A famous sumo wrestler in Japan is among her good friends and she is godmother to a passenger boat in the Baltic Sea.
Meet Kaia Kanepi, the 26-year-old flying the flag for Estonia, and better known as one of the tour’s most powerful ball-strikers.
Australians remember Kanepi as the player who upset Sam Stosur in the first round at Wimbledon two years ago, but having reached the quarterfinals at three of the four Grand Slams, she is a name her peers are well aware of.
The Australian Open is the only blemish on her record and with vastly improved fitness – thanks to coach Silver Karjus and fitness trainer Kristijan Pruus – the trimmed down Kanepi is ready to make inroads at Melbourne Park.
She finished 2011 beating world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in Tokyo and later reached the final in Moscow, beating Grand Slam champions Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova on the way.
“Ranking-wise the Wozniacki win for sure is the biggest one for me,” the world No.34 said.
Kanepi said at the time she always believed when she played her best she could beat anyone.
“But I just have to make sure I’m playing my best when I go out there,” she said.
And therein lies Kanepi’s biggest hindrance to bettering a career-high ranking of No.16 – consistency.
“If I remember the matches I played last year then it gives me confidence and a good feeling to play well this year too,” she said.
“I’d like to play in the [WTA Tour] Championships for the top eight [players] or the championships in Sofia [Tournament of Champions] this year.”
It was during the Tokyo tournament where she beat Wozniacki that Kanepi took time out as a sporting spectator, cheering on good friend Baruto Kaito – a professional sumo wrestler.
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“When I go to Japan I always meet him,” Kanepi said, where surely he would not have too many Estonians visiting.
“No, not too many, but when there are a few then he’s always very friendly.”
And what are her responsibilities as godmother of a ship, which carries passengers between Tallinn and Helsinki?
“They sent me to Italy to give a blessing for the ship and I had to pull the trigger for the champagne,” she said.
“Other than that I don’t have to do anything. The guy who’s head of Tallink, my sponsor, told me seven or eight years ago they wanted me to be the godmother of the ship because it’s a superstar and they hope in a few years I will be a superstar too.”
A strong showing in Brisbane and a run deep into the second week at the Australian Open could send Kanepi well on her way.