World No.59 Anna Chakvetadze is expected to skip all the tournaments in the next four to six weeks due to a stress fracture in her right foot.
The 22-year-old Russian said:
The doctors gave me this boot that I have to use for the next three or four weeks. I must admit having them on is like weird and funny. I feel like I’m a pirate.
Chakvetadze may play the October 19 – 25 Kremlin Cup in her home Moscow. (source: Women Who Serve, photo: Ralf Reinecke)
Anna Chakvetadze hadn’t scored a Top 10 win since February 2008, but she improved by beating world No.6 and third seed Jelena Jankovic, who followed fellow falling Serbian star Ana Ivanovic out of the AEGON International. Final score: 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2. Thankfully, unlike Ana, for Jelena we can at least say she was upset!
Not only is Jankovic still in the mud, and she lost in the first round of a tournament, but she lost to Anna Chakvetadze, who herself said "I am pleased with every win right now because it's very important to me to get back my confidence."
Jankovic has started losing in the very beginnings of tournaments, and plus, to insecure players. Chakvetadze had last defeated a Top 10 opponent when she beat Marion Bartoli at the Paris Indoor event.
Jankovic’s excuse for the defeat was the change of surface: "It was obviously my first match on grass." However, the 24-year-old also mentioned her worrying lack of motivation: "I'll play Wimbledon and then we'll see. At least I can take a few weeks off then. I wish I could take a break now. I need to get to where I want to play tennis again."
It could make Jankovic any better that second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova lost to Aleksandra Wozniak in straight sets 6-0 6-3, just days after lifting the French Open trophy, while fourth seed Vera Zvonareva fell to Amelie Mauresmo 6-3 1-6 6-3, in the opening round as well. (via M&G, photo: Ralf Reinecke)
Victoria Azarenka, Dominika Cibulkova, Alona Bondarenko and Anna Chakvetadze appear in this month’s French edition of FHM, an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.
It was the hottest match on day 3 of the Australian Open and the outcome was even hotter. Home favorite Jelena Dokic, who "went through hell and back" while absent from the tennis world, erased 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze from center court 6-4 6-7 (4) 6-3 and made way into the third round of the Australian Open.
Dokic fought hard, despite having a right foot injury, and claimed the momentous victory over the world No.18 Chakvetadze on her third match point.
The last time Dokic played on Rod Laver Arena was eight years ago. Estranged from her father Damir, in Dokic’s player’s box sat only boyfriend Tim Bikic and her new coach Borna Bikic. After the emotional win, Dokic bowed to the crowd and to her boyfriend.
The Serbian-born Australian, who was once the fourth ranked player in the world, will play 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki in the third round.
Women's Tennis Blog has been following Dokic's comeback closely, so browse through our Jelena Dokic category to read how she has been reviving her tennis career.
Some other notable day 3 results we haven’t already mentioned:
Top seed Jelena Jankovic battled past Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 7-5, seventh seed Vera Zvonareva demolished Edina Gallovits 6-0 6-0, while seed No.19 Daniela Hantuchova beat Mathilde Johansson in three sets.
Chakvetadze was the only seed that lost on the third day, so No.9 seed Agnieszka Radwanska remained the highest fallen seed at the Australian Open so far. (via The Sydney Morning Herald, photo: Getty Images)
Three seeds fell on the second day of the Moorilla Hobart International, and most notably No.3 seed Anna Chakvetadze.
The world No.18 Chakvetadze was up in the third set, but Carla Suarez Navarro eventually beat her 7-6(5) 1-6 7-5 in the first round. Suarez Navarro became better known at Roland Garros last May when she reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier. Her win over Chakvetadze is her best career victory.
Chakvetadze was playing her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event of the season. In 2008, the Russian lost six of her last eight matches and fell from the Top 10 to where she is now.
Other seeds sent packing were No.5 seed Agnes Szavay, who was defeated by Anne Keothavong 6-3 7-5, and No.6 seed Aleksandra Wozniak, who saved seven match points in the second set but eventually lost to Polish qualifier Urszula Radwanska 3-6 7-6(3) 7-5. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, photo: annachakvetadze.com)
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