Serbia Dominating Over Spain in Fed Cup thanks to Ana Ivanovic

(This entry was originally published on Saturday, April 25th, 2009)

Ana Ivanovic is the favorite player of many people in the world. I am not that big fan of her but I admired her effort to bring some success for her home country in Fed Cup. Serbia is up against Spain in Fed Cup World Group playoff series and thanks to excellent performance from Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic. Ana was up against Anabel Medina Garrigues and won the match 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. From the score line, you can imagine that she had to fight because she lost the first set but Ana came back and won the next two sets easily.

Jelena Jankovic was against Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez and defeated her easily 6-3, 6-4. So, this has given 2-0 lead to Serbia and they just need to win one of the remaining 3 matches. On the other hand, Spain will have to win all 3 matches.

Ana Ivanovic House in Mallorca: Some Information

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Serbian tennis star has recently bought a house in Mallorca for a whopping 4,5 million Euros. Located in a picturesque hilly area Son Vida, the luxurious house was built in 1998. Ana Ivanovic is current spending her vacation in his new house along with boyfriend and love-bird Fernando Verdasco, Davis cup winning Spanish tennis star. Earlier, fellow Serbian tennis stars Jelena Jankovic, ranked no. 1 in WTA ranking, and Novak Djokovic also bought luxurious villas.

The total area of Ana Ivanovic’s plot measures 6,000 square meters and the house only occupies 950 square meters. Here are some information about the villa:

Blic reported:

The villa has two levels: the ground floor consists of a spacious living-room, kitchen with breakfast area, master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom. The first floor includes four bedrooms with balconies and three bathrooms and there is also a separate staff apartment including a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom.
Ana Ivanovic, currently in a relationship with the Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco, spent last summer in Mallorca and decided to buy a house on this island located in the Balearic Islands archipelago. During her visit, Ana made a choice to purchase a villa, but negotiations with a real-estate agency were not successful. This time, Ana negotiated with another real estate agency and finally has become the owner of the modern villa.

World no. 1 Jelena Jankovic also has a luxurious house in Miami. Her dream house in San Diego is now under construction and she is very much delighted with her new house which will have Gym, swimming-pool, tennis court, spacious room, huge garage, mini cinema hall etc. Novak Djokovic, ranked 3^rd in ATP ranking, also has a exclusive flat in Monte Carl, a popular celebrity destination. He is also happy with his flat in the city which, he thinks, gives him everything that he needs.

Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco are in Close Relationship

(This entry was originally posted in this blog on December 10, 2008 and the information is based on that time.)

Relationship between Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco is not a secret anymore. The two youngsters of tennis have recently admitted their off-court relationship recently and since then reports involving the two are raving around the media. The two love-birds were recently spotted by the reporters in Mallorca during the break of their pre-season training. Reports also have in Spanish media that, Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco spent quality time together in Ivanovic’s recently-bought house, worth 4,5 million euros, in Son Vida in Mallorca. Ivanovic bought the house to spend her vacation. Ivanovic and Verdasco both are currently preparing for her season-opening tournament in Brisbane, starting from 4^th January.

BLIC reported:

“We have known each other for three months and we are in no hurry, we are slowly getting to know each other. Although many people were curious to know, we didn’t want to confirm our relationship. The most important thing is that we are getting along very well,” Verdasco said.

“In the last two weeks I have been training in Spain. I have bought a house in Mallorca for vacation. The area is very peaceful, perfect for trainings and relaxing. I have always liked Mallorca: when I was 15, I used to come here to train. I will continue to live in Switzerland, but this is my other option for training, especially in winter when I can train outside. My cousin visited me when I moved in, which was wonderful. My neighbors are also very kind,” Ivanovic wrote on her official site.

Ana Ivanovic is one of the leading players in women’s tennis at this moment. She is currently ranked 5^th in WTA ranking and won her first grand slam titles in French Open this year. However, Ivanovic could not continue her top form at the later part of the year. Fernando Verdasco, on the other hand, finished the season on a winning note as he was part of Spain’s Davis Cup winning team. Now, let us see if Ivanovic and Verdasco start the new season, winning the tournament in Brisbane.

Novak Djokovic to Host First Ever ATP Tournament in Serbia

(This entry was originally posted in this blog on December 4, 2008 and the information is based on that time.)

Serbia has become one of the power in the tennis world over the last few years with some of its young generation tennis stars dominating the game in both men’s and women’s event. Novak Djokovic is the third ranked players of ATP ranking, while Jelena Jankovic is leading the WTA ranking and Ana Ivanovic is at the fifth position of the WTA ranking. Despite Serbia’s progress in the tennis world, the country has not hosted any ATP or WTA tournament yet.

Well, that is what is going to happen very soon. Novak Djokovic is going to host Serbia’s first ever ATP event in Many next year. Djokovic’s family has bought the official right to organize the ABN Amro Open which was earlier held in Netherlands.

IHT reported:

“After all the success of our players, we have managed to bring Serbia to the world map of tennis,” Djokovic said.

Another good news for the Serbian tennis fans is that Ana Ivanovic is also trying to host a WTA tournament in Serbia as soon as possible. The fifth ranked Ivanovic is now trying to buy a franchise for a WTA tournament which is expected to be organized next winter. No doubt, these tournaments will expose tennis broadly to the Serbian people and this will only be good for the future of tennis in Serbia.

