Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic wins her first round match in australian open

2010-01-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia plays against Perry on day two

Ivanovic through in controlled display

2010-01-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

Former Australian Open finalist Ana Ivanovic has progressed into the second round of Australian Open 2010, knocking out American qualifier Shenay Perry 6-2 6-3 in front of a packed Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday.

Ivanovic, the 20th seed for the tournament, started her first round match well, securing the first break of the opening set after the 25-year-old American hit a backhand volley wide.

Serving at 3-1, Ivanovic was unable to hold serve and handed back the break with a forehand into the net.

After trading breaks, the women’s 2008 runner-up took control, breaking Perry’s serve for the third time en route to claiming the first set 6-2 in 31 minutes.

Once Ivanovic found her range, she strolled through the second set, racing to a 5-1 lead. Perry tried approaching the net to put pressure on the Serb, but struggled with her volleys.

The big-serving American did not back down, with Perry composing herself and breaking the Ivanovic serve to bring herself back into the match.

Serving at 5-3, Ivanovic struggled with her serve in the windy conditions with two double faults, but bounced back with a 172km/h ace to save one of four break points for the game. Ivanovic managed to hold serve, closing out the set 6-3 after Perry dumped a groundstroke into the net.

Despite having trouble in the final game, Ivanovic served consistently, winning 81 per cent of her first serves and firing three aces.

“I was pleased with the way I played. The conditions were very tough. It was very cold and windy and a lot different than Brisbane or what I [have] been used to,” Ivanovic said post-match.

“But I just tried to work my way through, just taking time, try to stay composed. I thought I played well and served good.”

With the win, Ivanovic now holds a 4-0 head-to-head record against the American. She will meet the winner of the Zuzana Kucova/Gisela Dulko match in the next round.

Interview with Ana Ivanovic

2010-01-19T18:31:00.001-08:00

Ana Ivanovic bio

Start of Transcribed Interview

An interview with:

ANA IVANOVIC

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Not so much about your game, but there's been a number of players younger than you climbing up the rankings last year. Which one of them are you most impressed about?

ANA IVANOVIC: There is lots of them. You know, I just feel like a veteran at 22, which is kind of different.

But I think Azarenka is doing a really good job; and Sorana Cirstea; she played really well in Paris. There is lots of them coming, most of them from eastern Europe, yeah.

It's good to see that. They bring lot more excitement to the game.

Q. What about Wozniacki?

ANA IVANOVIC: Definitely. She's been around for a while. I played her a few times, you know, at the Grand Slams as well. She's a good player. She has a lot of potential. And, yeah, she's the one to look out for.

Q. How do you assess your form today?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it was very good. I was pleased with the way I played. The conditions were very tough. It was very cold and windy and a lot different than Brisbane or what I been used to.

But I just tried to work my way through, just taking time, try to stay composed. I thought I played well and served good. I'm very happy to have victory, because she had lot of matches already. She's dangerous opponent. She likes to come in and serve and volley. Doesn't give you much rhythm or time.

Yeah, very happy to have victory.

Q. Is Adam here or is he in the States?

ANA IVANOVIC: No, he's not here.

Ana Ivanovic during practice in australian open 2010

2010-01-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

Ranking Update

2009-10-30T10:21:00.002-07:00

In WTA Ranking, who has published today Ana is Nr.22. For the last time when she was out of Top 15 was before 5 years - in the end of 2005 she was 16-th.

TOP 25:
1 Dinara Safina (Rus) 7,731pts
2 Serena Williams (USA) 7,576pts
3 Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 5,772pts
4 Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 5,485pts
5 Elena Dementieva (Rus) 5,415pts
6 Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 4,451pts
7 Venus Williams (USA) 4,397pts
8 Jelena Jankovic (Srb) 3,555pts
9 Vera Zvonareva (Rus) 3,550pts
10 Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) 3,340pts
11 Flavia Pennetta (Ita) 3,150pts
12 Marion Bartoli (Fra) 3,105pts
13 Samantha Stosur (Aus) 2,945pts
14 Maria Sharapova (Rus) 2,820pts
15 Na Li (Chn) 2,541pts
16 Nadia Petrova (Rus) 2,440pts
17 Francesca Schiavone (Ita) 2,375pts
18 Kim Clijsters (Bel) 2,340pts
19 Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) 2,310pts
20 Virginie Razzano (Fra) 2,300pts
21 Amelie Mauresmo(Fra) 2,077pts
22 Ana Ivanovic (Srb) 2,067pts
23 Elena Vesnina (Rus) 2,030pts
24 Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 1,985pts
25 Sabine Lisicki (Ger) 1,905pts

Ana at "Zira" Party - Belgrade, Serbia

2009-10-30T10:21:00.001-07:00

Ana was at the Zera Center in Belgrade. Here are the photos.

New "Zira" comercial and Ana's interview for RTS 1 (Video)

2009-10-30T10:20:00.002-07:00

Here are the two videos:

Ana's interview on Pink TV

2009-10-30T10:20:00.001-07:00

Ana last Saturday opened a special shopping party at the Zira Center, a shopping mall in Belgrade, on behalf of her Serbian sponsor the Verano group. The 21-year-old signed tennis balls for youngsters and their families and took part in several television interviews.

The following is a translated extract from Ana's interview with one of the most-watched television channels in Serbia, Pink TV:

Nebojsa Radovic: How do you spend your time when you are not playing tennis?
Ana: I love reading, and travel causes me to read, because I spend a huge amount of time not alone but within the team environment. So I like to watch a movie, read a book or listen to music. The first thing I do when I wake up is turn on my computer and I let some music play (laughs).

Nebojsa Radovic: Fashion? Still interested in it, even though it distracts your attention from tennis?
Ana: Yes, but to tell you the truth, this year I didn’t really go shopping, no matter how silly that sounds. I wish I had more time for that. However, I didn’t have a nice feeling like “now I am going shopping”.

Nebojsa Radovic: What is it that Ana Ivanovic wants to wish herself for the next season or year?
Ana: I think that health is the most important thing, I realized that. Results come and go, but health is most significant and I want to enjoy in every moment.

the Video is here:

Ranking Update

2009-10-19T03:03:00.001-07:00

Ivanovic falls to Nr.13 in WTA Ranking. The newest in the ranking is the first place in the ranking - Serena Williams move to Nr.1.

TOP 20 Players:

1. Serena Williams
2. Dinara Safina
3. Venus Williams
4. Elena Dementieva
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova
6. Caroline Wozniacki
7. Vera Zvonareva
8. Victoria Azarenka
9. Jelena Jankovic
10. Agnieszka Radwanska
11. Flavia Pennetta
12. Marion Bartoli
13. Ana Ivanovic
14. Maria Sharapova
15. Samantha Stosur
16. Na Li
17. Nadia Petrova
18. Kim Clijsters
19. Virginie Razzano
20. Amelie Mauresmo

Ana: I’m looking forward to Brisbane

2009-10-19T03:02:00.002-07:00

Ana Ivanovic has finished her tennis season by withdrawing from the Beijing WTA event, but has announced her return to the Tour at January’s tournament in Brisbane. The Serbian player, currently ranked 12th in the world, has decided to enter the $220,000 event, scheduled to take place between 3 and 10 January 2010.

Ivanovic took part in the last season’s Brisbane event, where she reached the quarter-finals. She was then defeated by Amelie Mauresmo in straight sets.
- “I am really looking forward to kicking off my season in Brisbane. I’ve always liked playing there and at tournaments in Australia in general. I have relatives in Melbourne and I am looking forward to an opportunity to visit them. January in Australia is my favourite time of year,” said Ana.
The Serbian player acquired a peculiar habit last time out in Brisbane.
- “People here are always friendly. I like certain customs such as going to the beach early in the morning. Also, the tournament in Brisbane is a great opportunity for me to prepare for the Australian Open,” said Ivanovic.
The organizers of the event try hard to attract high-profile players every season. Ivanovic’s announced appearance is relished by tournament director Steve Ayles.
- “Ana’s decision to play at Brisbane again is great advertising for the event and our city. We plan to put together one of the best events of the year and her arrival we get not only one more terrific player, but also a fans’ favourite. Ana is a great girl and the tennis fans here in Queensland and Brisbane adore her,” says Ayles.
Besides Ivanovic, Jelena Dokic has also announced her participation in the combined event. The stars of the tournament will be the reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters and USA’s Andy Roddick.

Ana's first tournament in 2010 is Brisbane International

2009-10-19T03:02:00.001-07:00

Ana Ivanovic is returning to headline Brisbane International 2010.

The young Serbian star and former French Open champion said she looks forward coming back to Brisbane.

“I am very excited to go back to Brisbane. I really enjoyed playing there and I love competing in Australia,” Ivanovic said.

“I have relatives in Melbourne so every year I look forward to it. It is one of my favourite parts of the year going down under.

“The people are very friendly and open and I love the culture –you know going to the beach early in the morning. Everyone is just so relaxed and easy going and laid back and that is what I really like.”

A delighted Brisbane International Tournament Director, Steve Ayles, announced the coup today.

“Ana’s choice to return to the Brisbane International is the ultimate endorsement for the event and the city,” Ayles said.

“We plan to put on one of the best events in the world of tennis and with the addition of Ana; we have not only a fantastic player but a real crowd favourite.

“She is a terrific person and if last year is anything to go by the Queensland public love her as much as she loves Brisbane.”

Ana's Outfits

2009-10-19T03:01:00.001-07:00

Never to this moment I don't post a photos about Ana's Outfits. I think every single dress, top, shirts, skirt on the court is very beautiful and Ana looks amazing. :D

My favourite Ana's pictures

2009-10-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

In this post I posted my favourite Ana's photos. I don't know do you like them too, but under post you can write a comment. ENJOY! :D

Ana's Diary Update

2009-10-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today on Ana's official website was posted new diary. It's about the season 2009 in tennis for Ana, the withdraw from China Open. Here is the diary.

I guess having to withdraw from Beijing is an appropriate ending to a very disappointing season. This trip to Asia has been a big disappointment and I have struggled with my health pretty much since I arrived. I am sorry to my supporters who were hoping to see me play here in Beijing. It's very disappointing for me as well, to come here, see the amazing facility they have and not have the energy to be able to step onto court. I can only look forward to coming back here next year.

It's especially disappointing because I was hoping to be able to see some improvements before the season ended. I have gone through a lot of training and physical changes over the past few months, which have mostly remained private until now... My body is quite fragile at the moment, because I over-trained during the first part of the year. This was, I think, what caused me to have many small injuries this season.

