※ [本文轉錄自 Tennis 看板 #1ICiul31 ]
作者: larrytaurus ( ) 看板: Tennis
標題: [新聞] Former world No. 5 Chakvetadze retires
時間: Fri Sep 13 16:34:48 2013
http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/237449.html
Former world No. 5 Chakvetadze retires
ESPN staff September 12, 2013
Former world number five and US open semi-finalist Anna Chakvetadze has
announced her retirement aged just 26 due to chronic back injuries after a
career blighted by an horrific armed robbery in 2007.
Chakvetadze earned nearly ￡2.5 million in prize money over a career that
spanned a decade and included a semi-final at Flushing Meadows in 2007, eight
WTA singles titles and two Fed Cups with Russia.
She reached a career high No. 5 in the rankings in September 2007 but has
since seen herself plummet to 577.
"I no longer see myself in professional tennis so I am ready to say that may
career is over," Chakvetadze told Russia's Sport Express daily.
"Of course, this was a difficult decision and I thought hard about it but now
it is finally taken. I understood that the point of return to tennis was
behind me.
"I have a chronic back injury. So I took the decision to stop and start a new
life."
Chakvetadze failed to recapture the early promise she showed after she was
held at knifepoint at her home in December 2007. The robbers stole ￡190,000
and beat up her father.
"After this my season was a complete failure. They did not rob me at a good
time," she said with irony. "Yes, it affected my further career."
However Chakvetadze insists the trauma she suffered changed her for the
better and made her "look more deeply at things".
"When the attack happened I thought that was it for us. But we stayed alive."
Her parents still live in the house where the robbery took place. The
criminals were never caught.