50 Things about Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic is one of the leading female tennis players of present day. The world no. 5 Ivanovic is still 21, but has already showed her tennis talent and skill to the tennis world. Her journey to become a tennis player went through many difficult stages and at time, Ivanovic was disappointed too. However, with her willpower, determination and mental strength, Ana Ivanovic got over all the difficulties and reached her goal to become a successful professional tennis player. Ana Ivanovic can easily become an idol of many young players who aspire to become a successful sportsman/ sportswoman in future. Here, I made a list of 50 things that you might like to know about this Serbian tennis star. So, enjoy the information about Ana Ivanovic here:

Personal

1. Ana Ivanovic was born on November 6, 1987 at Belgrade, Serbia (previously Yugoslavia). Her height is 1.84 m (6 feet +¹⁄₂ inch) and weight is 69 kg (150 lb).

2. Mother Dragana is a lawyer by profession and travels with Ana Ivanovic around the world from one tournament to another. Ana Ivanovic’s father Miroslav is a self-employed businessman. He tries to attend as many Ivanovic’s matches as possible.

3. Ivanovic has a brother, Milos, who is 4 years younger to her and plays basketball. The Serbian tennis has comes from a sports-loving family. Her uncle is a former football player. However, Ana Ivanovic is the first tennis player from her family.

4. Fellow Serbian male tennis player and current world no. 3 of ATP ranking, Novak Djokovic, was Ana Ivanovic’s friend since she was 5.

5. In November 2008, Ana Ivanovic admitted that she was dating with Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco who was part of Spain’s Davis Cup 2008 winning team. Reports have it in the media that, Ivanovic and Verdasco spent time together in her luxurious villa in Mallorca which Ivanovic bought in 2008.

6. Ana Ivanovic can speak fluent English, Serbian and a little bit of Spanish.

What Ana Ivanovic Likes and Her Hobbies

7. Ana Ivanovic does not have inclination for any tennis surface. In fact, Ivanovic likes all surfaces.

8. Ana Ivanovic loves watching movies (thrillers in particular). She likes to play basketball with her younger brother Milos.

9. Ivanovic also enjoys reading books. She is a big fan of music and likes listening to music (Pop and R&B in particular). During a break from Wimbledon 2007, Ana Ivanovic attended Princess Diana Memorial Concert in England.

10. Playing Sudoku is one of her favorite hobbies. In fact, she sometimes prepares herself for tennis matches playing Sudoku in her locker room before the match.

11. Besides these, Ivanovic has attraction for shopping and fashion. Ivanovic’s favorite television shows include 24, Lost and Prison Break.

12. Ana Ivanovic has strong appetite for sushi (a Japanese food). Water and fresh orange juice are her favorite drinks.

13. Ivanovic likes to visit Melbourne as some of her family members reside over there. She also likes to travel Mallorca, Paris and Rome.

14. For the support she received from her family in becoming a successful tennis player, Ana Ivanovic admires her family.

15. Ivanovic never walks on the lines of the court as it is her superstition.

Playing Style

16. Ana Ivanovic is a right-handed player and her best tennis shot is forehand.

17. Ivanovic’s serve, reaching up to 125 miles per hour, is one of the fastest serves in women’s tennis at this moment. She is very fast on the court as she got a pair of speedy feet.

18. In order to keep pressure off her shoulder, Ana Ivanovic always thinks about point by point; in stead of a set. This helps her remain calm and poised on the court.

Education

19. Ana Ivanovic is the student of Finance at a private university in Belgrade, Serbia.

20. She got admitted at the university in September 2007. The university allows her to appear in the exams online. Besides playing tennis and studying Finance, she also learns Spanish language.

Career

21. Ana Ivanovic aspired to become a tennis player watching tennis legend Monica Seles play on television at the age of 5.

22. Ivanovic picked up a tennis racket, which she received as a gift for her fifth birthday, for the first time. That was start of her long journey to make her dream of becoming a tennis player true.

23. When Ana Ivanovic was 5, one day she watched a television advertisement of a local tennis club, and in no time, she memorized the phone no. and gave it to her parents, convincing them to contact with the club.

24. Ana Ivanovic had to struggle hard to fulfill her dream to become a professional tennis player in her childhood. She had to practice in a swimming pool during winter season because there was no other place to play. During NATO bombings in 1999 in Serbia, Ivanovic had to practice in the morning to avoid bombings when she was only 12.

25. Ana Ivanovic switched to Switzerland at the age of 15 looking for better guidance and training. Ivanovic was sponsored by her current manager Dan Holzmann at that time.

26. After losing the first match under new manager Dan Holzmann, Ivanovic cried for four hours in her locker room, fearing that Holzmann would terminate her sponsorship and drop her from his guidance.

27. Ana Ivanovic turned professional on 17 August 2003. Ivanovic has 1 grand slam singles title (French Open 2008), 8 WTA singles titles and 5 ITF singles titles to her credit so far (6 January 2009) in her career.

28. Ivanovic’s first appearance on ITF circuit was in Luxembourg qualifying in 2003, the year Ivanovic started playing professional tennis.