Instead of being patient and accepting that my best form was almost impossible due to physical limitations, I was always over-thinking things, and I never dealt with it very well. The season was a continuation of going from one disappointment to another. If I had dealt better with these setbacks, I would have had a lot more success.

I also found it very tough to switch off and have a proper break over the past year or so, partly because of these physical problems. Actually, I don't think I can remember the last time I had a proper holiday: I was always doing some kind of fitness or recovery work during my holidays, and that meant that I wasn't able to switch off from tennis. I guess I just want it so badly.

As you may have noticed, I completely changed my serve after Wimbledon. This was because of my shoulder: if I continued serving and training the way I was, I would have almost certainly picked up a serious injury. My team and I are confident that I will be able to go back to my old service motion when I start practising again in November.

On the positive side, I am still No.11 in the world. I have no clue how I am ranked so highly, but to look on the bright side, I can't play any worse than I did this year and I'm still in the top 20!

I've learnt so much this year. It's a bit little bit like a few years ago, when I was ranked around No.14 for almost an entire year, and many people were asking me, "when are you going to reach the top 10?" Within a year I was there, and within two years I was No.1. Sometimes you have to go through these experiences in order to become a better player.

Despite my disappointments there is not a single doubt in my mind that I will reach the top again and win Grand Slams.

One other positive to come out of all this is that I realised what a great team I have around me: they never doubted me, they supported me so well and did everything they could to assist me. I am very grateful to them all: my family, coaches and management.

I have appointed a new fitness coach, whom I will tell you more about later. Over the next month or so I can have a great break. I can rest without thinking about any future tournaments, then train and practise hard for the new season.

I have a lot to look forward to. Now is the time to rest, recharge, and come back stronger.

Love
Ana

P.S. I'd like to thank my loyal supporters for their encouragement this year. The journey is never easy!

Season over for

2009-10-19T02:59:00.000-07:00

The former world number one Ana Ivanovic decided to out of the China Open in Beijing and put an early end to the season because of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. "I think my withdrawal from Beijing is an appropriate end to a very disappointing season," said 21-year Serbian tennis player. "I'm sorry for my fans who hoped to see me in a game here in Beijing. I am also very disappointed to come here to see the incredible sports center, which have here and I do not have the strength to enter the courts," added Ivanovic .

Ana topped the world rankings last year in June last year, immediately after winning the "Roland Garros, but this season she has no title, a gray and continue its presentation of the last tournament of the Grand Slam of the year -" US Open " where it knocked out in the first round.

The young tennis player thinks it is too early to training in the year and this has led to a series of health problems that tormented her during this season. Notwithstanding the difficult moments that went through, Ivanovic is convinced it has yet to achieve success and win titles "Grand Slam". "Despite the disappointments, I got no doubt that it will again be on top and will win trophies in Grand Slam." Now it's time to rest and recharge my batteries and then come back strong, "said Ana Ivanovic.

Ana in China - Off-Court

2009-10-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here I post some pictures since Ana arrived in Beijing.

More photos here.

Ana made a photoshoots in Beijing, on the tennis court at the main stadium.

More ph

"Me, Myself" Photoshoots Spring-Summer 2010

2009-09-29T20:28:00.001-07:00

Ranking Update

2009-09-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Today WTA posted the new ranking. Ana's ranking is unchanged at No.11.
Current Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Top 20:

1. Dinara Safina
2. Serena Williams
3. Venus Williams
4. Elena Dementieva
5. Caroline Wozniacki
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova
7. Vera Zvonareva
8. Jelena Jankovic
9. Victoria Azarenka
10. Flavia Pennetta
11. Ana Ivanovic
12. Agnieszka Radwanska
13. Nadia Petrova
14. Marion Bartoli
15. Samantha Stosur
16. Na Li
17. Kim Clijsters
18. Virginie Razzano
19. Amelie Mauresmo
20. Dominika Cibulkova

Picture from the 1st Round (Toray Pan Pacific Open)

2009-09-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

Ana lost again in 1st Round in Tokio

2009-09-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

Again, like at U.S. Open Ana lost in the first round of the tournament in Tokyo. She played against Lucie Safrova and was totally defeated. Ivaniovic and Safarova's and last met was in Toronto a few weeks ago and Ana lost again. Safarova won 6-4 7-6.

It's no longer a title in Ivanovic's career. We talk about the wins. Without them, no title would be a fact. And again - the fans, we ask ourselves what happened to Ana? Where is that enthusiasm, that desire to win.

Tokio Draw

2009-09-29T20:26:00.001-07:00

Ana has been drawn to face Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, which begins in Tokyo on Sunday.

Ana holds a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over the 22-year-old Safarova, although she lost their last meeting, a high-quality three-set affair in Toronto last month.

Shuai Peng or Anabel Medina Garrigues will await the winner in round two, while eighth seed Victoria Azarenka is a potential third round opponent in this draw of 56.

In the quarter-finals Ana could face third seed Elena Dementieva, with second seed Venus Williams and seventh seed Jelena Jankovic possible adversaries in the last four.

The leading seeds in the top half of the draw, all of whom Ana cannot face until the final, are No.1 Dinara Safina, No.4 Caroline Wozniacki, No.5 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.6 Vera Zvonareva.

Ranking Update

2009-09-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today WTA posted the new ranking. Ana's ranking is unchanged at No.11.
Current Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Top 20:

1. Dinara Safina
2. Serena Williams
3. Venus Williams
4. Elena Dementieva
5. Caroline Wozniacki
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova
7. Vera Zvonareva
8. Jelena Jankovic
9. Victoria Azarenka
10. Flavia Pennetta
11. Ana Ivanovic
12. Agnieszka Radwanska
13. Samantha Stosur
14. Nadia Petrova
15. Marion Bartoli
16. Na Li
17. Kim Clijsters
18. Virginie Razzano
19. Dominika Cibulkova
20. Amelie Mauresmo

"Feetness" interview

2009-09-29T20:24:00.001-07:00

Earlier this summer, Ana was interviewed for "Feetness", a sports magazine in Brazil. The following is an extract from the Q & A session:

How much time do you dedicate in week for the tennis?
It really varies depending on whether I am playing a tournament or not. During a training week I will usually practice six times a week. I also do a lot of fitness work, and recovery is important too: massages and icing.

Among the many victories you won, what was the most difficult and most rewarding?
Winning the French Open was definitely the most rewarding, especially because I became No.1 after winning my semi-final. Another very satisfying time was when I was 16 and I won 16 consecutive matches in two weeks in Japan, in ITF tournaments.

In 2007 you received the appointment of Ambassador of Serbia's goodwill by UNICEF. What kind of work do you do as an ambassador?
I am concerned mainly with the School Without Violence programme. It’s an awareness programme, so we are educating children, and teachers too, about how to create a more positive learning environment. It’s quite shocking, how much violence there can be in European schools. So I take part in some events, such as visiting schools. I also made some donations and wrote some newspaper columns in aid of UNICEF. Right now we are launching some special adidas t-shirts that have the UNICEF logo on them, and all the profits from sales will go to the School Without Violence programme. I love children so it’s something I enjoy doing.

Define your personality.
I am quite a shy, sensitive person. I’m very determined, positive and friendly.

Outside the court, how do you relax…what do you like to do?
I like to read, watch movies and learn languages. Right now I am working on my Spanish. I want to be totally fluent in three languages, then I will start a new one, maybe German.

La Republica interview

2009-09-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ana was recently featured in leading Italian newspaper La Republica , following an interview she gave earlier this summer.

The 21-year-old is described as "gorgeous", "very strong" and "popular" in journalist Marco Mathieu's feature, under the headline "A winning game". She discusses her passion for tennis and her admiration of nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles.

The following is a translated paragraph from the feature:

When it comes to her dreams, Ana says that priorities in life tend to change. Right now her main priority is to be back on the Tour and to win tournaments again. She is very motivated. For the future, she dreams about having a family. But she says clearly, with a smile on her face: "that is the future; for now, I am totally into tennis."

Ana lands media award

2009-09-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

With a landslide win, Ana has been voted Ambassador of the Year 2008 by the International Tennis Writer's Association (ITWA).

"Our members have been truly impressed by her constant openness in the cooperation with the world's media. She fulfills her commitments in a very professional and friendly manner", one of ITWA's Co-Presidents, Marco Keller, said.

The second Co-President, Sebastian Fest, added: "She always seems to have a smile on her face and is gracious even in defeat."

ITWA is an Association of around 120 tennis journalists from all across the globe, who travel both the WTA and ATP tour all year long.

The men's Award for 2008 went to Rafael Nadal of Spain. Both Ana and Nadal received a solid-silver hallmarked letter opener, engraved with their name.

The award is the latest in a long line of accolades bestowed upon Ana by the media. Last year she was named Women's Tennis Player of the Year 2008 by the International Press Association (AIPS), and she also picked up German Tennis Magazine's Michael Westphal Award.

Adam Scott and Ana Ivanovic

2009-09-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yet he has remained steadfastly silent on the subject of his rumoured relationship with Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic.

Photos taken at the weekend of the couple in New York are the most compelling evidence seen to date that the pair are romantically involved.

For the first time they have been captured touching, and while Scott looks relaxed at having been caught in the act of holding hands, Ivanovic shot the photographer a ferocious look, suggesting it is she who wants to maintain the "just friends'' relationship status.

The sporting couple met while shooting an ad for Rolex last summer in the lead up to the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Photos:

Ana's Diary Update

2009-09-08T21:57:00.001-07:00

Yesterday on the Ana's official site was posted new diary in which Ivanovic tells of her disappointment of losing in 1st Round at US Open, New York and how she feels at the moment. Her plans now are for the week or two weeks of rest before returning to court again for her last two tournaments in Beijing and Tokyo.

It's no secret that this is the most difficult time of my career so far. Losing in the first round of the US Open hurt a great deal, I can tell you that.

I feel mentally exhausted. This season has been very difficult in terms of my health and form: even though I'm in great shape in terms of my stamina and speed, I've been picking up so many small injuries. Just when I felt like I was close to getting back into my rhythm, I would feel pain in a new place, and then I'd feel like I'm starting all over again.

It's obviously affected my confidence and I've overanalysed it too, and let if affect me far too much - not just the injuries, but my desire to get back to the top.

I feel like I haven't had a proper break in such a long time. Now I think the best thing to do is to take a week or two off, to totally switch off from tennis, and come back refreshed for my next tournament, which is in Tokyo at the end of the month.

After that I will play in Beijing: they're two big tournaments, so there is still a lot to play for. It would be great to end the season on a high, going into next year.

