Here come the girls: Meet some of the world's best female tennis players - tattoos and all - who will be adding some glamour to this year's Wimbledon
By ANDY HOOPER
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MARION BARTOLI
Hot shot: Marion Bartoli from France will swap her heels for trainers this week
WHO IS SHE? Marion Bartoli, 27, from France. The 2007 runner-up and world No 9.
DID YOU KNOW? She paints in her hotel room in between matches, often packing large watercolours into her suitcase.
SHE SAYS: ‘The walk from the locker rooms to Centre Court is the best. You see pictures of all the past champions and the trophy. Then there is the Kipling quote: “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same”.
'When I walked that way for the 2007 final, my heart went from 50 to 200 beats per minute in 10 seconds.’
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA
Ready for British weather: Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova loves our grey skies when playing
WHO IS SHE? Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 20, from Russia. A former junior world No 1.
DID YOU KNOW? Her mum Marina (a former swimmer) and dad Sergey (a canoeist) couldn’t make the 1984 Olympics in LA because of the boycott of Eastern Bloc countries.
SHE SAYS: 'My dad was my first coach and he wanted me to play like Andre Agassi. I don’t think it worked but my technique is pretty good!'
'I like the weather at Wimbledon, not when it’s raining, but I like it when it’s cloudy with grey skies. It’s better when it’s not too hot. It helps.'
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS, 27, USA
Lady Gaga: Bethanie Mattek-Sands has been compared to the popstar because of her eccentric outfits and tattoos
WHO IS SHE? Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 27, from the U.S. Grand Slam doubles champion.
DID YOU KNOW? She is dubbed the ‘Lady Gaga’ of tennis because of her eccentric outfits on court.
SHE SAYS: ‘My hair is dyed green and purple for Wimbledon. On the bottom part of my right arm there are tattoos of bees because my nickname is “Bee”. Further up my arm there are flowers.’
ANGELIQUE KERBER
Blonde ambition: Angelique Kerber is in great form
WHO IS SHE? Angelique Kerber, 24, from Germany. The No 8 seed, who is in great form in 2012.
DID YOU KNOW? She could have been a professional swimmer but chose tennis.
SHE SAYS: ‘I watched Steffi Graf win her titles when I was growing up so I have a lot of lovely memories. She was my hero and maybe if I do well this year I will get to meet her. I love playing on the grass. It’s my favourite surface because it suits my big serve.'
AGNIESZKA RADWANKSA, 23, POLAND
Pretty in pink: Agnieszka Radwanska is the world no 3
WHO IS SHE? Agnieszka Radwanksa, 23, from Poland. The world No 3 and two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist.
DID YOU KNOW? Her younger sister Urszula is also in the draw at Wimbledon.
SHE SAYS: ‘I usually have two cups of strawberries and cream a day. I like to play long matches because it helps to burn off the calories from them!’
GISELA DULKO
Wag: Gisela Dulko is married to Real Madrid footballer Fernando Gago
WHO IS SHE? Gisela Dulko, 27, from Argentina. Grand Slam doubles champion.
DID YOU KNOW? Dulko is married to footballer Fernando Gago, who plays for Real Madrid.
SHE SAYS: ‘I loved watching Martina Navratilova. I had the chance to play with her when she got a wildcard when she came back at the end of her career. I never imagined when I was a little girl that I would play against her.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2164276/Wimbledon-2012-Meet-worlds-best-female-tennis-players.html#ixzz1ynimZ0zw