29. Ana Ivanovic came into limelight reaching the final of Junior Wimbledon 2004 tournament where she was defeated by Kateryna Bondarenko. The year 2004 was a breakthrough year for the Serbian star who finished the year 26-0 on ITF circuit, winning all of the five ITF tournaments she participated that year.

30. For her excellent performance on the court in 2004, Ana Ivanovic moved into top 100 for the first time, finishing 97 in WTA ranking.

31. Ivanovic continued improving her performance on the court in 2005, winning her first ever WTA singles title in Canberra, Australia, even though she entered in the tournament as a qualifier. Thus, she broke into top 20 in WTA ranking for the first time in 2005.

32. Ivanovic also finished in top 20 in 2006, clinching her second tour singles title at Montreal, Canada, defeating former world no. 1 Martina Hingis in the final. Partnering with Maria Kirilenko, Ivanovic reached the final of a WTA doubles tournament at ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands; and thus achieving her highest ever WTA doubles ranking 50 on September 25, 2006.

33. The Serbian starlet won three WTA tour singles tiles in 2007; first at Berlin, Germany, then at Los Angeles, California, U.S. and at last in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Moreover, Ana Ivanovic also reached her first grand slam final at French Open 2007, but lost to no. 1 seed Justine Henin 6-1, 6-2 in the final.

34. Because of her excellent on-court performances, Ivanovic first entered into top 5 of WTA ranking in 2007.

35. Ivanovic won her first grand slam singles title at French Open 2008, defeating Dinara Safina in straight set 6–4, 6–3 in the final. Winning the French Open 2008 title, Ana Ivanovic has become the first Serbian female tennis player to win a grand slam singles title.

36. On her way to reach the French Open 2008 final, the Serbian star knocked out 10^th seed Patty Schnyder in the quarter final and 3^rd seed Jelena Jankovic in the semi final. Defeating fellow Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the French Open 2008 semi final, Ana Ivanovic confirmed her move at the top of the WTA ranking.

37. On June 9, 2008, Ana Ivanovic became world no. 1 in WTA ranking, replacing former world no. 1 Maria Sharapova.

38. Ana Ivanovic earned $6,284,797 as prize money so far (6 January 2009) in her career.

Awards, Achievements and Honors

39. Ana Ivanovic was the runner-up of 2004 Junior Wimbledon tournament, losing to K. Bondarenko in the final. This was her fist major success on professional circuit.

40. She was awarded Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Most Improved Player on two occasions in 2005 and 2007. Ivanovic was the champion of US Open Series 2006.

41. Ana Ivanovic became UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia (specializing in child safety in schools) in September 2007.

42. In 2007, she was nominated for U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award. The same year, she received Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Karen Krantzcke Sportmanship Award 2007.

43. Ivanovic was awarded AIPS (International Sports Press Association) Women’s Tennis Player of the Year 2008.

44. Ana Ivanovic also received Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Diamond ACES Award in 2008 for her promotional activities off the court. She also received German Tennis Magazine’s Michael Westphal Award the same year.

45. In July 2006, Ana Ivanovic, along with Hantuchova, appeared in Sony Ericsson’s first ever tennis-based television commercial, ‘Never Miss A Shot’. Just before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she was also featured on a postage stamp in her native country. The value of the stamp is 40 dinars.

46. Some of the most popular magazines in the world: Vogue, ELLE, Cosmopolitan and TIME Magazine- featured Ana Ivanovic for her success both on and off the court.

47. On November 10, 2008, www.alexa.com announced that, Ana Ivanovic’s personal website (www.anaivanovic.com) has become the most-visited website of any sportswoman in the world.

48. Srebian president Boris Tadic was present in Ana Ivanovic’s 20^th birthday party.

Endorsement and Equipment

49. At the beginning of her tennis career, Ana Ivanovic started endorsing Nike apparel and shoes, but later on moved to Nike’s rival Addidas. Initially, she stated playing with Wilson HTour racquet, but Ana Ivanovic is currently using Yonex RQiS 1 Tour XL 95 racquet.

50. In July 2007, Ivanovic signed a three-year endorsement contract with Verano Motors, who distributes Peugeot automobiles in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia. In May 2008, she had a deal signed with Swiss watchmaker Rolex. Ivanovic also endorses for Yonex and Juice PLUS+.

Ana Ivanovic Received Sony Ericsson WTA Tour ACES Award

Ana Ivanovic may not be at her best on the court since winning her first grand slam title in French Open 2008. However, the Serbian star has won this year’s Sony Ericsson WTA Tour ACES Award for promoting sport of women’s tennis among the fans, community and media. She is very happy to receive this award recently. She thinks becoming a professional tennis player means a lot to her, rather than only hitting the tennis balls and winning on the court. Ivanovic ranks her off court activities highly besides her activities on the court. She said that she enjoyed doing off-court ACES activities.

Ana Ivanovic also saw many on-court successes this year as she tasted her first grand slam title at Roland Garros, France and reached atop the world ranking. However, she eventually dropped in raking and currently stands at 4^th. So, her fans are not so happy with her recent from. Her recent illness also played a huge role behind her lackluster form. Now, all her fans ca do is to pray for Ana Ivanovic’s quick recovery so that the their favorite players can come back strongly next year. Let us see if Ana Ivanovic can make a strong come back early next year in the court.

