Anastasia Myskina might have got some second looks on the practice courts before the Hastings Direct Championships two years ago.

Observers might have been struck either by her prodigious groundstrokes or the fact that she was a rarity amongst Russian tennis players in being a non-blonde. Few would have been able to name her.

But when she knocks up with her German coach Jens Erlach on the same lawns in preparation for next week's event everyone will recognise the 5ft.8in brunette.

After all she claimed the French Open title at Roland Garros this week, defeating one of her fair-haired compatriots, Elena Dementieva.

The signs were there at Eastbourne 2002 that Myskina had the potential to hit the big time as she reached the final, where American Chanda Rubin defeated her to claim the first of two consecutive titles.

The run proved a platform which launched Grand Slam success. She reached the third round at Wimbledon and the US Open that year, improving to fourth round and quarter-final respectively in 2003.

A last-eight appearance in the Australian Open this January heralded her Paris triumph.

Myskina is grateful to the part Eastbourne has played in her progress and has revealed the secrets of just how the tournament and the town has boosted her career - she adores the food, ambience and people.

She said: "I love the fish and chips and the ice cream they give you in Eastbourne. I feel the same way about the town. When it is sunny in Eastbourne it is unbelievably beautiful.

"The people are really nice and love their tennis. They really support me. It is important for me to feel that because it pushes me to play even better.

"Hopefully I can play my best tennis for them."

The strength of the field, which this year includes fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, plus Jelena Dokic and 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, has helped her.

The world No.3 said: "When you play against strong players it always helps you to concentrate and play your best tennis.

"It is good for the tournament as well and all the players love playing Eastbourne."

Myskina is looking to go one better than two years ago.

She said: "I hope to play my best tennis. Coming to Eastbourne after winning in Paris, I feel confident.

"It feels great to be a Grand Slam champion. I can't believe it. It's a dream come true.

"I'm now looking forward to playing on a different surface. I think it is important to work hard as a professional player to win on every type of surface, like Justine Henin-Hardenne has done. That's what I did in Paris because I was not known as a claycourt specialist before.

"Eastbourne will also be important in my preparation for Wimbledon."

Her raised profile as the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles crown was also due to her overcoming a temperament problem.

During this year's Australian Open, she shouted criticism at Erlach while her family even took a verbal tirade.

She said: "I have worked on it. It doesn't help if you yell at somebody. In Australia I was yelling at myself as much as anybody."

Her emotions remain on the surface but in a more controlled way.

She said: "Before I played Elena in the final I was crying.

"The French Open lasts two weeks and I had to play a lot of hard matches against Venus Williams, Alicia Molik, who I lost to couple of months ago, and Svetlana Kuznetsova. I won from match point down against Svetlana. It is hard to hold your emotions for so long.

"But, although I don't know what made me cry before the final, it was better I let my emotions out then rather than during the game.

"I was still emotional during the match and nervous too. Even after the match I was shaking."

The victory, though, displayed that she has developed at least one layer of hard skin, beating a childhood friend with whom she played for a pizza when they were kids.

She said: "It was hard after the match to see your friend crying but during the game I didn't really think about who I was playing. It didn't matter who was on the other side of the court. I just thought about how to win."

Myskina is grateful to Erlach for his part in her breakthrough.

She said: "My coach has always believed in me and telling me I could win a Grand Slam.

"He was my hitting partner to begin with. Then I used to travel with my father.

"But it is hard to travel with your parents. You don't really listen to them. So we decided that I should stop travelling with my dad and Jens became my coach."

Erlach has forgiven his charge for screaming at him in Melbourne in January.

He hopes Myskina can show how she has been able to step up to the highest level in her sport at Eastbourne.

But he remains proud that she enters the tournament as a French Open champion.

He said: "I always felt she could win a Grand Slam. I think I possibly had more faith in her doing it than she had sometimes.

"We certainly talked about it. It was one of our goals."

Her supporters have also played their part, one in particular of some influence, Boris Yeltsin.

She doesn't expect the Russian president to be present when she takes to the lawns of Devonshire Park, after all he missed the final between two compatriots at Roland Garros.

But Myskina knows she will have his backing.

She said: "The president always supports me. He supports tennis and Russian players.

"He wished Elena and I good luck before the final in Paris through a message. I don't know if he rang me afterwards, though, because my phone isn't working.

"I didn't feel he had to be there because the match was between two Russians."

The Muscovite, 23 next month, said after losing to Rubin at Devonshire Park: "You have to be 100 per cent ready to play on grass.

"I have to improve my serve and my forehand return and keep my concentration."

The backhand might still be her best shot but she has worked on the rest and, crucially, there is no question she now knows what it takes to win. And her rivals could well find out next week.