The Russian tennis system is regarded to be one of the best in the world. There are seven Russian women in the top twenty. One of them, Anna Chakvetadze, already has three titles under her belt and is ranked number ten in the world. 

Although world number two Maria Sharapova is undoubtedly the country's biggest star, there are several young players who have already made their presence felt.

Anna Chakvetadze is only 20-years-old but tennis experts are predicting a bright future.

Anna has come along way in a short space of time, but she may not have even been playing the sport, if her parents hadn't pushed her into it.

Meanwhile Anna's mother said it was a dream come true for her when Anna had made it on the WTA Tour.

“I didn't think that everything would go so well. When Anna was young, I watched tennis and saw the likes of Mary Pierce, I admired the way she played and thought it would be wonderful if Anna would be able to play at such a level. I did not dream about this, just admired the way Mary and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario played, and thought, it would be nice if Anna one day reached such a level,” Natalya Chakvetadze, Anna's mother, commented.

The top tennis players get paid very well, with Maria Sharapova earning just about $US 4 MLN in prize money last year. However, a number of players face a struggle to survive, especially those starting their careers.

Anna has shown she has the potential to become one of the best tennis players over the next decade, but knows there is room for improvement.