Related article:

Tennis News

Ana Ivanovic Defeats Vera Dushevina in US Open 2008

You already know a lot about Ana Ivanovic. She is the queen of tennis now in every aspect. So, I don’t need to talk about her a lot. She is happy that she survived a first round scare against Vera Dushevina. Vera Dushevina is from Russia. She is not a great player. In fact, she has not won any tournament in WTA until now. So, no one expected her to win the match against Ana Ivanovic. However, I am happy to see that she could win a set. In fact, she won the second set in the match. The final score was: 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. If you are a fan of Sania Mirza then US Open 2008 is not a great event for you as Sania Mirza is not taking part in it.

Top Ranked Players to participate in Rogers Cup 2008 Tennis Tournament

Rogers Cup 2008 will begin on 23^rd July 2008 and will continue till 3^rd August. Some of the top ranked players of women’s tennis are going to take part in the tournament, set to be held at the Uniprix Stadium, Montreal in Canada. In fact, seven out of top ten players of WTA ranking are to participate in the tournament.

Moreover, top three players of WTA ranking are going to appear in the same tournament for the first time since Wimbledon 2008. So, naturally Rogers Cup has already had some attraction to lure the tennis fans around the world. This is a Tire I tournament on WTA tour and offers US$1 340 000 as prize money. So, Rogers Cup has enough ground to attract the top ranked tennis players.

Tennis fans will get to see top ranked Ana Ivanovic, world no. 2 Jelena Jankovic and world no. 3 Maria Sharapova all together in this tournament for the first time after Wimbledon 2008, perhaps for the last time before Beijing Olympics Games, set to begin from the next month.

Besides the top three, fifth ranked Elena Dementieva, seventh ranked Venus Williams, eighth ranked Anna Chakvetadze and ninth ranked Dinara Safina are expected to participate in Rogers Cup 2008. Justine Henin will not be able to defend her Rogers Cup title this year as the former world no. 1 declared her retirement from professional tennis before French Open 2008.

Maria Sharapova started the season winning Australian Open 2008 title, but failed to star in French Open 2008 and Wimbledon 2008, on both occasions failed to reach the quarter final. Top ranked Ana Ivanovic won her first grand slam title this year in French Open 2008, before failing completely in Wimbledon 2008. However, Ivanovic’s consistency is pretty much satisfactory so far this year. Second ranked Jelena Jankovic could not win any grand slam title yet, but she is also very consistent on the court. The Serbian reached the semi final of Australian Open and French Open this year, while in Wimbledon she was eliminated at the fourth round. However, Jankovic has been more impressive on WTA tour tournaments, wining the title of Tier I tournament on Rome and reaching the final of another Tier I tournament in Miami this year. In fact, Jelena Jankovic was the runner up of Rogers Cup 2007.

Fifth ranked Elena Dementieva has made a strong come back so far this year. She reached the semi final of Wimbledon 2008 and won a Tier II tournament in Dubai. With Wimbledon 2008 triumph fresh in mind, Venus Williams is expected to be one of the most favorites in Rogers Cup 2008. Venus Williams, at seventh in WTA ranking, will definitely look to win Rogers Cup 2008 in order to uphold her current confidence level ahead of U.S. Open 2008 tournament. Eighth ranked Anna Chakvetadze has not been at her best so far this year, failing to reach the quarter final of any of the three grand slam tournaments. Last time, the Russian won a singles title on WTA tour was in 2005. So, an impressive performance at Rogers Cup 2008 would definitely come as a confidence booster for her. French Open 2008 finalist Dinara Safina has already made something special this year playing her first ever grand slam final. Ninth ranked Russian is now at good from and could bring out some success at Rogers Cup 2008.

Well, there is no doubt, the top ranked players are the hot favorites in Rogers Cup 2008, but do not write off the players outside the top ten, because surprise can come at any stage of any tournament like Chinese Jheng Zie played the semi final of Wimbledon 2008, becoming the first player from China to reach the semi final of a grand slam tournament.

Related article:

rogerscup.com

Ana Ivanovic in Rogers Cup 2008 Tennis Tournament

Current world no. 1 of women’s tennis, Ana Ivanovic, has confirmed her participation in the upcoming Rogers Cup 2008, due to kick off from 26 July at the Uniprix Stadium in Montreal, Canada. This is going to be her first tournament since her shocking exit from the third round of Wimbledon 2008.

Coming into Wimbledon 2008 as the winner of French Open 2008, Ivanovic received that defeat to Chinese emerging star Zheng Jie in Wimbledon 2008 as a shock. Rogers Cup has come as a good chance for the Serbian star to get back her confidence, if lost any. Ahead of U.S. Open 2008, it is very much needed for Ivanovic to get a confidence booster tour performance. In fact, Ivanovic has some remarkable memory at Rogers Cup as she won her first Tier I tournament at Rogers Cup.

Ana Ivanovic is now eagerly waiting for Rogers Cup 2008. Remembering the final match of Rogers Cup 2006 against Martina Hingis, she has termed it one of the best matches in her career. French Open 2008 winner wants to replicate that performance in Rogers Cup 2008.

