Tennis: Anyone for Tolstoy? In Russian of course ...

Tennis diva Anna Kournikova's arrival in Auckland for the ASB Classic next month has given bookings a significant boost.

Her every move will doubtless be scrutinised by tennis aficionados and those with, shall we say, a passing interest in the game.

Journalists waiting for meaty, in-depth Thoughts of Anna will be sorely disappointed, if her offerings on her official website are any indication.

Here is a sample of her innermost thoughts on the four Grand Slam tournaments, and you be the judge:

Anna on the US Open: "I really look forward to New York. It is one of my favourite cities. Everything is really fast, busy and just ... New York!"

Anna on Wimbledon: "Wimbledon is definitely my favourite Grand Slam tournament. It's very different from all the other tournaments. It's very fast, the matches go fast because it's on grass. But there's a lot of waiting around because of the rain, of course."

Anna on the French Open: "You really have to do well, and to do well you have to play well because of the conditions. It rains sometimes, so you have to be really patient. In Paris, it's always fun."

Anna on the Australian Open: "Australians, especially in Melbourne, are just amazing fans. I don't think anywhere else, maybe a few other tournaments, do they do the waves and everything. I really like Melbourne and it's a fun place to play."

Anna's thoughts on the future: "I'm not saying that tomorrow I'm going to be No 1 or tomorrow I'm going to be this or tomorrow I'm going to be that. I'm just going to keep working and whenever it happens, it happens. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. Maybe it's the end of the world ... "

And a sample of hobbies, likes and dislikes:

On relaxation: "There are things that I do to relax my body, like have a lot of massages and get treatment on different parts that hurt or are sore. I chronically need sleep, and would sleep all day if I could."

On reading: "I like reading Russian classics, such as Chekhov and Tolstoy, which I read in Russian."

On her off-court time: "When I'm not playing tennis, most of my time is taken up with doing photo shoots and interviews."

And finally, so you are up to date when you walk into Stanley St for her opening game on January 1, here are some of Anna's favourites:

Colour, black; foods, steak and sushi; movie, Austin Powers; music, Madonna and Elton John; dessert, chocolate; training exercise, sit-ups; lucky number, 81; motivational training technique, chocolate ice cream.

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