Thanks a lot for all your messages of suport. It has been very touching to read them in the past couple of days. At the same time, I would like you all to know that I am fine! Of course, I am very disappointed, but I am really optimistic for the future too!

Love
Ana

"Beyond the Baseline" - interview with Ana Ivanovic

2009-09-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

This summer, Ana gave a short interview to onthebaseline.com. Here is the interview:

Ana Ivanovic is one of the most popular female athletes in the world. The 21 year-old from Serbia has millions of fans thanks to her charming, gracious and fun-loving personality.

But when she’s not playing tennis, what interests Ana? I caught up with her earlier this summer to talk about her cooking, her hobbies, and what three items she would want if trapped on a deserted island.

If you had the opportunity to cook the President of Serbia a meal of your preparing, what would you serve?
I’m not a very good cook, unfortunately. Or at least I don’t know many recipes. So I wouldn’t be very impressive! I would probably have to cook fajitas – they’re my specialty.

What three things would you bring along if you were stuck for a week on a deserted island?
My iPod, mobile phone (you never know: there could be reception!) and a fiction book.

What keeps you energized, on your toes, and motivated to play tennis?
I simply love to play tennis. I enjoy it the same way now as I did when I was a kid. I am very competitive, so I love the competition. My biggest motivation is to win Grand Slams.

What is an everyday item that you would not mind spending a lot of money on to purchase?
I listen to music a lot, so I like to have a reliable MP3 player. At the moment I use an iPod. Considering how much I use it, I would say it’s good value.

Ana vs. K.Bondarenko Photos

2009-09-02T19:40:00.001-07:00

Ivanovic 1st Round Interview

2009-09-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

Q. Tough one, Ana?

ANA IVANOVIC: Definitely. I created a lot of chances for myself, and I'm really disappointed that I made a few mistakes in the important moments and my forehand let me down on a few occasions and obviously it hurts.

Q. The forehand is usually the shot you can count on the most. You had some good looks in the tiebreaker?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I mean, definitely. I still can picture many of those. You know, 6‑5 in the third and deuce I believe and I had ‑‑ I played great and set myself up and made the mistake, in the net every time. It's a little frustrating. And then on match point, maybe it was wrong shot. Also, a few times I think I made a wrong shot selection, as well.

Just also a little bit to do with confidence, just some of the shots I think weren't the right shots but were not really coming. That was really frustrating.

Q. How comfortable are you with your shortened service motion?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, well, another reason I did that was to protect my shoulder, because I started having some pains, so that's why I abbreviated the motion. I feel a lot better and I think my speed has gone up. Last couple of tournaments I used this motion and I feel a lot better, actually, a lot more safe with my serve. And then obviously my shoulder didn't ‑‑ I didn't feel any problems with it.

I could serve faster, but it's been only a few weeks. But, you know, maybe once my shoulder gets stronger again, I can go back to the normal movement.

Q. With a different motion on your serve, doesn't that throw a different element into your toss?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, actually, it helps my toss, because it's abbreviated, so then I feel like I can control it much more. It's coming smoother rather than, you know, having lots of different like aspects of the serve. So I think my toss has become a lot better with this new movement.

Q. What's difficult about the toss, anyway? Seems not to be a difficult part of the game.

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, serve should be the easiest part, because the only shot you control completely. Yeah, it's ‑‑ I think it just ‑‑ it's very hard to describe, because what happens is that sometimes when I toss, I either release too early or I flick it and I release too late. It's just so hard to describe. It's like, you know, I tried also to do exercises with heavier ball so I get more feel for it. I mean now it's feeling better so I worked on that.

Q. Is it possible you could be thinking about it too much?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think I've been thinking about everything too much and trying to address lots of issues with my game, and at the moment I feel like I have a plan in place and I know what I have to do in each area of my game. But just at the moment I think it's a little disbalanced. My fitness is at one level, mind at another, my game is at another level. I think these all these things have to marry to get into the right direction and have to fit.

Q. You had a very stable group around you for a while, and then a lot changed this year. Along with your results, is it hard for you sometimes not to just close your eyes and say, I wish it was January 1st? Because this season has been so difficult.

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I do. I do many times. I wish that.

But, you know, I think it's been, you know, as much as it hurts and was disappointing, you know, times so far, I feel I learned a lot from it. I learned a lot about myself and you know, people around me and about what I have to do and in order to become a better player, because there was a point that, you know, I really trusted the team around me, so I didn't question many things that were happening.

Many times, you know, I didn't know why I was doing certain things. So now we have, with the changes that happened, I'm more aware of certain things and more aware of the things that helped me get better. That's obviously really good things.

Now I know for myself what's going to help me to improve, and you know, what kind of work it's going to help me, rather than just rely 100% on a coach, because many times they can't feel ‑‑ all the time they can't feel what I feel. That's one thing that I feel I learned in last month or two.

Q. You played a terrific defense, I think. You showed a lot of spirit, especially when you were going down in the third set. You were 1‑4. You lost two serves. Suddenly you become the underdog and you play great. Is it maybe in your mind that when you're down you're very, very strong and suddenly you lose your mind when you are...

ANA IVANOVIC: I don't think it was that. I think it was just that in some way I accepted her game, and I stopped stepping up in the second set in the middle of the second set and she started playing a lot better. And, yeah, she just started to play her game rather than, you know, me stepping up like I did in the beginning. You know, I tried to change that momentum.

Yeah, I know I managed to do it towards the end of the third set, and you know, like I said, I just feel that my mind and my body and everything, it's not on the same level. I was really fighting. I felt like that was something that I had, and just, you know, to fight until the last moment, and you know, my forehand in my game let me down a little.

But I think it has also to do with the confidence, because many times when I'm in a position, I just don't trust myself like I did before, because, yeah, I just ‑‑ I didn't go through that kind of situations, you know.

Q. Is it maybe the mind fighting the instincts?

ANA IVANOVIC: It is that, you know, a little bit, too. When I follow my instincts, I play great. Then I think I can make other shots and I feel maybe I should go different, different direction. That's when bad shot selection comes. That's just, you know, mind and emotions.

Q. I remember one moment you win the French Open and they tell you you're No. 1 and you say, I didn't even know that. Is it maybe that suddenly the mind came in and resisted to move from there and the instinct went down, maybe?

ANA IVANOVIC: It's hard to say. Maybe. But, yeah, I don't really know. I think it's just that when I start to ‑‑ when I start to not maybe have the results that's expected I was going to have, that's when my mind games play. That's when I started to think and analyze about everything that's been happening and trying to, you know, fix something that maybe it wasn't broken. It was just, you know, not there for a while. And I had to keep doing the same thing.

But I tried to go different directions and tried to search for it elsewhere. And that's when I feel like I went on a little, forcing, trying to change technique and some kind of areas of my game that were not necessary to do so.

So now I'm really back to basics and back to what I was doing. It feels a lot better. I mean, I'm practicing really good. I'm really happy. I just feel I need some time and I need some time of hard work. Because it's really hard, you know, two sessions a day and work real really hard when you have all the time tournaments and competition coming, because you want to be fresh for your matches.

So that was a little bit of a Catch‑22. Maybe, you know, at this moment I can use these weeks that I have before maybe next tournament to work on some areas and rest and, you know, have fresh mind.

Q. How surprised were you though that as good as you've been and as good as you can be that you go to the end of the US Open and you look at your Grand Slam results this year and they're clearly below the level that you're capable of playing?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, it's very disappointing. You know, it hurts. I can tell you that.

You know, I'm sure I will have sleepless nights. But I have to accept it and try to put this year behind me, and try to learn from it. I'm sure next time, you know, I have no doubt I have potential now to be back in the top. And once I get there, you know, you struggle few tournaments. I know that this is the time. True it's going to help me catch myself a lot earlier and not let myself, you know, go this far.

Q. With all you've been through, do you sometimes feel older than 21?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yes. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, sometimes I have to think how old I am. Yeah, definitely.

Q. About how old do you feel right now?

ANA IVANOVIC: 25 maybe (laughter.)

Q. That's not so bad.

ANA IVANOVIC: And probably in a few days I will look like that with bags under my eyes.

Q. There are so many highs and lows in that match. How do you keep your emotions in check in a match like that?

ANA IVANOVIC: Oh, did I? I didn't think I did. They were all over the place.

Q. What do you tell yourself to keep them in check, anyway?

ANA IVANOVIC: I try to breathe. Yeah, I try to take a deep breath and just, you know, try to maybe, you know, walk, just play with the strings or fix the hair or something. Try to, yeah, focus.

Q. Distract yourself a little?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, exactly.

Q. So you're going to take a long vacation or are you just going to work, work, work again?

ANA IVANOVIC: I honestly don't know. I really don't know. I have to think about some things first on my own and then with the team and discuss and see what's going to be the best.

Obviously I'm very, you know, motivated to get back in the top, but it just feels like I was saying it just feels like Catch‑22, because I constantly playing and trying to play at the level that I feel I'm not at. It's disappointing and it's frustrating, so I just want to get a time and work hard on like all the match, off competition.

Q. You haven't had a substantial break in a long time, right? You've been either rehabbing or practicing.

ANA IVANOVIC: Exactly.

Q. Or playing.

ANA IVANOVIC: Exactly. That's something that I spoke actually today. Today actually before my match I spoke to my coach, because I just said, you know, I feel like I constantly kept going and going. It's really hard, because even though I had some time off, I was still doing like a little bit of fitness or rehab or something. So my mind was still in tennis.

I feel like I want to have ‑‑ I feel happy that, you know, this season, it's going to be a longer off season so I have longer time off and completely switch off and, you know, I haven't had proper holidays in years. So I'm looking forward to that.

Ana lost in 1st Round at US Open for first time ever

2009-09-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Once more Ana has been eliminated very early in the tournament. Things haven't been going well for Ana in the past year, but today must be an all-time low, being eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam.

Everyone knew it would be very tough, with a first-round-draw against Kataryna Bondarenko, but surprisingly enough Ana was blowing her away in the first set. Everything was equal until 2-2 when Ana broke through Bondarenko's service and won 5 games in a row, winning the first set with 6-2.

The second set started even better with Ana making a service break in the first game of that second set. Both girls then won their service games until 3-2, but then Bondarenko broke back. And then doubts were there again in Ana's head. Everything started to go less smoothly and at 3-4 there was another break for Bondarenko.

Unlike in previous tournaments, the third set now was very well. Ana did not want to lose and showed all her fighting spirit. She even got a match point but she could not convert it. She eventually lost in the tiebreak with 9-7.