Ana Ivanovic spent an successful year in 2007 and continued her excellent run this year as well winning her first Grand slam title at French Open 2008, before falling to Zheng Jie in Wimbledon 2008. Now, let us see if Ivanovic can make a good comeback in Rogers Cup 2008.

Related article:

rogerscup.com

Breaking News: Ana Ivanovic out of Wimbledon 2008

It is breaking news: Ana Ivanovic is out of Wimbledon 2008 in the third round. She lost to Chinese girl Zheng Jie by 6-1 and 6-4. It is the best upset of Wimbledon 2008. Zheng Jie played superbly. It seemed that she is the number one player not Ivanovic.

Zheng Jie played very aggressively in the first set and took the set by 6-1. Ivanovic was defeated in every shot in the first set. She seemed to be a new player to many of the viewers present in the stadium. They encouraged Zheng Jie all the way.

In the second, Ivanovic played some better but Zheng Jie took the first two points and this was enough. Ivanovic tried to come back in the match but the Chinese girl was too good today. She won the second set by 6-4.

Zheng Jie is hardly a famous player in World Tennis. Next week, she is going to celebrate her 23^rd birthday. She comes from Chengdu, Sichuan.

Ana Ivanovic Reached Second Round of Wimbledon 2008 in Style

Wimbledon 2008 begins today at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. Women’s singles top seed Ana Ivanovic has stormed into the second round of the tournament after defeating Paraguayan Rossana De Los Rios 6-1, 6-2 in direct sets. The French Open winner did not have to face any challenge from her opponent to clinch the victory. Ivanovic fans are also happy because their favorite player did not face any shoulder problem that kept her out of Eastbourne last week. The Serbian star also was delighted with the easy victory in the tournament opener and expressed her hope to have a great tournament.

Guardian reported:

"Everyone wants to have confidence coming into a grand slam and that's my goal, too," said Ivanovic. "I want to keep focused and there are some things that I need to improve, but I hope to have a great tournament."

Ana Ivanovic will face N Dechy from France in the second round. Swiss star Patty Schnyder has been the victim of first upset as she was beaten by Australian C Dellacqua 4-6, 6-3, 1-6. Except this, the other top seeds including fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, sixth seed Serena Williams and eighth seed Ana Chakvetadze all won their first round matches today.

Ana Ivanovic Wins French Open 2008 Title

Ana Ivanovic has won the title of French Open 2008 today. The Serbian star defeated Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3. The direct set victory handed her the first grand slam title in her career. Naturally, Ivanovic was delighted following the excellent victory and said that she had no word to express her feelings. Ivanovic’s victory came though a powerful backhand that won her the crucial match point. The second seed Ivanovic now might become the no. 1 of WTA ranking replacing current world no. 1 Maria Sharapova thanks to her excellent performance throughout French Open 2008.

Russian tennis star Dinara Safina has had an excellent tournament in French Open 2008 and in fact this was the first grand slam final for Safina, thus becoming the first sister whose brother also played grand slam title. Dinara Safina’s brother Marat Safin has two grand slam titles to his credit. However, Safina could not mark the occasion well as she seemed not to be at her best in the final making a number of double faults and unforced errors. The first set of the match was more competitive and at one point the score was 4-4 in the first set following Dinara Safina broke Ivanovic’s service. The second set was less competitive and Ana Ivanovic did not face any strong resistance from Dinara Safina in the second set.

Ana Ivanovic started the year becoming runner up in Australian Open 2008 and now champion in French Open 2008. What coming up next for Ana Ivanovic? Hold on your patience and see if Ivanovic can carry on her excellent form in the next two grand slam titles of the year.

Related article:

herald-zeitung

Ana Ivanovic Advanced to the Quarter Final of French Open 2008

World no. 2 Ana Ivanovic continues her impressive run in the women’s singles of French Open 2008. She reached the quarter final of the tournament projected another direct set victory. This time the victim was Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic, whom she defeated by 6-0, 6-0 in the fourth round. Ana Ivanovic projected direct sets victories in every previous round in French Open 2008. It took Ivanovic just 54 minutes of action to confirm her berth in the quarter final.

Ana Ivanovic is one of the favorites of French Open 2008 and the way she has been playing so far in this tournament proves her talent and guile to win her first ever grand slam title in French Open 2008. Following the sudden retirement of Justine Henin last month, Ana Ivanovic becomes one of the most favorite for this tournament as well as the top place in the ranking. If Ivanovic can really win the title of French Open 2008, then she might replace Sharapova from the top position if the ranking at the end of the tournament. Ana Ivanovic is going to face Swiss opponent 10^th seeded Patty Schnyder in the quarter final. If she can continue her winning run, she might face fellow Serbian third seed Jelena Jankovic in the semi final, and then Maria Sharapova in the final.

Related article:

AFP

French Open 2008: Ana Ivanovic vs Lucie Safarova Second Round Match

Ana Ivanovic faces Lucie Safarova in the second round of ongoing French Open 2008. Ana Ivanovic could not play expectedly well in the first round match against Sofia Arvidsson from Sweden. In fact, Ana Ivanovic had to struggle to seal the second set in the opener. On the other hand, unseeded Lucie Safarova roared past German Sandra Kloesel 6-1, 6-1 in the first round to advance to the second round. However, in terms of pen and paper, Ana Ivanovic is definitely favorite against Lucie Safarova in the second round, but it is expected that the Serbian world no. 2 will face a stronger challenge in the second round of French Open 2008 tournament.

