Tomorrow at dawn (Tbilisi time) Anna Tatishvili plays against Anastasia Pavliuchenko (No.17 seed) at US Open. As far as you know, it is her first competition in the main wrap of “Flushing Meadows” courts, Tatishvili is in her career peak in this season and that’s why it is not surprising that “New York Times” published quite big article about our compatriot before this tournament. We offera newspaper sports columnist, Ray kriugeri’s story about Anna Tatishvili.
Georgian Anna Tatishvili arrived in New York at the age of 7, she visited her aunt living in the US with her father – Dmitry. Anna visited Queens tennis courts located at Juniper Valley Park and played for a little time. At the time she was “experienced” player, she started playing at the age of 4 when her sister presented her racket. Since that time she has been playing tennis.
At the beginning she found difficulties, she was shorter than wrap at tennis courts. Fred Krol specialist who was working at Juniper Park remembers this time very well. Fred, Dmitry and Anna talked about this in one of the restaurants of New York several days ago. Krol offered experienced coach Alex Rodriges to work with Anna Tatishvili, but at the beginning he was looking at Anna’s possibilities with skepticism. But Anna made him change mind with her good playing in several hours. He instructed Anna to make several technical elements and at the end of training he noticed her progress. Rodriges had so big wish or working with Georgian girl that he was giving her free lessons. During four years he was instructing talented Georgian girl and Krol was her adviser. He became very close friend to the Tatishvili.
Anna competed at her first tournament in summer of that year and managed to go through the semi-final of U-12 tournament.
Anna was used to be given temporary visa and that’s why she was returning to Tbilisi, where her mother was living. She was spending half year in Georgia and half in the US, where she was going for tennis. Such regime was problem and her coaches found a way out of this situation and as a result Anna was able to live and train in the US. Anna was studying at academy named after legendary tennis player Chris Evert for four years. Anna reminds this period like that:” I spent red-letter period in Florida. I used to play at courts with Chris Evert. Can you imagine what is to play and to be given advice by the person who was 18 times champion of Grand Slam”.
Tatishvili used to take advice from elder, more experienced people and she used to follow their instructions. Fred Koly also confirmed it:” after each failure Anna used to listen my advice carefully and she used to train more determined”.
Time by time Anna started competing at professional tournaments instead of juniors’ one. She has been competing at US open for four years. Since that time qualifying round of “Flushing Meadows” was obstacle. But this year 21-year-old Georgian tennis player is in the main wrap.
