Russian fathers wearing hearts on sleeves

MELBOURNE, Jan 24 (Reuters) Watching a tight women's Australian Open quarter-final ought to be gripping enough, but witnessing the animated antics of the combatants' fathers proved more entertaining today.

The tennis was scrappy, the performances edgy as top seed Maria Sharapova slugged out a 7-6 7-5 victory over fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze for a place in the Melbourne Park semi-finals.

But close study of the guest boxes proved more fulfilling, as their respective father-coach-mentors lived through every emotion during a seesaw battle.

''I mean it's normal, I've been with my dad every single day. I'm sure Anna has as well,'' Sharapova told reporters.

''They both want you to win, they're both very excited over the opportunities you have.'' Both parents started the match with anxious, uneasy faces as if their daughters were preparing for the opening night of an ambitious school play.

Chakvetadze's silver-haired father Djambuli grimaced and winced with every error, roared with approval at every winner and pulled his baseball cap over his eyes when an easy put-away for his 19-year-old daughter went begging.

Yuri Sharapov, the 19-year-old Maria's combustible father, was even more emotive, punching his fist with delight at each advantage eked out and shaking his fist in frustration every time the top seed failed to meet expectation.

CODE VIOLATION Their involvement reached a hiatus in game seven of a tense second set when Yuri -- no stranger to the wrath of umpires -- incurred his daughter a code violation for coaching.

Sharapova, who was trailing 0-30 at the time, went to chair umpire Mariana Alves to clarify the warning, only to return to the service line and blast two service winners.

''I asked the umpire if it was in between those points. I didn't see anything, I didn't even look at him,'' said Sharapova.

Yuri has previous form though.

His gestures caught the umpire's eye this time but his interference was as nothing compared to the U S Open last year.

Cameras at Flushing Meadows captured him comically grabbing a cup, then Maria would take a drink, when he ate a banana she would do likewise. It was coaching from the Punch and Judy manual.

Potential Fed Cup colleagues of Sharapova have been wary of a call-up for the soon to be confirmed world number one, former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina threatening to quit the team in the past should the Muscovite and her father be involved.

Knowing that Fed Cup performances are key to Olympic selection, Maria has more than one eye on Beijing when she prepares to make her team debut, if selected, against Spain in Moscow in April.

Sharapova, as well as Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev, will be hoping father Yuri can keep his emotions in check then.

REUTERS SAM BS1224