Ana Ivanovic and Lucie Safarova faced each other once so far that Ivanovic won easily last year. The two encountered in the last 16 at Los Angles where Safarova failed to build any resistance against the Serbian star. However, if Ivanovic takes the Czech lightly remembering that victory, it would be a big mistake. The Czech is playing well and seems to be very confident. Though Lucie Safarova is now ranked 41, I think, she is playing with great intensity which could bring her some more successes in French Open 2008.

Well, if you are a tennis fan, you must know that Ana Ivanovic is the most highlighted emerging star of tennis over the last one year. Following the retirement of Justine Henin, Ivanovic is placed among those who are thought to take the best out of this chance to claim French Open 2008 as well as Henin’s top place in WTA ranking. So, if Ivanovic can play her natural game, then I think, Lucie Safarova will find herself in the losing side soon after the match gets underway. Well, it could not go other way round if Ivanovic loses her momentum during the match and does not appear with her natural game.

Ana Ivanovic Reached the Second Round of French Open 2008

Second seed Ana Ivanovic progressed to the second round of French Open 2008, winning the opening match against Swedish Sofia Arvidsson 6-2 7-5. Though her performance was not flawless in the match, Serbian star could seal the match in straight sets. However, Ivanovic fans may not be fully happy with the first round performance of their favorite player. Ivanovic did not have to struggle enough to seal the first set 6-2, but the second set needed Ivanovic to give a stern test to clinch the match bouncing back from 1-3 down. However, the reason behind her straight set victory was her athleticism and excellent forehands that proved too much to afford for Sofia Arvidsson in the match.

Actually, Ana Ivanovic was not at her best in the opening match. Making 30 unforced errors can not be a great start for a tournament favorite. Her services were not up to the mark in the opening match. However, Ana Ivanovic thinks that she was a bit nervous as it was the first match of the tournament, but admits that the Swedish opponent gave her a tough match.

Independent reported:

"She gave me a tough match, especially in the second set, but I really enjoyed it out there," Ivanovic said later. "Today my goal was basically just to get into a rhythm. I was really happy with my game in the first set. I wasn't overhitting and overpowering from the first shot onwards. That was my goal for today, so I'm happy about it."

She added: "Last year I'd only just broken into the top 10 and I was under much less pressure. Now I'm world No 2 and have greater expectations for myself, which I'm still learning how to deal with. I'm only 20, so I really try to enjoy every match. I think I'm doing a good job. The last few weeks have been a little bit hard, but now I feel I have my game back."

Ana Ivanovic was the beaten finalist of last year. With Justine Henin’s abrupt retirement taking into consideration, Ana Ivanovic is considered as one of the most favorites of the tournament this year. Though she could not impress with her first match performance, it is expected that Ivanovic will get back her best form and appears with her prime form in the upcoming matches. Ana Ivanovic faces Lucie Safarova in the second round.

Ana Ivanovic in French Open 2008

Ana Ivanovic emerged as a new star of tennis world last year with reaching a grand slam semi final and a final. Ivanovic is currently ranked world no. 2 in women’s singles tennis. The Serbian star started off the year reaching Australian Open 2008 final where she lost to Maria Sharapova. This was the second grand slam final for the 20 year old star after French Open 2007. Last year, Ana Ivanovic lost to the eventual champion Justine Henin in the final of French Open. Now, Justine Henin has retired from tennis recently. So, it seems Ana Ivanovic has better chance to win her first grand slam title in French Open 2008.

Following the success of French Open 2007, Ana Ivanovic went on her impressive performance in Wimbledon 2007, reaching the semi final of the tournament. In the year end grand slam, US Open 2008, she could reach up to fourth round. Thus, she could finish the year 2007 at no. 4 of WTA ranking. Now, Ana Ivanovic has memories of Australian Open 2008 success fresh in her mind ahead of French Open 2008 that begins from 25 May 2008. Following the retirement of Justine Henin, who was the French Open title holder for the last three consecutive years, now the French Open title is much more open. There are a number of probable contenders for French Open 2008 title. So, I think, Ana Ivanovic has a good chance to win her first grand slam title in French Open 2008. However, to achieve it, she needs to be at her best during the tournament.

So, it is, for sure, Ana Ivanovic is a one of the top favorites of women’s singles of French Open 2008. However, her recent performance is not satisfactory at all and she can not find anything inspirational from her last two tournament tours. Ana Ivanovic failed to reach the final of German Open being defeated to seventh ranked Elena Dementieva 6-2, 7-5 in the semi final. If you think that reaching semi final was not that much bad performance by Ana Ivanovic, then come to her most recent performance of Italian Open where she lost to Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the second round. Following the poor performance, Ana Ivanovic admitted that things did not go in her way as she had struggled to find her rhythm during the match.

The Star reported:

“I felt quite flat out there and I found it a struggle to find my rhythm and find something inside to fight,” Ivanovic told a news conference.

“I really struggled with my intensity today and obviously that caused a lot of errors.

“It's something I have to work on. Now I have 10 days to prepare for the French Open”.

