Q&A With Elena Baltacha

606v2 is pleased to announce that British no.1 Elena Baltacha has agreed to do a Q&A with us.

Spoiler:

Elena is the long standing British number 1, a position she has held intermittently since 2002, and as of 29 August 2011 is currently ranked as the World No. 58. Her career high ranking of World No. 49 was achieved on 13 September 2010.

Over the course of her career she has won ten ITF singles titles (five $25,000, one $50,000, two $75,000 and two $100,000) and four ITF doubles titles (all $25,000). She has also twice been a runner-up in ITF events in singles and four times in doubles.

In 2010, Elena had victories over top 10 players, including two victories over Li Na and one against Francesca Schiavone, who at the time was the reigning French Open champion. In 2011, Elena won her most highest ranked tournament of the ITF tour winning the 2011 AEGON Nottingham Challenge.

Our thanks goes out to Elena for taking the time out to do this for us.

You know the drill guys, post your questions underneath

Hi Elena,

What do you do to relax when you are away at a tournament? Do you socialise with the other players?

What is you career highlight thus far?

What's your plans for next year?

Do you believe you could be in the top 10 in the near future?

Britains next Tennis star?

who is the hardest player you have played in your career?

What part of your game do you feel you need to improve on?

If you could play anyone past or present who would it be?

which is the first professional tennis match that you remember watching and who was your hero/heroine growing up?

Liam - I think maybe give people a quick prod about this in a thread on the forum - it seems a shame after all your hard work securing an interview to only have a few questions.

People might just have overlooked this thread up here

Have you ever tried to play with a wooden racket?

Do you ever get nervous at an airport when you see all your rackets disappear down the conveyor belt after checking in your luggage?

What was it like to be the daughter of a proffesional footballer?

Do you enjoy going back to Ipswich after the tennis season?

What, in your opinion, is the single hardest thing about being a professional tennis player?

Elena,

Congratulations for your career!

What are the main challenges in choosing tennis as a career from the pov of the youngsters?

How many hours per day do you dedicate to training, and what is your daily training program?.

Who is the best player you have been playing against, both in single and in double? What differentiates in your view the top players?.

What are the best and worst things about being a professional tennis player?

Hi Elena.

What do you think has changed in the way British women are coached and why that has produced more success than the Mens side, atm ?

Hi Elena,

Do your close friends call you "Bally" and do you like being called this?

If you had a choice:
what colour would you choose?
what flower would you choose (to put in your room)?
what fragrance would you choose?
what novel would you choose?
what poem would you choose?
what song would you choose (before a match)?

What is your favorite Ukrainian dish?
What is your favorite British dish?

Do you have any particular inspirational figures outside of tennis (ps I hope you know that you are an inspiration to many).

Hi,

What is your favourite alcohol?

(this one is for Nore Staat also)

Do you ever find it difficult to play against opponents who you are friends with away from the court?

Who is your favourite male player (tennis wise of course)?

Do you think talent still plays a great role in today's tennis or is it really all about stamina and power?

Good luck for 2012!

What got you into tennis?

What other sports are you good at?

If you hadn't chosen professional tennis as a career what might you be doing instead?

What do you see yourself doing after you "hang up your tennis racket"?



Is there a "magic formula" for transferring British success at junior tennis level to senior level?

Any last minute questions guys before I send them off on Wednesday?

What was the last film you watched?

What was the last book you read?

Will you go on a date with me?

Congratulations to Bally for reaching the final of the $100k ITF tournament in Poitiers, where she faces the former world No 4 ranked player in Kimiko Date Krumm (the final is tomorrow 30th October). If Bally wins then as well as matching her best tournament victory, where she has two ITF $100k tournament victories, she will also surpass her highest ever WTA ranking (she should reach about 47).

Bally was beaten in the final so finished the runner-up. Nevertheless an excellent tournament for her - she should be ranked 50 when the next rankings come out. She has many ranking points to defend in Australia where in early 2011 she reached the third round.

Hi Bally, how are the preparations going for 2012 - in particular the Australian Open, where you did so well earlier in the year, and then of course Wimbledon and the Olympics!