Biofile: The Francesca Schiavone Interview

Shrek, Tarzan and Ariel the little mermaid all converge in Francesca Schiavone's consciousness like participants in a weekly doubles game.
 
The 27-year-old from Milan can be so animated on court — smiling in appreciation after well played points and tearing up after monumental victories such as her first career win over World No. 1 Justine Henin, a 7-6(3), 7-6(4) quarterfinal conquest in Dubai yesterday — it's understandable why she cites "cartoons" as her favorite films.
 
Schiavone's sense of humor makes her a popular presence with ball boys and linespeople as well.
 
"Francesca Schiavone will actually joke with you sometimes when she will put her hands on her hip look at you and smile and have fun with it," Stan Bretner, a 66-year-old ball man, who often works the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami says. "Francesca Schiavone has a tremendous sense of humor."
 
A spirited, personable player who often gestures emphatically with both hands when speaking, Schiavone spends her some of her spare time writing poetry and dancing.
 
Expressiveness is hardly her only endearing quality.
 
One of the fittest and and most tenacious players on the WTA Tour, Schiavone strikes a bold one-handed backhand and plays with the sheer passion of a woman who never believes any ball is a lost cause on court.
 
Schiavone's strengths are her consistency, competitiveness, quickness and endurance and though she hits with heavy topspin, she's also willing to take the offensive and move forward into the court on faster surfaces when necessary.
 
She's earned respect from the top players on tour for the extreme effort she gives on court.
 
Schiavone thrilled an enthusiastic Rome crowd by sweeping third-seeded Serena Williams, 7-6(2), 6-1 in the third-round of the 2005 Rome tournament that Schiavone called one of her best wins and Williams characterized as her  "worst loss."
 
Schiavone has beaten two World No. 1 players — Amelie Mauresmo and Henin as well as then World No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova — has finished five straight years ranked inside the top 30 and claimed her first career tournament title at the Tier III Bad Gastein on the red clay of Austria last August, snapping a streak of eight straight losses in WTA Tour finals.
 
In 2006, Schiavone became a national hero in Italy when she partnered Roberta Vinci to beat Henin and Kirsten Flipkens in the decisive doubles match and lift Italy to its first Fed Cup championship with a 3-2 victory over host Belgium. Italy was the first team to win the Fed Cup without playing a tie at home during the competition since the home-and-away format was adopted in 1995 and Schiavone played a pivotal part in winning five of the seven Fed Cup matches she played that season.
 
Tennis Week.com contributing writer Scoop Malinowski, who like Schiavone plays with a one-handed backhand and is extremely expressive on court, caught up with the 24th-ranked Italian recently for this Biofile interview.
 
Status: Top 25 Sony Ericsson WTA tennis player just defeated Justine Henin in Dubai. Member of 2006 Italian Fed Cup championship team. Was ranked a career high No. 11 in January of 2006. Has career wins over Henin, Serena Williams, Patty Schnyder, Monica Seles, Kim Clijsters, Mauresmo, Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Nadia Petrova. 
 
Height/Weight: 5-foot-5 1/2, 141 pounds.

 
Born On: June 23, 1980 in Milan, Italy.

 
Tennis Inspirations:  "I think Agassi, Sampras when they played against each other a lot of times. I like to see each other, to fight together against. I like to see, when I was younger, Steffi Graf and Seles. Those people. Yes. Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe."

 
Hobbies/Interests:  "I like to read. To fly. (Airplanes? Hangliders?) Yes, and helicopters. But I don't drive, I go. (Do you jump out and parachute?) No. But I will try. I like to write. And a lot to go with friends, to enjoy an evening. To stay with friends. (You write poetry?) Yes. When I go to the beach, what I see."

 
Favorite Movies:  "Cartoons [smiles]. Like Shrek, Tarzan, Disney a lot."

 
Favorite TV Shows:  "It's Italian show. You know when someone organize against you something, it's a joke? I like it."

 
Musical Tastes:  "I like...I'm Italian...Mina, Eros Ramazotti, Eliza, Madonna, Robbie Williams and some opera."

 
Last Book Read:  "How do you call it...'Il Cacciatore De Aquiloni' by Khaled Hosseini."

 
Favorite Meal:  "Pizza."

 
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  "Licorice."
 
First Tennis Memory:  "Enjoy and like play volley. I remember that I was keep it going on the net (age 11)."

 
First Car:  "That I bought — VW Golf (white)."

 
Current Car:  "Mercedes (black)."

 
Greatest Sports Moment:  "Two years ago. Roma. I played against Serena in quarterfinals in Roma. And the final in Sydney against Justine that I lost 7-5 in the third. (Note: This interview was done prior to Francesca's 7-6(3), 7-6(4)  quarterfinal victory over World No. 1 Justine Henin in Dubai on Thursday)."

 
Most Painful Moment:  "A year ago. When I don't feel good myself, in me. I didn't work very good. I had some problems at home. And everything was following me."

 
Favorite Tournament:  "Roland Garros."

 
Favorite Players To Watch: "Federer against Nadal."

 
Closest Tennis Friends: "No friends [laughs]. Some Italians."

 
Funniest Players Encountered:  "Me [smiles]."
 

Toughest Competitors:  "Justine Henin."

 
Funny Tennis Memory:  "Four days, we're at U.S. Open. Big, big match (fourth round vs. Ai Sugiyama), it was long four days. If I remember now I laugh. Rainy, rainy, keep going. Ball kids hit here (in face) glasses — the umpire. And she (opponent) had volley here to close the match and she missed. And I ran so much. And a mix of everything happened. Four days we keep going inside outside. (Schiavone won and made the 2003 U.S. Open quarterfinals.)"

 
Embarrassing Memory:  "Come on, you're too smart. Too smart questions [laughter]. Too hard for me."

 
Last Vacation:  "I really would like to go to South Africa. That's all please [laughter]!!"

 
Just Two More: What match or two did you feel your very best, where you feel the joy of tennis most? "Often. Often I feel to enjoy tennis."

 
And, Last Question — People Qualities Most Admired:  "Respect. Passion. Funny."