This is obviously not good news for the fans of Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic is one of the most talented stars of today’s tennis with lots of potential in her. She even proved her talent and ability on a number of occasions over the last year. Mind it, she was the runner up of French Open 2007, and she continued her success in Australian Open 2008 too. So, I think, she just needs to stick to her basics in what she would find her lost confidence, if she has lost any.

Personally, I think, Ana Ivanovic has all the qualities to become a legend of tennis in future. She has talent coupled with a working hard mentality that, I think, is the key to success for any player in any sport. What makes me impressed more about Ana Ivanovic is that she has been improving herself continuously. You can point out the performance of Ana Ivanovic in two most recent WTA tours, but I think, still Ana Ivanovic has a great chance to win the title of French Open 2008,. Why? Well, she is young, can cope up with pressure well, and can work hard, so these are enough to bring out a big success for a player. So, you can not put someone of Ana Ivanovic’s stature out of the favorites’ list. I think, she would bounce back in French Open 2008 and she is a big threat for other contenders of French Open 2008 title.

Timing and Schedule of Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic Final of Australian Open 2008

The final of Women’s singles of Australian Open 2008 is going to be held today. Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are gearing up to win the first grand slam title of the year and are now taking their last minute preparation. Maria Sharapova, the fifth seed, made it to the final after clinching a superb victory over Jelena Jankovic in the semi final, while Ana Ivanovic came though a fighting match against Daniela Hantuchova in the semi final. The Serbian, Ana Ivanovic has been undergoing an improvement since last year when she reached her first grand slam final in French Open. Maria Sharapova got over her shoulder injury and has come back in the court as stronger a player she was in the past, as the Russian has outclassed her opponents in Australian Open 2008 in style so far. I know that there are many of you who are interested to know the timing of the match. Here, I am giving the timing of the match:

Date: 26 January, Saturday

Venue: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park

Local Time (Melbourne): 1:30PM

GMT: 2:30 AM

Indian Time: 8:00 AM

If you are interested to get the match time in your local time then you should click here.

The final between Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic is going to be one of the most glamorous finals of grand slam tournaments in tennis. Both of them are also in their prime form. So, you can also expect a great match today. Now, let us see if Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic can appear with the form they have showed in the previous round matches in the tournament.

Who do you think is going to be the champion of Australian Open 2008?

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Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic: A dream Final

Australian open tennis 2008 is the opening tennis tournament of the year. Now, We have reached towards the end of this year’s tournament. The lineup for Women’s singles final was finalized today. On Saturday, We will see tool of the most beautiful tennis players in action against each other in the final of Australian open tennis 2008. Both of them have huge ban base because of their beauty and attractive figure.

Maria Sharapova won the first semifinal very easily and she did not take long time to beat Jankovic. She won by 6-3 6-1. in the first set, Maria Sharapova dominated and won it very easily. I was impressed with the service of Maria Sharapova. In the second set, Jankovic looked weak and she could not put up any kind of resistance.

Canadian Press wrote:

Any thoughts she had about adding to her 2004 Wimbledon title and the 2006 U.S. Open went out in quick fashion.

"You plan it out somehow in your mind, but sometimes it doesn't always go as planned," Sharapova says. "That's the beauty of life and sport."

This year, she senses it will be different, thanks to the confidence she has acquired from playing in her fourth Grand Slam final.

On Saturday, she's up against an opponent with one previous final. Ivanovic lost to Henin in last year's French Open title match and is seeded No. 4, a spot ahead of Sharapova.

On the other hand, Ana Ivanovic perhaps gave the best performance of her life and defeated Daniela Hantuchova. It was a very hard fought win for Ivanovic. She lost the first set and was under pressure even in the second set too. In the end, Ana Ivanovic: the match by 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. so, you can see that Ana Ivanovic lost the first set by 0-6. Even in the second set, she was trailing by 0-2. Few people will imagine at that time that she would come back in this match so strongly. This reflects strong determination from the Serbian tennis player. She showed today that she is not only a beautiful girl but also a tough fighter.

Sydney Morning Herald wrote:

None of which altered the fact that Ivanovic, who for 35 jaw-dropping minutes was struck dumb under Daniela Hantuchova's spell, found a way back to record a 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 win. Tomorrow, either she or Maria Sharapova, who had beat Jelena Jankovic earlier yesterday, will have their name engraved on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for the first time.

But Hantuchova's behaviour sullied the best win of the 20-year-old's career. She described the squeaking of Ivanovic's shoes on the court as she prepared to receive serve as "ridiculous".

I told you that it is a dream final. Both Sharapova and Ivanovic are among the most popular female sports personalities in the world. Many men are crazy for their beauty and sexy figure.

I think that Sharapova is the favorite in this match. She has already defeated Justine Henin in the quarter-final and today she demolished Jelena Jankovic.

Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic: Who will Win?

Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are the two finalists of Australian Open 2008. Sharapova confirmed a place in the final with a smashing straight-sets victory against Jelena Jankovic, while Ivanovic had to put on every bit of her effort to get over the semi final against Daniela Hantuchova, after a poor start in the three-set victory. Both Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are in their prime form now.

