces in that game!

Anna serving 0-1: 0/15, 15/15, 15/30, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40,
ad A, held.

Well fought by Anna. My fear is that the powerful Petrova will roll
right over her, so it was important for Anna to get on the
scoreboard straight away.

Petrova serving 1-1: 15/0, 15/15, 15/40 (2 BPs) -> 40/40, ad P, held.

Wasted opportunities there by Anna. Petrova has struggled with
injury this week, and could be very tired in this final.

Anna serving 1-2: 0/15, 40/15, 40/30, held.

Good job. It's not easy to serve after wasting break-points, and at
0/15 I feared the worst.

Petrova serving 2-2: 0/15... ad P, held.
Anna serving 2-3: 0/40 (3 BPs) -> 40/40, ad A, Deuce #2, ad A, held.

Well recovered from 0/40!

Petrova serving 3-3: 0/40 (3 BPs) -> 40/40, ad A (BP #4), Deuce #2,
ad A (BP #5), broken!

YES!! I think Anna's own recovery from 0/40 at 2-3 was the key to
that break, as the mental side of the game is Petrova's major
weakness.

Anna serving 4-3: 15/0, 15/40 (2 BPs), 30/40, broken.

It's funny how a match at this level can be either serve-dominated
or break-and-counterbreak, seemingly at the will of the player who
is behind - whatever it takes to make it competitive!

Petrova serving 4-4: 0/15, 15/15, 15/30, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40,
ad P, Deuce #2, ad P, Deuce #3, ad A (BP #2), broken.

YES!! C'mon Anna - no mistake this time, please! Anna is very
reliable at holding serve, but serving for the set is much tougher
than any other service-game, and from what I've seen, Anna is no
exception.

Anna serving for the first set at 5-4: 0/15, 30/15, 30/40 (BP),
40/40, ad A (SP), Anna won the first set 6-4 at 14:28.

Excellent! If Petrova is as tired and injured as she should be after
the week she's had, it will be very difficult for her to come back
and win in three.


Second Set
----------

PETROVA __*__@* *_ 4
CHAKVET @* *@__* * 6

Petrova serving 0-0: 15/0, 15/40 (2 BPs), 30/40, broken.

Has the bubble burst for Petrova now?

Anna serving 1-0: 40/0, 40/15, held.

It certainly feels like it! :-) I just hope she's not thinking of
retiring, because that would make Anna's victory illegitimate,
especially after Maria gave her a walkover in the quarter-finals.

Petrova serving 0-2: 0/30, 40/30, held.
Anna serving 2-1: 40/0, 40/15, held.

Anna could well be up 4-0 by now, if she hadn't wasted that 0/30
opening at 0-2, but they might as well start engraving her name on
the trophy now, because this match has turned into a procession.

Petrova serving 1-3: broken to love.
Anna serving 4-1: 0/30 -> 30/30, 30/40 (BP), broken.

Was that nerves or loss of concentration? Anna served a double fault
at 30/30.

Petrova serving 2-4: 0/15, 40/15, held.

Well, this certainly puts a bit of scoreboard-pressure on Anna, but
I'm still pretty convinced that Petrova can't turn this match around
in her current physical condition. If it wasn't for that, I would be
very anxious at this stage, knowing how fragile the momentum of a
tennis-match can be.

Anna serving 4-3: held to love.
Petrova serving to stay in the match at 3-5: 30/0, 30/15, 40/15 ->
40/40, ad P, held.

I'm actually glad that Petrova held there, because I've been looking
forward to seeing how Anna will handle having to serve for her first
Tier I title at 5-4. It would have been all too easy if Anna had
broken for 6-3, but now we'll learn a lot about what she's really
made of... my nerves are just jangling with excitement right now!

lenavee: "Chakvetadze is getting angry with herself and shouting at
her box, not the smartest thing when your about to serve out for the
biggest win in your career"

Anna serving 5-4: 0/30 -> 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40, ad A (CP #1).
Petrova netted a forehand. Anna won 6-4 6-4 at 15:08!!!

And it feels that much sweeter after a bit of a scare! :-)


The statistics are pretty boring without W:UE ratios, but what's
interesting is how difficult it was to convert break-points: Anna
broke 4 times from 12 BPs, Petrova twice from 9 BPs.


Anna quotes
-----------

"I'd come to watch the Kremlin Cup with my parents from the age of
six, and I never thought I'd play in this tournament. To win the
title here is just unbelievable – a dream come true.

"Having won my first title recently I had an even better week here,
beating three Top 10 players, so I'm definitely going to buy myself
something as a reward for this victory. I'm also going to celebrate
this victory with my family and friends.