Order Of Play - 1 September 2009 (US Open, New York)

2009-09-02T19:36:00.002-07:00

Louis Armstrong Stadium
Start at 11:00AM

1. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Galina Voskoboeva
2.Tomas Berdych vs. Wayne Odesnik
3. Roberta Vinci vs. Jelena Jankovic
4. Michael Yani vs. Sam Querrey
5. Ana Ivanovic vs. Kateryna Bondarenko

Ana practicing in New York - photos and video

2009-09-02T19:36:00.001-07:00

Since five days Ana practicing in New York. In one of the days she practiced with Kim Clijsters. Here are some photos and videos.

Video:

Ana part of Arthur Ashe Kids Day 2009

2009-08-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

For a four year Ana was a part of Arthur Ashe Kids Day.Kim Clijsters and James Blake teamed up in a mixed doubles match against Ana and rising American star Devin Britton, the runner-up at the 2008 US Open Junior Championships. Will Ferrell added some comedy as the chair umpire, walking out onto the court dressed as Blake and wearing a headband and bald wig. Yesterday Ana presented her new dress for US-Open ( the purple one).

Photos:

Ana practicing in New York

2009-08-30T21:28:00.001-07:00

New "Street Tennis" Video

2009-08-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Ana vs. Kateryna Bondarenko (1st Round - US OPEN)

2009-08-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

23:10

Ivanovic, Ana (SRB)

Bondarenko, Kateryna (UKR)

November 6, 1987 (21)

Belgrade, Serbia

Basel, Switzerland

6' (1.84 m)

152 lbs. (69 kg)

24/12

237/87

$690,715

$6,975,512

Ranking

Birth Date (Age)

Birthplace

Residence

Height

Weight

YTD Won/Lost

Career Won/Lost

YTD Singles Titles

Career Singles Titles

YTD Prize Money

Career Prize Money

August 8, 1986 (23)

Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine

Kharkov, Ukraine

5' 9" (1.75 m)

132 lbs. (60 kg)

21/17

203/153

$282,656

$1,285,740

2007 STUTTGART BONDARENKO won 6-2 1-6 6-3

Ana give an interview for Reuters

2009-08-30T21:26:00.001-07:00

14:21

Ana Ivanovic give a little interview for Reuters four days before US Open.

The Serb Ivanovic has had a similarly lacklustre year but has not yet shown the same signs of recovery as Jankovic.

The 21-year-old has not won a tournament since October 2008 and she said she had not been happy with her play since she reached the final at Indian Wells in March.

Her French Open defence ended in the fourth round in May and she retired injured at the same stage at Wimbledon in June, while her U.S. Open preparations have been shaky as she suffered early exits at the Cincinnati Open and Toronto Cup.

"I maybe made a little mistake because when, all of the sudden, I wasn't doing as well, I started looking for answers in all the wrong places," the world number 11 told Reuters in an interview arranged by WTA Tour sponsors Sony Ericsson.

After hiring coach Craig Kardon for four months, Ivanovic parted ways with the American in June and is now working once again with Sven Groenefeld, who helped her during the 2008 season, as well as Andre Agassi's former coach Darren Cahill.

"I want everything to be perfect, but it can't happen," said Ivanovic, who has never gone beyond the U.S. Open fourth round.

"When I try to go toward perfection I think I can stop myself now."

An inconsistent serve and her inability to consistently impose herself on opponents with her big forehand have troubled Ivanovic.

Ivanovic would like to reach the second week of the U.S. Open, which starts on Aug. 31, but is focused on a road towards long-term success.

"I found the path that I want to take," she said. "There are lots of new things in my game that I found work well for me, and have full confidence in this."

Off - Court News

2009-08-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

On the Golf365's site says that Ana will be in New York with Adam Scott.

"He was with tennis star Ana Ivanovic at Loch Lomond, having watched her at Wimbledon, and she, of course, is at the US Open tennis starting next week."

link Golf 365

And on the site of TVNZ Ana is Sports Hottie of the Week.

"It's not just the tennis game of Ana Ivanovic that makes her one of the most googled female sport stars in the world.

At just 21-years of age the Serbian starlet has already proven that she is no Anna Kounikova (looks good but doesn't win anything) by winning the 2008 French Open and briefly becoming the number one player in the world.

Ivanovic also played her part in the most eye-catching Grand Slam final ever when she went head-to-head with fellow beauty Maria Sharapova in the 2008 Australian Open.

It was famously dubbed the Glam Slam and it's not hard to see why.

On court, Ivanovic is always impeccably dressed while off it, her talent has landed her on the cover of Sport Illustrated and FHM (pictured). She has 4.1 million Google hits and pictures of her, are all over the web while her own website is home to 900,000 unique users a month.

Last year she was romantically linked to Spanish sensation Fernando Verdasco and unfortunately, in more recent times, Aussie golfer Adam Scott is the lucky man to step out with Ivanovic on his arm. In doing so Scott has become one of the most hated men on the planet."

Serbs target fortnight in New York

2009-08-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Serbian tennis players Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic are awaiting the start of the US Open tennis event in contrasting moods. The results so far in the mini-tour on the American soil give Jankovic the right to hope for a fine result in New York (31 August through 13 September), while Ana arrives at the Flushing Meadows lacking a distinctive game, self-confidence and mental stability.

If she aims to return to the world’s top-flight tennis, Ivanovic – currently ranked 11th – will have to turn a new leaf at the US Open. It is high time her serve began to serve her well, the element of play that has been too unreliable for any major achievements. Experts agree the poor serve reflects the Serb’s mental instability. In her interview for the latest edition of Fitness Magazine, the former number one and Roland Garros winner gave a promising statement ahead of the last Grand Slam event of the season.
- “If you want to succeed, you have to have a very short memory. You have to forget all the bad practice and lost matches and believe in yourself and your abilities,” explains Ana.
Ivanovic said she was not giving up by any means, despite the crisis she has been hit by in the past 12 months.
- “My biggest asset is my fighting spirit. I may not win every match, but I will never surrender if I’m losing. Monika Seles was my role-model and I remember how she battled for every single point. While I was growing up, Monika was really playing top tennis. A very important aspect of success is to push through training sessions when you don’t feel like practicing, because what you do today makes you stronger tomorrow,” concluded Ivanovic.

Tennis Ranking Update

2009-08-30T21:24:00.002-07:00

Ana remains at No.11 in the latest Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings, which are published yesterday.

1 Dinara Safina
2 Serena Williams
3 Venus Williams
4 Elena Dementieva
5 Jelena Jankovic
6 Svetlana Kuznetsova
7 Vera Zvonareva
8 Victoria Azarenka
9 Caroline Wozniacki
10 Flavia Pennetta
11 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 3,270pts
12 Agnieszka Radwanska
13 Nadia Petrova
14 Marion Bartoli
15 Samantha Stosur
16 Dominika Cibulkova
17 Virginie Razzano
18 Amelie Mauresmo
19 Na Li
20 Patty Schnyder

My comment about Ana from 2008 Wimbledon to Rogers Cup 2009 (part two)

2009-08-30T21:24:00.001-07:00

17:10

Brisbane International 2009 - That was Ana's first tournament for this year. She beat Petra Kvitova in two sets and Roberta Vinci in 3 sets, but she lost hollow in third round to Amelie Mauresmo with 3-6, 2-6.

Australian Open 2009 - The fist Grand Slam for the new season. Ana won in first round against Julia Goerges with 7-5, 6-3 and in second round - the qualifier Alberta Brianti with 6-3, 6-2. In third round the match was a big drama. Ana lost to 29th seeded Alisa Kleybanova with 5-7, 7-6, 3-6. That was a terrible result, because Ana played last year in the final match and her fans hoped she play in the final again.

Fed Cup 2009 - Serbia vs. Japan - Ana beat Ai Sugiama and Ayumi Morita and she help to Serbia won with 4-1.

Burclays Dubai Tennis Championships 2009 - That was a good tournament for Ana. She beat Alisa Kleybanova in second Round with 7-5 6-4. In third Round Ana made a win against lucky losser Camille Pin with 6-2 7-6. In quarterlinals Ivanovic played against 1-seeded Serena Williams. The American girl won with 6-4 6-4. Anci began working with Craig Kardon in February after parting with former coach Sven Groeneveld.

Indian Wells 2009 - Here was Ana's last final for this year. She lost to Vera Zvonareva in two sets. The weather was sunny, but windy. The road to the final Ana had easy wins besides her win against 12 seeded Flavia Pennetta in three sets.That was a great tournament for Ana.

Sony Ericsson Open, Miami 2009 - Ana made an easy win against Mariya Korritseva with 6:0 6:3, but in third round lost to 25-th Agnes Szavay with 4-6 6-4 1-6. One disappointing preformance for Ana on this tournament.

Internationali BNL d'Italia - Ana defeated in second Round Francesca Schiavone before being defeated by the 10th seeded Agneszka Radwansak in the third round with 6–1, 3–6, 6–4, again like in Miami in the match against Szavay throwing away a 4–0 lead in the third set.

Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open 2009 - Ana withdrew from the because of a knee injury .

French Open 2009 - Ana went crashing out to Victoria Azarenka in the 4th round 6–2, 6–3. This early loss caused Ivanovic to fall out of the top ten for the first time since first cracking it in May 2007, sitting at World No. 13.

AEGON International 2009 - Ana lost to the seventh seed Nadia Petrova in three sets 6–1, 4–6, 6–4 despite being 4–1 and a double break up in the final set. She played for first time in doubles this year partnered Sabine Lisicki but they was defeated in the first round by doubles No.1 Cara Black and Liezel Huber with 6–1, 6–2.

Wimbledon 2009 - Ivanovic was seeded 13th. She opened the tournament against Lucie Hradecka. That was very strange match for her and she had to save two match before winning 5–7, 6–2, 8–6. This became the third year in a row where Ivanović had to save match points at Wimbledon. She followed up this match with wins over Sara Errani and 18th seeded Samantha Stosur, only her second win over a top 15 opponent this season. She retired from her fourth round match with Venus Williams while trailing 6–1, 0–1, due to a micro-tear in her thigh.

LA Women's Tennis Championships - Hard win for Ana in second round against Melanie Oudin and Ivanovic reached the third round, where she fell to Samantha Stosur, 6–3, 6–2.

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open 2009 - Ana was upset in the second round by Melinda Czink 7–6(6), 7–5, despite serving for the first set at 5–4 and holding a 3–0 advantage in the second.

Rogers Cup 2009 - The last lost for Ana Ivanovic was here she lost to Lucie Safarova 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, despite serving for the match in the second set at 5–4. Again disappointing result.