Maria Sharapova has come back strongly after an injury-pronged last year. The Russian was handled a tough draw in the competition with the second round meeting with Lindsay Davenport, and world no. 1 Justine Henin in the quarter final, both of them are former champion of Australian Open. To be honest, I had never seen anyone before to dominate over Henin in such a way as Sharapova did with taking a bagel 6-0 in the second set of the two-set victory.

Boston.com reported:

"You have your bad moments in your career and you have your good moments, and it's been a good ride so far," she said. "But it's not over yet.

"In a Grand Slam where I've had good success but some tough endings, I still believe at the end I'll always have more opportunities."

On the other hand, Ana Ivanovic has also been at her great form with improved physical fitness. The Serbian, though, had a successful last year; she was not in such a dominating form. Having defeated Venus Williams in the quarter final, Ana Ivanovic posed a threat for the tournament favorites. Now, she has made it to the final of the tournament getting only Maria Sharapova as her last hurdle to win her first grand slam title.

Ahead of the match, Ivanovic has been full of praise about Maria Sharapova. Referring her success in the tournament, Ivanovic has termed her as a big fighter. However, she has also indicated that she will fight for each point.

Canadian Press reported:

"Maria has had a good tournament ... beating Justine in two sets," said Ivanovic. "It's going to be definitely a very, very tough match."

"It's just the way these courts play," she said. "I just tried to move my feet, to return the ball, so it really was not intentional."

"She's definitely a big fighter and she never gives up," Ivanovic said. "That's also something I feel like we have a little bit in common - I also try to fight for each point.

Regarding the final match, Maria Sharapova has commented that whoever it is, she just want to play great tennis as she is looking forward to play in the final again.

Canada.com reported:

"I really hope I take advantage of having the experience behind my back," Sharapova said. "I'm looking forward to being in the final again, and whoever it is, I just hope I can produce some great tennis."

Well, considering recent form of Sharapova and Ivanovic, it seems that Maria Sharapova is favorite in the match. She also has more experience than the Serbian. However, what is the advantage of Ana Ivanovic is that she seems to be fit both physically and mentally and has huge confidence in her. Pointing out today’s semi final, I would like to mention that Ivanovic could manage to win over Daniela Hantuchova not only with her tennis skill; rather it was embedded on her mental strength, because it is very difficult to win a match after losing first eight sets of the match. It needs lots of confidence. This confidence and mental strength along with her improved physical fitness will help her when she takes on Maria Sharapova in the final of Australian Open 2008 tournament.

That is why, I will not go for any prediction regarding the result of match as it would have no meaning. What I would like to say is that the player who will be able to hold her composure and play according to her merit will have better chance, because if you go back to the performance of them, you can see that both of them are full of potential and it is very difficult to say either of them is favorite for the final of Australian Open 2008 tournament. I hope that Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic will come up with their best from in the final and present a classic match for the fans of tennis world.

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Maria Sharapova vs Ana Ivanovic: Final of Australian Open 2008

Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic will take on each other in the final of Australian Open 2008. Maria Sharapova confirmed her place in the final with an impressive victory over Jelena Jankovic. The flawless Sharapova took just about an hour to outperform the third seed 6-3, 6-1 and stormed into the final of Australian Open for the second year in a row. On the other hand, Ana Ivanovic had to make it to the Australian Open final though a three-set thriller over Daniela Hantuchova. Despite the early setback, Ana Ivanovic bounced back to win the match 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 and confirmed her second ever grand slam final.

Now, Ana Ivanovic has to face Maria Sharapova to win her first grand slam final in her career. It is expected to be a tough one for the Serbian as Maria Sharapova has been in an imperious form so far in the tournament. Sharapova has not lost any set so far in the tournament. It is also true that Ivanovic did not lose any set before the semi final match in the tournament.

Ana Ivanovic had a breakthrough season in 2007 with reaching her first ever grand slam final in French Open and she continued her dream run to reach the Wimbledon semi final. With such an impressive performance, she broke into the top five of ranking for the first time in her career. The 20-year old Serbian looked tougher and stronger than ever from the very beginning of Australian Open 2008. She did not look any time during any match of the tournament except the first set of the semi final match. The fourth seed has improved in both physically and mentally. Today’s victory is in evidence of her mental strength.

Maria Sharapova, on the other hand, had a nightmare season in 2007. Though she started the season with reaching the final of Australian Open last year, she could not show any more consistency throughout the season. Added to that she had to fight against her woeful should injury that kept her out of her form a big part of the season and forced her to adopt a new serving action.

However, despite all those odds, Maria Sharapova made an impressive come back though the Australian Open 2008. She has defeated two former Australian Open winners- Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin in the way to the final. The two grand slam Open winner is now just a step closure from another grand slam open title.

Now, ahead of the match, Maria Sharapova will be inspired to take avenge of her defeat to Ana Ivanovic in the semi final of French Open last year. Sharapova has already taken the revenge of that humiliating defeat by smashing a straight-sets victory at the Tour Championship against Ivanovic last year. Both of them have faced each other four times in the past with both of them winning twice.

Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic are two of the youngsters of tennis world. Both of them are 20 and full of rhythm. They are full of potential and very skilled. So, I hope to see a classic final which people will recall even after a ling time. Now, let us see who are going to win the title of Autralian Open 2008 tournament.

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