Russian Tennis Star Anna Chakvetadze, Family Robbed At Home

December 18, 2007 5:08 p.m. EST

Moscow, Russia (AHN) - World No. 6 tennis player Anna Chakvetadze and her family fell victims to a robbery at their home on Tuesday morning. The Chakvetadzes were tied up by robbers, who broke into her home outside Moscow, reports said.

A mix of cash and jewelry worth not less than $300,000 were taken from the Chakvetadze home, reports from NTV television and ITAR-Tass News Agency said.

Dzhamal Chakvetadze told NTV television that six men assaulted them at their home as a maid was forced to hand over a remote control that enabled them to enter through the garage.

"They started to beat me, and I resisted. They hit me over the head with, I think, a pistol butt. It was dark," he said in an ESPN report taken from NTV. "They took out a pistol and told me my child was at home -- reminded me -- and they told me to hand everything over. I did."

Police and Russia tennis coach Shamil Tarpishchev said the masked robbers tied up Chakvetadze and her parents, a related news on the ITAR-Tass said.

Tarpishchev said the 20-year-old Chakvetadze, ranked No. 6 in the world, "tried to resist but it was useless," ITAR-Tass reported.