"I was a little bit lucky today as Nadia was obviously not 100% fit.
Nevertheless, I'm happy to win at home.

"I knew that Nadejda couldn't show her best tennis, but I enjoyed my
win all the same. Frankly, I didn't expect to win the tournament; I
don't want to stop, and want to keep climbing up the rankings."


Petrova quotes
--------------

"I'm not going to make a tragedy out of this. I did what I could
today. I had three parts of my body taped before the match, and it
obviously affected my play and limited my movement. I had my chest
and hips bandaged, and it was difficult to serve and move - I did
all I could.

"I think it would have been a different story today if I was fully
fit. My movement was limited, and I couldn't serve at my maximum
power. My serve is one of my weapons, so that was a shame.

"However, it's all about how well you play, and today Anna played
better than me, so she deserved the victory. This is her biggest
title, and I'm very happy for her."

Sunday's blog-entry for www.wtatour.com:
>>>
Unfortunately I lost to Anna Chakvetadze today in the final. I was
actually a bit concerned after yesterday's match about whether I'd
be able to play today, but when I woke up I couldn't feel the
injuries as much. My physio worked on me for more than two hours
yesterday, and did a great job. But, the tiredness really kicked in
today. It has been a long two weeks. My coordination, reaction time
and focus weren't so sharp. I wasn't really able to dictate today
and take the match into my hands. I was also pretty sore moving
around; both legs were wrapped and my pec was killing me, so serving
was painful. I just wasn't 100%, and she took advantage. She even
mentioned after the match that she was lucky I wasn't playing up to
my level. But she is playing so well, and I am so happy for her!"
<<<

Andrew's feelings about Anna
----------------------------

I'm writing this section fifteen minutes after the final ended. I'm
still savouring Anna's victory, and even thinking about what I need
to see from Anna before I could possibly induct her into my Eternal
Fanship.

I could wait for the next time that the BBC deign to televise her
(earliest possible opportunity: Australian Open 2007), or I could
even take a more proactive approach... I'm not promising Anna
anything at this stage, but I do feel that she has made strong
progress towards my Eternal Fanship this week.

My Eternal Fanship:
1. Monica Seles
2. Maria Sharapova
3. Daniela Hantuchová
4. Jelena Dokic
5. Iva Majoli (retired)
6. Karina Habšudová (retired)
7. Iroda Tulyaganova
8. Vera Zvonarëva
9. Nicole Vaidišová

My casual demi-fanship:
10. Anna Chakvetadze
11. Tatiana Golovin
12. Maria Kirilenko
13. Sania Mirza
14. Ana Ivanovic
15. Karolina Šprem
16. Gisela Dulko
17. Magdaléna Rybáriková

Tatiana Golovin is like the gatekeeper of my Eternal Fanship. I've
liked Tatiana a lot for way over two years now, my passion says I
should induct her, but every time I actually watch her to evaluate
her by the standards of my Eternal Fanship, she comes up a bit
short, so I never have inducted her.

So for Anna to go past Tatiana into my Eternal Fanship, she'll need
to convince me that her tennis-qualities are superior to
Tatiana's... which in Anna's case, would mean that she can hit
winners of flairsome power with enough regularity when I see her on
TV.

I feel /almost/ convinced now... I am /tempted/ to induct Anna based
only on the evidence I've seen so far. But since inducting anyone
into my Eternal Fanship is a serious commitment and an irrevocable
vow for me - and has to leave the bar in exactly the right place
between the lowest member of my Eternal Fanship and the highest
member of my demi-fanship - I won't be taking /that/ shortcut.

I feel strongly inclined to evaluate Anna by the standards of my
Eternal Fanship prior to the start of the 2007 season - and not
without another serious look at Tatiana, considering that it was she
who reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at Anna's expense at
the US Open, and gave eventual champion Maria Sharapova her toughest
match of the tournament.

-------
Doubles
-------

Anna Chakvetadze/Elena Vesnina:
1r - Vera Dushevina/Maria Kirilenko, 6-1 4-6 1-6

Chakvesnina make a lovely couple, but it's a shame we don't see the
Super Maria Sisters or even Dulkirilenko play doubles together
anymore.


===========
ZÜRICH OPEN (Zürich, Switzerland; indoor hard; WTA Tier I)
=========== http://www.zurichopen.net/

Anna has withdrawn from this week's tournament, citing the left-
shoulder strain for which she took a medical time-out in her Moscow
semi-final.


===========
UK TV-alert
===========

Watch out for highlights of the Kremlin Cup in the next episode of
Transworld Sport, which starts at 7:00am BST on Sunday 22nd October,
on Channel 4.

(Transworld Sport may be televised in other countries.)

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Anna_Chakvetadze/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/