Yet it is here, on home ground, that Mr Shevardnadze has so far shown something of a blind spot.
So the Hanover gathering is ideal for parading himself on home ground and boosting his chances of soaring to still higher things.
Despite playing on home ground, Ferguson's men conceded a goal in the sixth minute as Liverpool's fleet footed boy wonder Michael Owen caught United's defence napping.
In Atlanta, 1996, the USA asserted their dominance on home ground, with Andre Agassi crushing Sergi Bruguera, although the Las Vegan went close to being defaulted for obscenities in his quarter-final with South Africa's Wayne Ferreira.
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Athletic Bilboa, such impressive winners over English Premier League leaders Manchester United in the quarterfinals, were held 2-2 by Schalke on their home ground, but the Basque side went through 6-4 on aggregate.
By contrast, left-hander Lyth's maiden one-day century on his home ground, 109 not out off 95 balls, was more sedate.
Ulster number eight Chris Henry leads the side on his home ground, with his provincial colleague, Ian Humphreys, starting at fly-half.
Asec looked insipid on their home ground, unlike their Nigerian visitors who produced a tactically brilliant display, defending stoutly and using well-timed counter-attacks.
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"Wales will want revenge and will be on their home ground, the great Millennium Stadium, so it could be a different story, " he said.
The 21-year-old Broad, playing on his home ground, was also pleased to bag his highest Test score, making 64 before being bowled by Chris Martin.
Both matches were won at the Riverside and to get a Test hundred on my home ground was a great moment in my cricketing career.
With Bell looking at ease on his home ground, the fourth-wicket pair added 62 before South Africa struck the all-important blow in the 41st over.
None seemed more unlikely than this semifinal matchup against Barca, whose dizzying passing attack allows it to score in bunches, especially on its home ground.
MacGill proved expensive on his home ground, conceding 53 from 12 overs, while fellow spinner Warne was restricted to just seven overs by Ponting, for figures of 0-24.
Van der Merwe, playing on his home ground, then picked up the key wicket of David Hussey for 27 as South Africa's spinners took control, restricting Australia to 139-8.
Hussey, who has played county cricket for Northants, Gloucestershire and Durham, made his one-day international debut on his home ground, the Waca, but has yet to play a Test in Perth.
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By choosing to concentrate on the niche market for chips for portable computers rather than attacking the desktop market directly, Transmeta has so far declined to take on Intel on its home ground.
Bond, playing his first Test match on his home ground, ripped through the Sri Lankan top order, taking three wickets in his first seven overs of the day, while Franklin picked up his three after lunch.
Real were in irresistible form from the outset and it seemed inconceivable that they would fail to find the net at least twice to overturn the tie and keep alive their hopes of playing in the final on their home ground in May.
The top two are heading for a final showdown on Dortmund's home ground at Signal Iduna Park on April 11 which could well decide the destination of the German title.
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The club had also applied to build 194 homes, a health club and a care home on its training ground in The Avenue.
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He told the cafe owner that he went home to find that his mother and sisters were locked in a bedroom and his father forced to kneel on the ground as security forces raided their home.
Now it had to home in on a patch of ground four miles wide by twelve miles long.
As a black kitten competed with my sketchbook for lap space, I noticed a girl sitting on the ground by a neighbouring home.
Closer to home, Shelterbox was on the ground in Haiti as well as New York and New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy.
The first leg of the final will now take place on 2 January at Hearts' home ground in Accra, with the second leg a week later in Kumasi.
The Government of Ireland Act was shelved until after the war, but it was already clear from the strength of unionist opposition and the Curragh Incident that the British Government could not make Home Rule a reality on the ground.
Van Nistelrooy missed the target late on after another good cross from Scholes, and a frustrating afternoon for the home team ended with them losing further ground on Arsenal in the race for the title.
But if he is secure at home, Mr Putin is on shakier ground abroad.
One residential district, known to archaeologists as Region 6, does indeed have toilets on the ground story of almost every home, she said.
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