If Andrea Petkovic has her expected Brisbane International semifinal clash with Kim Clijsters planned out as well as the rest of her life, the former world No.1 is in big trouble.
Petkovic is a music-loving, Oscar Wilde-reading aspiring politician and university student – oh, and she also plays a bit of tennis.
Well enough to upset fourth-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-2 and book a spot into the Brisbane International final four on Thursday.
Downing the world No.24 would be enough to get any 22 year old excited in her first full year on the WTA tour.
Especially after setting up a potential semifinal clash with US Open champ Clijsters, who meets Czech Lucie Safarova in their quarterfinal on Thursday night.
But the Bosnian-born German was just as happy talking about what she had up her sleeve beyond her budding tennis career – and there’s a lot.
“I want to start my own political party in Germany – to raise attention for the young people in my country,” Petkovic said.
“I have a lot of creative, ambitious friends and if we come together after my tennis we can start something great.
“I have everything planned out.”
While she describes herself as an intellectual, Petkovic said she was hardly part of the minority on tour.
“We are not as stupid as you think,” she laughed.
She also dabbles in drums and has already produced her own song.
“I don’t want my main focus to just be tennis,” Petkovic said.
“I love playing, and I am very serious about it, but I don’t want to miss all the other opportunities that I have in life.
“But this is all in the future, now I want to play my tennis.”
A late bloomer on the WTA tour after delaying her tennis to continue her political science studies, Petkovic’s toughest lesson in the sport looms this week.
She is expected to line up against Clijsters in the semifinals – but met the challenge with her trademark confidence.
“I am happy to play her, I am new on the tour, I want to see where I stand,” she said.
“I am not scared – if she kills me, she kills me, we will see.”
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Meanwhile Ana Ivanovic is through to the semfinals after a brief scare from teenage Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. After winning the first set 6-2 giving up a 5-2 lead in the second, the Serbian former No.1 finally claimed the set in a tiebreaker 7-6(6).
In the men’s quarterfinals, defending champ Radek Stepanek is the first male through to the semis after a 7-6(2) 6-1win over American Wayne Odesnik.