What happening with Ana? I think that know just God. After 4 days begin US Open and I hope Ana give the best from herself!! Come on Ana! We - all your fans - are with you in New York and in everywhere. You must to know that we love you! Never stop smiling! :)

US OPEN draw

2009-08-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ana has been drawn to face world No.51 Kateryna Bondarenko in the first round of the US Open, which begins in New York on Monday.

Ana has played the Ukrainian twice before, including in the junior Wimbledon final in 2004, and trails the head-to-head series 2-0.

Bondarenko is in good form, having defeated third seed Venus Williams in Toronto last week.

Should Ana overcome the 23-year-old, she will play either Monica Niculescu of Romania or a qualifer in the second round. Germanys' Sabine Lisicki, the No.23 seed, could await in round four, while compatriot and fifth seed Jelena Jankovic is a potential fourth round oponent.

Top seed and world No.1 Dinara Safina is Ana's most likely adversary were she to reach the quarter-finals, with Russians Elena Dementieva (No.4) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (No.6) possible opponents in the semi-finals.

The leading seeds in the bottom half of the draw, whom Ana cannot face until the final, are No.2 Serena Williams, No.3 Venus Williams, No.7 Vera Zvonareva and No.8 Victoria Azarenka.

The full Draw : http://www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/draws/ws/wsdraw.pdf

My comment about Ana from 2008 Wimbledon to Rogers Cup 2009

2009-08-30T21:21:00.001-07:00

Ooo my god! I can believe. What happening with Ana Ivanovic? Where is the 2008 Freanch Open Champion? Where is this girl, who prompting the audience to stand up? Let's begin to thinking.

Wimbledon 2008 - Ana was Nr. 1 in the World, but she don't present like a best player in the ranking. Ana defeated Nathalie Dechy in the second round with 6–7, 7–6, 10–8for 3 hours and 24 minutes. That was a easy match but Ana made him more difficult. Ana lost in the third round to unseeded wildcard Jie Zheng, who was ranked World No. 133 with 6–1, 6–4. All Ana's fans could not believe.

Rogers Cup 2008 - Ana won in 2nd Round against Petra Kvitova in 3 sets - 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. But again she lost in 3rd Round against Tamira Paszek 2-6, 6-1, 2-6. Ana bothered by a sore thumb sustained during practice a few week before Rogers Cup.

The East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles and Summer Olympics in Beijing - Ivanovic was withdrew.

US Open 2008 - Ana was getting back her Nr. 1 position in ranking, but again she disappointing with her performance. Ivanovic has a two week before US Open to practiced. In first Round Ana won hard with 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 against Vera Dushevina, but surprising she lost in second Round against qualifier Julie Coin with 3-6, 6-4, 3-6. For a first time since 1973 top-seeded player lost in second Round.

Toray Pan Pacific Open 2008 - Ivanovic was defeat by Nadia Petrova in 3 sets. She told to the press : "I'm just happy to be back injury-free" and that she needed to "play more matches get back into rhythm".

China Open 2008 - In second Round Ana beat Alize Cornet, but she lost in next match again against Jie Zheng and again in three sets.

Kremlin Cup 2008 - Ana lost in second Round against Dominika Cibulkova with 6-3, 2-6, 6-7

Zurich Open 2008 - Ana won in 2nd Round against Marion Bartoli with 6-2, 6-4 and in quarterfinals - Petra Kviova with 6-1, 6-4. She lost in semifinals against Venus Williams with 6-4, 3-6, 4-6.

Generali Ladies Linz 2008 - After good preforming in Zurich Ana won the tournament in Linz. This is her fist and last win since 2008 French Open. She won against Sybille Bammer, Flavia Pennetta in two sets and Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets. Ivanovic won in the final against Vera Zvonareva with 6-2, 6-1.
Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha 2008 - Ana lost by Janković 6–3, 6–4. Her next match was against Zvonareva, to whom she lost 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–4. She withdrew from her final match against Kuznetsova because of a virus.

Ana's Practice in Toronto (Photos)

2009-08-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from Ana's practice in Toronto.Enjoy! :)

Ana vs. Lucie Sarafova

2009-08-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ana will play against World Nr.46 Lucie Safarova in second Round in Toronto.

Safarova, Lucie (CZE)

Ivanovic, Ana (SRB)

Febuary 4, 1987 (22)

Brno, Czech Republic

5' 9" (1.77 m)

137 lbs. (62 kg)

21/17

171/119

$230,638

$1,312,666

Ranking

Birth Date (Age)

Birthplace

Residence

Height

Weight

YTD Won/Lost

Career Won/Lost

YTD Singles Titles

Career Singles Titles

YTD Prize Money

Career Prize Money

November 6, 1987 (21)

Belgrade, Serbia

Basel, Switzerland

6' (1.84 m)

152 lbs. (69 kg)

23/11

236/86

$680,440

$6,965,237

Matches to this moment:

2007 LOS ANGELES IVANOVIC won 6-2 6-2

2008 FRENCH OPEN IVANOVIC won 6-1 6-2

2009-08-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

"StreeTennis" Photost

2009-08-30T21:18:00.001-07:00

Ana won in 1st Round in Toronto

2009-08-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ana recovered from a set and a break down to overcome Slovakian world No.47 Magdalena Rybarikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. The 11th seed showing a steely nerve as she recovered from a 6-2, 1-0 deficit to triumph after an hour and 56 minutes.

Folllowing her surprise early exit in Cincinnati last week, Ana looked similarly ragged during a truly forgettable opening set although, to her credit, Rybarikova played solidly.

A double fault from Ana at the beginning of the second set gave the Slovakian, who won the Birmingham tournament in June, a firm advantage. Considering Ana's disappointing form in her two previous tournaments, it looked ominous for the 21-year-old and her supporters.

However, she refused to give in and turned things around, breaking back several games later and then scoring a decisive break in the eighth game, before serving out the set.

The opening two games of the deciding set were keenly contested but Ana won them both. She opened up a 4-0 lead and, though she gave back one of her breaks, another break in the seventh game preceded a confident game from the world No.11 as she served out the match.

Order Of Play - 18 August 2009 (Toronto)

2009-08-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today Ana will play her 1st Round match. Ana and Rybarikova meet for a first time. Ana's match is first for the day and beginns at 11:00 AM.

Order Of Play
Stadium Starting at: 11:00 AM

1. Ana Ivanovic vs. Magdalena Rybarikova
2.Venus Williams vs. Kateryna Bondarenko
3.Alisa Kleybanova vs. Alexandra Wozniak
4.Elena Baltacha vs. Kim Clijsters
5.Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Samantha Stosur

SONY ERICSSON UNVEILS "STREET TENNIS" AT ROGERS CUP IN TORONTO

2009-08-30T21:16:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the start of Rogers Cup, Sony Ericsson, one of the largest global mobile phone manufacturers known for its innovation and style, and two of the brightest stars of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour – World No.8 Caroline Wozniacki and 2008 Roland Garros Champion Ana Ivanovic – took over Toronto's Yonge Street for "Street Tennis," an impromptu tennis match on Canada's longest street. "Street Tennis" follows on the heels of last week's spectacular Sony Ericsson "Fountain Tennis" stunt in the fountains of Kings Island in Cincinnati, one of America's largest amusement parks. Sony Ericsson, the title sponsor of the Tour, is famous for its breathtaking stunts that place some of the world's most recognizable female athletes in the most unusual places - on water, on car rooftops in Miami, in a metro station in Madrid, and on a desert island in the Arabian Sea in Doha.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki rallied against each other on a special tennis court that was laid down for the players on the world-famous street in a record time of five minutes. Ana and Caroline brought their A games to the street, awing tennis fans with amazing points in one of the world's most exciting cities. With "Street Tennis", Sony Ericsson was once again able to take the sport from the confines of the tennis court to a new audience and unexplored environment.

Ana Ivanovic said: "Rogers Cup in Toronto is one of my favorite stops during the US Open Series. I won this event three years ago and it is always nice to be back in Canada. I was thrilled to have a chance to participate in the Sony Ericsson "Street Tennis" stunt with Caroline today. It is always exciting to be able to bring the sport of tennis to new audiences and we definitely had fun, taking people on the streets of Toronto by a huge surprise."

Commenting on the experience, Caroline Wozniacki said: "I was thrilled to have an opportunity to participate in "Street Tennis" with Ana and very impressed with Yonge Street in this beautiful city of Toronto. The court was laid out for us in a record time and playing an impromptu tennis match with Ana was really fun. I am extremely excited about competing at Rogers Cup in Toronto and participating in "Street Tennis" was a great way to kick off the tournament."

Stacy Doster, Head of PR, Sony Ericsson North America, said: "Once again, Sony Ericsson created an exciting and original stunt that gave us an opportunity to energize the tennis fans in Toronto and kick off Rogers Cup in style."

Rogers Cup tournament director Karl Hale said: "Toronto and tennis share a passion for multiculturalism. "Street Tennis" is a great way to start a phenomenal week at Rogers Cup. Sony Ericsson has again shown its innovation. We're thrilled to welcome the tennis world including today's stunt participants Caroline Wozniacki and past Rogers Cup champion Ana Ivanovic."

To access the video of "Street Tennis", please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U3VY0J7snk

Ana vs.Magdalena Rybarikova

2009-08-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Rybarikova, Magdalena (SVK)

Ivanovic, Ana (SRB)

October 4, 1988 (20)

Piestany, Slovakia

Bratislava, Slovakia

5' 11" (1.80 m)

143 lbs. (65 kg)

18/17

176/91

$207,350

$406,042

Ranking

Birth Date (Age)

Birthplace

Residence

Height

Weight

YTD Won/Lost

Career Won/Lost

YTD Singles Titles

Career Singles Titles

YTD Prize Money

Career Prize Money

November 6, 1987 (21)

Belgrade, Serbia

Basel, Switzerland

6' (1.84 m)

152 lbs. (69 kg)

23/11

236/86

$680,440

$6,965,237

Tennis Ranking Update

2009-08-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today WTA post new ranking. Ana is 11th in the World. Flavia Pennetta move with two positions - now she is 10th for first time. Nadia Petrova move down with two position.

