Anna Moves Into Quarterfinals
September 4, 2007
In her first night match at Flushing Meadows, Anna Chakvetadze defeated the youngest woman in the fourth round, 16-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek, 6-1, 7-5, to earn her third quarterfinal berth at a Slam this year. Chakvetadze had also been in the Australian and Frenchquarters, but Monday night's victory meant she would also achieve her best finish at the US
Afterward, the 20-year-old Chakvetadze said of Paszek: "She has a great future, definitely. I feel I am young, but not anymore." Paszek had been a finalist at the 2006 USgirls' singles tournament.
Chakvetadze won the first five games in the first set before Paszek was able to hold serve in the sixth game. But then the Russian closed out the 28-minute first set on serve with a winner to the baseline.
At the beginning of the second set, Paszek took a medical time out while a trainer rubbed her already-wrapped left leg. The treatment appeared to help as Paszek quickly took the lead by breaking Chakvetadze in the fourth game to go up 3-1.
Chakvetadze rallied back, broke Paszek twice, and took a 5-4 lead. In the10th game, Chakvetadze served for the match but netted a forehand and Paszek finally converted her third break point to tie the set at five games apiece. In the 11th game, Chakvetadze broke Paszek and served for the match. On match point, Paszek hit a backhand return long.
Chakvetadze now looks to a quarterfinal meeting with the No. 18 seed, Shahar Peer, of Israel. Peer will be "very, very tough," said Chakvetadze. "She killed me in practice before the tournament. [It] will be a tough match. You need to see, definitely.