Jankovic, Chakvetadze Eager to Win Porsche At Stuttgart

Aside from the customary prize money, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings, and crucial Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships points, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart has an added inducement for its champion.

A Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

Such a jewel would compliment any glamorous female’s entourage, and with one vehicle being awarded at the end of the week, several Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s stars are eager to bring the Cabriolet home with them from Stuttgart.

Third seed Jelena Jankovic confessed that although she arrived in Germany tired after a grueling ten months of competition, all she needed was one glance at the car before her hunger and motivation back.

“I’m a little tired and don’t feel as if I’m in top form,” said Jankovic at the tournament’s customary all-access media hour. “A look at the wonderful Porsche Turbo Cabriolet and I can immediately feel the energy coming back. I’ll be trying everything to drive off the Center Court in the Porsche on Sunday.”

Fourth seed Anna Chakvetadze just wishes that she had known about the giveaway a little sooner. Chakvetadze already has four titles to her credit this season, making the twenty year-old Russian one of the favorites to take home the trophy - and the car.

She has just one small problem; she bought a car only a few weeks ago.

“I unfortunately bought a new car a few weeks ago,” Chakvetadze said when talking to the press. “If I’d known earlier what a great car the Porsche is then there’d definitely be another car parked in my parent’s garage in Moscow.”

Still, if she wins the title, Chakvetadze has already figured out where she will put her prize.

“But the good thing is that we’ve just built a new garage,” added Chakvetadze. “It’s got room for six cars and three are parked there at the moment. So there’s space for a Porsche.”

After reaching six finals this season and losing all but one of them, second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova is fully aware of the difficulties involved in winning a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title. For her, just getting a chance to test drive the player courtesy car provided to her (also a Porsche) would be a thrill in itself.

“It’s such a pity we don’t have much of an opportunity to take the Porsche we’re provided with out for a spin,” said Kuznetsova. “My only comfort is that I’ve already got a sports car from Zuffenhausen in my garage back home.”

Jankovic’s need for speed on the tennis court extends off the court as well. If she does win the title on Sunday, the traffic police in Serbia may be making a few more stops than usual.

“I don’t only serve fast but also love to drive really quickly,” admitted Jankovic.

“Back home I’m thankfully easily recognised by the police. If I do go over the speed limit a little and am stopped, the police are always pleasantly surprised. Instead of giving me a speeding fine they ask me for an autograph!”

The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet can reach an approximate speed of 193 mph and has a retail price of $136,500.00 US dollars.