1.Dinara Safina (RUS) - 9810
2.Serena Williams (USA) - 8558
3.Venus Williams(USA) - 6865
4.Jelena Jankovic (SRB) - 6620
5.Elena Dementieva (RUS) - 6235
6.Svetlana Kuznetsova(RUS) - 5960
7.Vera Zvonareva(RUS) - 5300
8.Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) - 4810
9.Victoria Azarenka (BLR) - 4553
10.Flavia Pennetta (ITA) - 3420
11.Ana Ivanovic (SRB) - 3270
12.Nadia Petrova (RUS) - 3120
13.Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) - 3040
14.Marion Bartoli (FRA) - 3035
15.Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)- 2527
16.Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) - 2511
17.Samantha Stosur (AUS) - 2508
18.Virginie Razzano (FRA) - 2193
19.Na Li (CHN) - 2132
20.Patty Schnyder (SUI) - 2127

Rogers Cup Draw

2009-08-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today on Rogers Cup official site is posted the draw for the tournament. Ana is seeded 11th and now is she 11th in the World Ranklist. In first Round Ivanovic will meet qualifier. There are the players against who Ana maybe can play if she win her matches.

1st Round - Qualifier
2nd Round - Kaia Kanepri or another Qualifier
3rd Round - Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Vesnina or Jie Zheng
Quarterfinal - Serena Williams, Marion Bartoli or Daniela Hantuchova
Semifinal - Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Flavia Pennetta or Amelie Mauresmo
Final - Dinara Safina, Dominica Cibulkova, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Jelena Jankovic, Venus Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Nadia Petrova or Vera Zvonareva

Link for the Draw: http://rogerscup.com/women/MDS_aug_15_09.pdf

Ana lose in 2nd Round in Cincinnati

2009-08-30T21:13:00.001-07:00

Ana suffered a surprise 7-6, 7-5 defeat to Hungarian Melinda Czink in the second round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open. The 11th seed led by a break in both sets but fell to defeat in an hour and 50 minutes.

Ana started well. She broke Czink, against whom she had not lost a set in three previous encounters, and led 2-0.

However, Czink broke back and levelled at 3-3. Two more breaks were exchanged before a tiebreak ensued. The tiebreak was in fact a microcosm of the set as a whole, with Ana leading 3-0 only to let the lead slip and lose it 8-6.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Ana leading 3-1 only to surrender the advantage. The set looked to be headed into a tiebreak, only for Ana to be broken at 5-5, and then Czink closed out victory.

Ana's serve was the key problem today, as she made 11 double faults.

Ana's next tournament is the Rogers Cup in Toronto, which begins on Monday.

Ana's 1st Round Interview

2009-08-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open official web site post Ana's interview after her win against Oudin in first Round.

Q. Considering the first set, must be pretty happy with the way you came back?
ANA IVANOVIC: I did. First set I didn't start so well, and I had lots of unforced errors and lots of double faults. I mean, three I served three double faults in a row.
But you know, then in the second set, on the break after the first set, I just tried to talk to myself and just try to convince myself I have to be aggressive and play the way I should play and not wait for mistake and not try to be too careful.
That's what I did, and I relaxed a lot on my serve and it started coming a lot faster. Actually, I didn't been serving the fastest I have in the long while. Pretty happy about that.
Obviously with the rain it's never easy, but, you know, really happy to get through that.

Q. It looks like you're changing your serve. It looks like you're shortening it.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yes, I did that after, yeah, L.A., because I had some issues a little bit with my shoulders. You know, just taking some pressure off it. It feels a lot better.
You know, I still generate lots of power. Actually it's faster than it was. Pretty happy about that.
Just no have to practice that and just repetition will give me confidence.

Q. It's difficult when you change your serve later in your career. Well, not later, but after years of playing one way.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, well, I'm so confused right now it doesn't matter. I changed it -- in the past two months, I changed it lots of times, five or six times, just trying to figure out what feels most natural and what is gonna give me the most power and most consistency.
Hopefully I found it, because I just tried it on practice the other day and it felt pretty good straightaway, so hopefully it will stay that way.

Q. Why did you change it in the first place?
ANA IVANOVIC: That's a good question.

Q. Because you had a good serve.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I had a really good serve. But then I had some issues with the ball toss. I think it was just at the moment, because I was maybe tight in one of the matches. You know, it just happens.
But then I start changing it and I started making a big issue out of it. The more I thought about it, the more pressure I put on myself trying to hit the perfect serve instead of just relaxing, so it went down the pipe pretty far.
Just happy that now I'm feeling, you know, a lot better with it. Obviously, you know, ball toss, it's gonna be off few times. But it's just normal, and now I feel confident to stop it and to start again.

Q. You parted company with Scott?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yes.

Q. What was behind that?
ANA IVANOVIC: You know, working with someone three years it's a long time. He was coming from Australia and we spent a lot of time together because he wasn't going back that often. It just gets to a point when you stop maybe learning from each other and stop improving. It's best to take some break.
It was just, I think, best for both of us to have some break and some fresh opinions.

Q. Is it sort of funny him not being here?
ANA IVANOVIC: It is. You know, you get used to being around. So now I'm actually traveling with my mom mostly, and before I used to have four or five people. So I'm like, Where has everyone gone?
No, I feel really good, because also made me realize more thing on my own, what I'm doing and what helps me to play good, these kind of things, rather than relying on people telling me certain things.
I think it's a learning process, and it made me also a lot more mature.

Q. Do I think you'll sort of go a while without having a proper coach?
ANA IVANOVIC: At the moment I think my fitness is at a pretty good level, and a lot of fitness comes from practicing and from intense tennis sessions. That's what I need in order to play well anyway.
So just focus on that and then do a lot of just stretching and recovery off the court and prevent little injuries that I had.
In a couple week's, month's time, I'm gonna look into that again, having a full time coach for preparation, obviously, for next year.

Q. Stop thinking for now.
ANA IVANOVIC: Thanks. Yeah, relax and enjoy

Order Of Play - 12 August 2009 (Cincinnati)

2009-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today Ana will play her second match. She will play on Grandstand. The first match beginn at 11:00 AM.

1. Alisa Kleybanova vs. Vera Zvonareva
2.Alexandra Wozniac vs. Caroline Wozniacki
3.Melinda Czink vs. Ana Ivanovic
4.Alisa Kleybanova/Ekaterina Makarova vs. Flavia Pennetta/Lisa Raymond
5.Ipek Senoglu/Yaroslava Shvedova vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Nadia Petrova

Ana vs. Melanie Oudin Photos

2009-08-30T21:11:00.001-07:00

Ana won in 1st Round in Cincinnati

2009-08-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ana beat American qualifier Melanie Oudin 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinatti.

The match was characterized by a delay for bad weather mid-way through the second set and a most dramatic turn of events on match point.

Ana, seeded 11th here, had a mixed serving day. She hit eight aces but tempered that impressive effort with nine double faults. She began the match in shaky fashion and was twice broken in the first set. But she regrouped admirably, winning the next two for the loss of just two games.

Six of those double faults came in a forgettable first set, but Ana overpowered her opponent thereafter, completely dominating the American.

A storm brought play to a premature halt as Ana led 4-1 in the final set. When they returned an hour or so later, Ana earned a match point. Oudin's shot was called "in" on her side of the court, but she challenged it and Hawk-Eye determined that the ball was in fact out, and so Ana sealed a one hour and 28 minute victory.

The 21-year-old will face Melinda Czink in the second round after the Hungarian beat Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 6-2.

Tennis Ranking Update

2009-08-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ana don't change her ranking. Today WTA posted the new ranking. Safina lead with 9601 points.

1.Dinara Safina RUSSIA
2.Serena Williams USA
3.Venus Williams USA
4.Elena Dementieva RUSSIA
5.Jelena Jankovic SERBIA
6.Svetlana Kuznetsova RUSSIA
7.Vera Zvonareva RUSSIA
8.Caroline Wozniacki DENMARK
9.Victoria Azarenka BELARUS
10.Nadia Petrova RUSSIA
11.Ana Ivanovic SERBIA
12.Flavia Pennetta ITALY
13.Marion Bartoli FRANCE
14. Agnieszka Radwanska POLAND
15.Amelie Mauresmo FRANCE
16.Dominica Cibulkova SLOVAKIA
17.Samantha Stosur AUSTRALIA
18.Na Li CHINA
19.Viginie Razzano FRANCE
20.Patty Schnyder SWITZERLAN

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open Draw

2009-08-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ana will face a qualifier in the first round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati, which begins on Monday. The 21-year-old is seeded 11th in a field that includes all of the world's top 15-ranked players.

Ana would play either Frenchwoman Alize Cornet or Hungary's Melinda Czink in round two, with eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki a potential opponent in round three.

Fourth seed Elena Dementieva is Ana's most likely opponent in the quater-finals, while No.2 Serena Williams or No.5 Jelena Jankovic could await in the last four.

The leading seeds in the top half of the draw, whom Ana cannot meet until the final, are No.1 Dinara Safina, No.3 Venus Williams, No.6 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.7 Vera Zvonareva.

The total prize money at the Premier event is $2million and there are 800 ranking points on offer to the winner. The tournament features the return to competitive action of former world No.1 Kim Clijsters, who has not played a Tour event in over two years.

LA Championships Photos - 3rd Round - Ana vs. Samantha Stosur

2009-08-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

Ana's interview after 3rd Round lose in Los Angeles

2009-08-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic lost to Sam Stosur, 6-3, 6-2, on Thursday at the LA Women’s Tennis Championships. After the match, the always-thoughtful Ivanovic was disappointed, but still feeling positive about her first tournament back since Wimbledon:

“I really went through a lot in the last couple of months,” said Ivanovic, who could be referring to a number of traumatic events, including dropping out of the top 10 in June, hiring and firing and rehiring coaches and fitness trainers, and crashing out of Wimbledon with an injury. “But it made me stronger. I know which direction I want to go. I feel like all I need is a little more matches and a little more competition.”

Ivanovic, who admitted to pushing herself to the point of exhaustion and finding herself “a little over-trained” this season, says she’s finally taken control of her tennis destiny:

I have to be more open and communicate. Because in the past I just felt like maybe I would hurt my coach by saying “Look, let’s just take it easy” or I would get judged by him because I’m not tough enough.

I learned that I can speak a little more open and can say to them (my coaches) “Look maybe I need to take a couple of days off.” It’s working really well for me. I have the feeling, you know, that I’m not here to please them.

It’s no accident that Ivanovic sounds like she’s spent some time with Dr. Phil Except in Ana’s case, the therapist’s couch is a bench at Borders:

“I still like (reading) psychology, and almost every day since I’ve been here I go to Borders and just sit and read there. I always find myself wandering around that area (psychology section,) but I force myself to sort of go back and read something else. Because it gets you thinking a lot and I’m already doing that more than enough. So I should just read some fiction maybe.”

Ana’s current reading material? John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster.

