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U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2007

Anna Chakvetadze

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You are not in good preparation for this tournament, but you are in quarterfinal. Can you explain how you are playing.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, I think I could start better, you know, because first two matches, I mean, I didn't have a tough opponent, but I didn't actually play well. And than I just felt better when I played against Mirza, and also today I think I played good quality test, but a little bit I lost concentration because she called the trainer, and I actually thought she was retired because she didn't move that well in the first set. So I was like 90% sure that she will stop the match, that's why I lost my concentration totally.
She started to play better. She had nothing to lose. Good that I came through that.

Q. So you served for it at 5-4 in the second set and played a little bit sloppy, and got right back and broke her.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I was so confident today because I knew that she is a junior, she will be nervous, you know, and I just have more experience than her.
But anyway, I think she's a good player and she will improve a lot.

Q. So now you're in the quarterfinals for the third time this year in a Grand Slam. It's not Maria Sharapova this time, it's Peer. You said on court she played you tough in practice, but an opponent you should be able to do well against. You think you will be able to play your game?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, I actually lost against her this year at Indian Wells. I think she improved her game, and she's very tough opponent.
Actually I was in the same quarter as Maria Sharapova but she didn't get through. Shahar is very tough opponent, also, and I think we both deserve to be in the quarterfinal.

Q. What do you have to do this final to breakthrough?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, I just have to stay focused during all points because Shahar is a great fighter, she is running so fast, screaming "come on" so loud. She's tough. So I have to serve really well. I just to have stay aggressive.

Q. Do you know why young players are playing very well in this tournament?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, you know, it's a lot of year, I don't know why it was here in this tournament, but yeah that's amazing. Like they all took their opportunities, you know. Well, just new generation is a coming, like all the time. It happens.

Q. Some people described you as kind of a Martina Hingis-type player with more power. Do you agree with that opinion?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I think all players are different, and I respect Martina a lot like a player, but I still think we're different.

Q. You were fan of Milan football club. Are you still a fan of Milan?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, sure I am. I will never change it. Until Kaladze is playing there, another Georgian.

Q. You still play football?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yes, a little bit. In front of my house I have a small garden for soccer and my brother does play soccer a little bit, my younger brother. I play together with him. I love to play soccer. The little boy, like nine years old.

Q. What's more important to you, to be thinking while you're playing or to play with instinct and play from your gut?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, you know, it's better when I'm thinking, but sometimes, you know, when I'm too much, I can't think and that's why I losing. That's why I lost, for example, this year in Wimbledon match. I was so nervous that I couldn't control the game. I couldn't think where should I put the ball. For me much easier to play when I'm thinking and that's I think the way how I should play?

Q. You still play pretty fast though. Some players like Djokovic take ten minutes to serve. You get right up there, right? A couple bounces and boom, right into it.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah. You know, I had problems when I was playing under 14. I never bounce the ball. I serve straightaway. Opponents were not really ready to take my serve so I won a couple matches like that. Then the chair umpire said, You have to take your time a little bit.

Q. Can you describe your team, your small team around you?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, here right now I'm just my dad and because Robert Lansdorp, he left to L.A. because he has some stuff to do there. But he probably will come if I will win the quarterfinal. If, you know. But because he has some stuff to do there.
So it's just my dad, and I have a lot of friends in here and my hitting partner from adidas and coach, Sven Groeneveld also. They help me a lot. That's it.

Q. Can you talk about what type of opportunity this is for you with the bottom half of the draw being so open with Maria losing, and then also what it was like for to you play at night here.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, I never played a night match on the court, so I was pretty excited. About the draw, yeah, I think, you know, I think Shahar is a very tough opponent for me. I'm not looking -- you know, I'm not looking farther away, like if I will be in the semis, because it will believe really difficult match for me.

Q. Can you talk about the kind of work you've been doing with Lansdorp. Has he been telling you anything different?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, definitely. When he's not here he's calling me all -- you know, every day like twice. He's asking me how I'm practicing and telling me the game plan, what he thinks about the opponent, and how he thinks she's playing.
So he helps me a lot. Even when he's not here he helps me with some instruction.

Q. He's known for having more repetition, and you play with a little more variety. You play a lot different than Maria or Lindsay.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, he wants me to hit every ball like Maria and I'm just different. I just take some little things what he teach, you know, because I will never play like Maria. I will never have such a powerful shots like Maria, you know, because I'm just smaller and thinner -- or, I mean, I don't have like so many power to hit so I have to play smart. And because I'm shorter I'm moving better, so I have to use that.

Q. Do you work a lot physically and what about mentally?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah. I'm working physically and mentally definitely, and I think I improve this year a lot compared to last year.

Q. Just some details.
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, physically I just got a new fitness trainer back in Moscow, and my dad is helping me a lot because he's an exsoccer player and he does know what's, you know, about the fitness a lot of things.
And the mentally part I just, you know, trying to stay more calm on court because -- but not all the time I can do that because sometimes it's too much emotion. But I'm trying to be more calm.

Q. Alone? You are by yourself?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yes.

Q. How did you come to be working with Robert Lansdorp?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I was trying to find a coach and my agents from SFX, they told me that he's free and if I want to try to work with him. I said yes. I had some time before Indian Wells this year, so I came one week earlier and we start. That's how we started.

Q. Did you find an instant connection and that he was really helping you?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, I think he helps me a lot. He's just a great guy. We have fun on the court. I enjoy to practice with him and enjoy to spend time with him and I like it.

Q. I heard that you used to be a kind of player that's really emotional, but now you look very calm and you stay calm and you're really concentrate on the game. How did you make the transition?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Yeah, as I said, that's one of the thing which I working on. You know, and I'm not staying so calm as I wanted to be during all the matches or during all the points. Sometime I go the emotion, you know.
So I just try to stay more calm, as I said, and I'm working on it. And as I said, I improved on this part compared to last year a lot.

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