IVANOVIC ELIMINATED AT LA CHAMPIONSHIPS

2009-08-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

Ana lost to Australian world No.19 Samantha Stosur in the third round of the Los Angeles Women's Tennis Championships. The 21-year-old never found her range and fell to defeat after an hour and two minutes.

Ana began reasonably well, holding serve comfortably as the scores were tied at 2-2. The sixth seed was aggressive with her return game and earned a break point in the fifth game, which she should have taken. However, she missed a simple forehand volley and Stosur held to lead 3-2.

The Australian broke Ana in the eighth game and served out the set.

Stosur had the momentum and she put pressure on the 21-year-old's serve early on in the second set, breaking her twice early on. Ana got a break back but could not avoid defeat against the big-serving 13th seed.

Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic nominated for the 2009 Jefferson Award

2009-08-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic have been nominated for the prestigious 2009 Jefferson Award presented by All Stars Helping Kids for Outstanding Public Service by an Athlete.

Venus Williams has been an Ambassador of Gender Equality for the UNESCO-Tour Gender Equity Program since 2006. Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are involved with UNICEF, and both are UNICEF National Ambassadors to Serbia.

Williams, Ivanovic and Jankovic joined basketball star Steve Nash, retired women’s soccer player Mia Hamm, and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh in the nominee list.
They hope to join an incredibly impressive list of past winners, including Oprah Winfrey, American Senator Ted Kennedy, and Bill & Melinda Gates.

LA Championships Photos - 2nd Round - Ana vs. Vania King

2009-08-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

From Zimbio.com

From Getty Images

p.s. Special thanks to these sites!

Ana Ivanovic missing the pressure of top ranking

2009-08-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Ana Ivanovic talked about pressure as if it were a lost love.

"I realized how much I missed it and how it made me sharper, and, in some ways, more focused.

"Then I realized I wanted it back."
At the L.A. Women's Tennis Championships on Tuesday night in Carson, she played without it, at least the intense public kind, because the ranking "No. 1" is no longer in front of her name, and it hasn't been since she had it for two stints of 12 weeks last year.
The opponent was Vania King, a Long Beach resident who the night before sang the national anthem at the Dodgers' game.

The last person Ivanovic had played in a competitive match was Venus Williams at Wimbledon. That was 36 days ago.
At times, Ivanovic, now ranked No. 11, looked an effigy of the player who had a Grand Slam win and two other Slam finals appearances on her resume before she could legally drink in the U.S.
And at other times, the 21-year-old Serbian was overpowering, though her serve didn't reach the 124-mph mark she once became known for.
Still, Ivanovic won a gritty match, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, and had to hold off King, who came back from a 4-1 deficit in the first set to make it 5-4.
Ivanovic, who won this event in 2007 and is expected to meet No. 1-seeded (and No. 1-ranked) Dinara Safina in this year's quarterfinals, had several long or wide returns, and twice balls bounced wildly off her racket, one even ricocheting behind her.
"I really felt content," Ivanovic said after the match. "Vania's serve was getting me frustrated, but otherwise I felt happy the way I was moving and playing.
"Obviously, it's my first tournament, first match, so I really feel like I have lots of possibilities to build up from this. Overall, just happy to have victory and opportunity to play another match."
Ivanovic's coach Sven Groeneveld, who has worked with her for four years, said Ivanovic had to get out of her comfort zone because King was playing too well.
"Vania forced her to do that, so in a way it's very nice to get through this match," he said.
King has faced Ivanovic twice before, losing both times, and said in the beginning that the former No. 1 player was overpowering but that Ivanovic got a little bit nervous.
"You can tell on her face that she was getting a little bit agitated," King said. "For her, it's her first match of the tournament and people expect her to win."
That part, the expectations, the pressure -- it has been a slow climb back to that for Ivanovic, who after finals appearances at the 2007 French Open, the '08 Australian Open, and then a win at the '08 French Open, seemed to be one of tennis' premier talents.
Then, a combination of injuries, failures to advance beyond early rounds of major tournaments and several coaching changes left her at No. 11.
Wimbledon became her third Grand Slam this year in which she failed to advance beyond the third round. The loss to Williams was particularly disappointing because Ivanovic showed signs of her old self but landed awkwardly and injured her thigh. She couldn't continue and left Centre Court in tears.
After that, she took a break from tennis.
"I think it was maybe a good thing, especially because Wimbledon was quite disappointing and quite painful," she said Monday. "I really struggled after that for a while, so it was good to be away and forget and start fresh."
Looking back, she has regrets about her efforts to do better, to regain her lost confidence.
"I maybe made a little mistake because when, all of the sudden, I wasn't doing as well, I started looking for answers in all the wrong places," she continued.
"I wanted to change things and improve or work in different areas instead of sticking with what felt good."

from Los Angeles Times

Ana win in the 1st Round of LA Championships

2009-08-30T20:58:00.001-07:00

Ana Ivanovic's return to the WTA Tour began with a forehand winner on the run Tuesday night. It continued with moments of uncertainty that included struggles with her backhand and her ball toss. It then ended with another forehand winner on the run.

Returning to competitive tennis is one thing. Returning to competitive form is quite another, however.

Ivanovic proved as much during a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Vania King in the second round of the L.A. Women's Tennis Championships at Home Depot Center. It was Ivanovic's first match and her first victory since suffering a thigh injury at Wimbledon.

Second-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia played against Shuai Peng of China in the late match, one made that much later by the fact that King battled Ivanovic for the better part of their 1-hour, 49-minute test of nerves on the stadium court.

After a superb start that led to a 5-1 lead over King in the opening set, reality caught up with Ivanovic. Suddenly, she lost her way. She would win the first set, 6-4, but there were signs of impending trouble, starting with a wonky backhand and ball toss.

King, a 20-year-old from Long Beach, punished Ivanovic for her mistakes. She took the second set and seemed on the verge of an upset. She lost her nerve in the third, however, and soon enough, Ivanovic had her first victory since Wimbledon.

It has been a rocky road for the Serb since her victory in Carson in 2007, one filled unithunpredictable twists and turns. She went on to win the French Open in 2008 and zoomed to a No. 1 ranking in the world.

A string of injuries pushed her off her lofty perch, however.

Ivanovic pulled out of her match against Venus Williams at Wimbledon because of a thigh injury. She's also had a thumb injury, a viral illness and a knee injury since climbing to No. 1. Ivanovic, 21, is seeded sixth in Carson and is ranked 11th in the world.

King, a 20-year-old wild-card entrant, defeated Sybille Bammer of Austria, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round Monday, then jumped in a car and sang the national anthem before the Dodgers-Milwaukee Brewers game.

King and Ivanovic played twice before Tuesday's match, with Ivanovic winning each. Ivanovic seemed destined for another easy victory after taking a 5-1 lead in the first set. The No.106 ranked King pushed her over the course of the next 12 games, however.

"In the beginning, I felt like she was overpowering me," King said. "She was just hitting too hard for me. (Then) she lost her confidence a little bit. I think both of us were up and down a lot in this match.

"You could tell on her face that she was getting agitated. This was big for her. It's her first match (since Wimbledon)."

King said she felt in control throughout the second set and into the third. She also said she lost her edge when Ivanovic took a 3-1 lead to start the third.

"That's when it got away from me," she said.

That's also when Ivanovic reclaimed her game and finished off King.

Ana Ivanovic advances in LA Championships

2009-08-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Former title winner Ana Ivanovic overcame a mid-match slump before advancing to the third round of the LA Championships with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory against American wildcard Vania King.

The sixth seeded Serb was joined in the last 16 by second ranked Vera Zvonareva, who was pushed all the way in the night match before edging out China's Shuai Peng 3-6 6-3 7-6 in two hours, 19 minutes.

Seeking her first title since Oct. 2008, Ivanovic struggled with King's relentless counterpunching in the first two sets but in the final set, last year's French Open champion was able to overpower her plucky opponent.

"I felt happy with the way I was moving and playing," said Ivanovic, on court for the first time since a thigh injury forced her to retire from a Wimbledon fourth round match against Venus Williams in late June.

"It's just the first match and I have the ability to improve. I had an opportunity a few times to put the ball away but had a little doubt in my mind as to which shot to take."

King, who grew up in nearby Long Beach, was frustrated with her inability to trust her shots in the latter stages of her tussle with the 2007 champion.

"I was nervous," King said. "It's something I've struggled with, getting a mental block because they're in the top 10, but I think I'm doing a much better job of staying mentally tough."

from Telegraph (UK)

Ana's Peugeot Photoshoots

2009-08-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

Ana make a photoshoots for Peugeot. Here are the photos:

Ana's new Verano Group Photoshoots

2009-08-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic's site post yesterday four photos from Ana's Photoshoots for Verano Group.

Ana's adidas/UNICEF t-shirts on sale in Serbia

2009-08-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ana will be donating all the money that has been raised from her new Adidas clothing line to the “Schools without Violence” campaign. The new clothing line will feature six shirts in three categories: for women, girls and unisex, all of which where decided on by her fans through voting on her website. Ana talked about her charitable act.

“This is a great idea and a very useful campaign. Not only will we raise money for the UNICEF ‘Schools without Violence’ campaign and help its application in schools around Serbia, but we will also raise awareness of the importance of UNICEF’s work on promoting the rights of children,”

“The shirts are amazingly designed and I love wearing them.”

The "Schools without Violence" program is something very important to Ana. The goal of the program is to reduce violence among Serbian schools to create a more safe and fun environment for the students, teachers and entire community.

Ana in Vogue Photos

2009-08-22T20:53:00.001-07:00

Ana in Vogue Video

2009-08-22T20:52:00.001-07:00

Ana with Adam Scott in British Open

2009-08-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic watches the group of Adam Scott of Australia during round one of the 138th Open Championship on the Ailsa Course, Turnberry Golf Club on July 16 and 17, 2009 in Turnberry, Scotland.

Pictures:

Ana in Vogue Interview

2009-08-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ace Interrupted

After tumbling from her perch at the top, the unassuming but determined tennis champion Ana Ivanovic plots her comeback to center court. By Rebecca Johnson.

Photographed by Norman Jean Roy.

When 21-year-old Ana Ivanovic became the number-one player in the world by winning the French Open last year, she, her family, and her entourage celebrated with a dinner for 30 in Paris. Afterward, her male coaching staff, dressed in her tennis dresses (the consequences of a lost bet), posed for pictures in front of the Arc de Triomphe carrying the champion in their arms. In the photograph, everyone—especially Ivanovic—is grinning as wide as they can. For a young Serbian girl raised in the shadow of war, it was, she says, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Women’s tennis also rejoiced. The sport has never spawned a brat like John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors, but lately, the top competitors tend to be either frighteningly fierce or just plain miserable. When number-one seed Justine Henin (just plain miserable) surprised everyone by retiring at the age of 25 last year, the void set off a scramble for the top spot. The Williams sisters seem the natural choice, but 28 and 29 are old for a game so physically punishing. The fact that they have branched out into other interests—fashion, interior design, acting—makes the whispers only louder.

Of the remaining contenders, Ivanovic stood out for two things—her beauty, obviously, but also her personality, which is unfailingly polite and gracious. “Ana Ivanovic is very good for women’s tennis, and not just because she’s good-looking,” says Steve Tignor, the executive editor of Tennis Magazine. “She doesn’t just hit the ball hard; she’s smooth. She makes it look effortless. She also happens to be a nice, well-rounded person. She comes into the press conference and makes jokes. She’s not defensive. The fact that she’s a normal person at the top of her sport is really rare—the normal people tend to get weeded out as they go up.” Everyone agreed: Ana Ivanovic made an excellent number one.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always follow the script. Weeks after her career-changing victory at the French Open, Ivanovic lost at Wimbledon to a Chinese player ranked 133rd in the world. The New York Times called her “unrecognizable” as the girl who had kissed the trophy in Paris. It went from bad to worse later that summer at the U.S. Open, where she didn’t even make it past the second round, losing to a 188th-ranked French player who had considered dropping out of tennis altogether only weeks earlier. When Ivanovic returned to the French Open this year, hopes were high a new coach might help her pull off a repeat victory, but she lost in the fourth round.

Ana, Ana, Ana. Her fans have begun to wonder. What has happened?

Ivanovic smiles serenely at the question. (Imagine being 21 and grilled about your failures: “Why, exactly, did your last paper on Henry James suck so badly?”) “Becoming number one was great, but it was tough,” she answers in her rapid-fire English. “All of a sudden, everybody is chasing you. I wanted to stay there really badly, and I was thinking, Oh, now I have to work really hard to stay there.” The problem is, she was already working hard. She is the first to admit that she isn’t necessarily the most gifted player (growing up, she usually finished number two), but she has endured through sheer force of will. “Talent will only take you so far,” she says. “Tennis is all about personality. Sometimes you get bored. It can be really monotonous. But you have to see the big picture and keep working.”

It is, however, possible to work too hard. “Maybe I am a bit of a perfectionist,” she continues. “The pressure from the media was so intense, it was overwhelming, and that’s when I got injured.” It happened in Spain, where she had gone to recover after her lackluster Wimbledon performance by training with some male players. “Hitting the ball hard is a release of the tension for me,” she says. The more pressure, the more tension. The more tension, the more she needed the release. Something had to give. Her thumb, to be exact.

Once she finally got an accurate diagnosis (a cyst), her doctor forbade her to play any tennis for two weeks, leaving her less than one week to prepare for that now-famous disaster in New York. Since that crushing defeat, she has spent a lot of time thinking about how not to think. “At night I would lie in bed and think about my game. I got to the point I felt I needed to get away from tennis a little.”

Ana's Personal Hero

2009-08-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

WTA Tour make an interview with the top player about their personal heroes:

WTA couples

2009-08-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Carrie Milbank takes a look at the hottest WTA couples.Ana and Scott is the one of the hottest cuoples.

Video:

Ana in Vogue

2009-08-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic is featured in the latest issue of American Vogue magazine. The photo you can see in quality very soon or in Vogue August 2009.

Ana watches Adam Scott in Scotland 3 (photos)

2009-08-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic watches the group of Adam Scott during the Third Round of The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club on July 11, 2009 in Luss, Scotland.

Ana watches Adam Scott in Scotland 2 (photos)

2009-08-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic watches the group of Adam Scott during the Second Round of The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club on July 10, 2009 in Luss, Scotland.

Ana with Adam Scott in Scotland (photos)

2009-08-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ana watches the group of Adam Scott during the First Round of The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club on July 09, 2009 in Luss, Scotland.

Ana makes UNICEF donation

2009-08-22T20:44:00.003-07:00

Reacting to a recent incident of violence in a school in Serbia, Ana has again donated to UNICEF's School Without Violence Programme.

"It is very important for me to be a part of the School without Violence programme, which now encompasses 165 primary schools in Serbia," said Ana.

"It is of crucial importance that secondary schools join in as soon as possible and begin their fight against violence. I appeal to all people of good will to join us and help us create a network of safe schools in our country.

"We should all double the efforts and ensure that all pupils, teachers, parents and the wider local community become aware of the need for the respect of other people's rights, and that learning and developmental needs can be achieved only if other people are not put into danger."

Preliminary results of the programme, which Ana has supported since her UNICEF inauguration in 2007, show that there has been a positive change in the behaviour of both teachers and pupils; that more peaceful communication methods have been introduced in schools; and that pupils actively participate in the creation of a positive atmosphere.

"I am pleased to see the progress but there is a lot more work to be done," said Ana. "I really appreciate the efforts of UNICEF and everyone who supports us."

Ana's interview in The Guardian

2009-08-22T20:44:00.002-07:00

The following is a reproduction of Ana's interview:

"The forehand has been my favourite shot since I was a kid. I’ve always hit it pretty well, although it’s a longer stroke than most players. It’s quite flat too, without too much topspin, so it’s powerful. But because it’s quite a long stroke, it’s important that I am in the proper position to hit it, so preparation is crucial for me.

"To strengthen your groundstrokes, work on your technique and footwork, but within your own style. A simple footwork drill is to have a coach roll balls to you along the ground that you have to push back with your hand (without a racket). If you can reach the balls quickly, your pace and footwork is good.

"A basic drill I use to practise my forehand is to have someone feed me balls to the backhand/advantage court, which I have to run around before hitting inside-out forehands to the opponent’s backhand. These put the opponent on their back foot and open up the court, so while you may not hit a winner with the first shot, you will have a good opportunity to do so with the second or third. I aim for consistency at first, then I look to hit different trajectories.

"Focus on improving your consistency, so that in practice you are making as few errors as possible. This repetition will help you in a match; it’s true that there’s no substitute for practice."

Ranking Update

2009-08-22T20:44:00.001-07:00

Today WTA post new rankings of players. Ana moves with one position and now is Nr. 11 in the world. Serena Williams won Wimbledon, but she stay on second place in ranking list. Dinara Safina is Nr.1 again.

1.Dinara Safina
2.Serena Williams
3.Venus Williams
4.Elena Dementieva
5.Svetlana Kuznetsova
6.Jelena Jankovic
7.Vera Zvonareva
8.Victoria Azarenka
9.Caroline Wozniacki
10.Nadia Petrova
11.Ana Ivanovic
12.Dominica Cibulkova
13.Marion Bartoli
14.Agnieszka Radwanska
15.Flavia Pennetta
16.Amelie Mauresmo
17.Virginie Razzano
18.Na Li
19.Samantha Stosur
20.Anabel Medina Garrigues

The first Ana Ivanovic's bulgarian forum

2009-08-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hello, bulgarian Ana Ivanovic's fans! I and part of bulgarian fans make new forum about Anci - Ana's bulgarian forum!

Enjoy!

on the cover Novosti magazine

2009-08-22T20:41:00.001-07:00

This is the interview with Ana:

You say the best way to 'force' you into action is when somebody tells you: "You can't do it!" What is your way to deal with situations in which some things don't go in the direction you want them to?
That’s an interesting question. You definitely have to be mentally strong in this situation. Staying positive is not always easy, but it’s the only solution. You just have to always believe in yourself, and that you will achieve your goals in the end. The journey is never going to be easy, but it’s about how you deal with your setbacks and continue on your path. It’s important not to turn your losses into defeats.

Do you have any special mode of packing your suitcases? Whithout what item you would never go on a trip and you panic when you realise that you forgot to put it in your suitcase?
The most important things for me are my iPod, phone and a good book. I usually leave packing until the last minute so there is never much time to be very methodical about it! But I’ve packed so many times before that I have a good system in place.

You are the new face for Rolex watches. What is the meaning of time for you? Do you have an impression that it goes by too fast?
For sure! I feel like I’m still very young and my career is at the beginning, but it’s amazing to think that I played the junior Wimbledon final five years ago! And now I see these young players coming up, it definitely makes you realise that time goes by very quickly.

"I'm looking forward to getting back on court." - said Ana

2009-08-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ana post new diary today. She speaks about her injury and her play at Wimbledon.

It was a very disappointing end to Wimbledon. I think I have quite a high threshold for pain and have got through quite a few matches when I wasn’t feeling well, but on Monday the pain was too much. I couldn’t carry on.

On the positive side, the injury isn’t very serious. Unfortunately I had to wait almost four hours to see a doctor, which was quite stressful because I didn’t know how serious it was. Luckily it’s just a small tear and I’ll be able to train again in a week.

I have to give Venus a lot of credit for her performance. She is an unbelievable player on grass. She moves so well and can hit very powerfully even if she is off-balance.

Despite the way it ended, I have a lot of positives to take from this Wimbledon. Against Stosur I played one of my best matches of the year and I made some good progress with my new coaches from the adidas Player Development Programme. I’m excited about the rest of the season and, after a short holiday, I’m looking forward to getting back on court.

Love
Ana

Ana salutes Larry Scott

2009-08-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

Ana paid tribute to former Sony Ericsson WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott, who brought an end to his six-year tenure earlier this week. The 44-year-old left in order to become commissioner of the PAC-10, a major US college sports organization.

"I think that Larry was a great leader," said Ana. "He made many improvements to women's tennis, for example he signed the biggest ever sponsorship deal with Sony Ericsson.

"On many occasions he approached me to ask my opinion on a number of issues and I always appreciated that. He will be missed by a lot of people in women's tennis."

Scott's two top deputies, Stacey Allaster (President) and David Shoemaker (Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel) will serve as co-heads of the Tour until a new CEO is confirmed.

Injury frustrates tearful Ivanovic

2009-08-20T07:58:00.001-07:00

It is not easy to extract the positives from a 53-minute thrashing and an injury-enforced retirement, but Ana Ivanovic was doing her very best. Poor Ivanovic had managed to win just two games against Venus Williams when at 6-1, 0-1, she had to limp back to the locker room. Her Wimbledon was over. And she was in floods of tears.

Unfortunately for her, a player’s life is not all about tennis and training and there are other duties to be fulfilled before she can go home and collect her thoughts. So, having sobbed uncontrollably on No.1 Court in full view of the television cameras, she had to compose herself and face the world’s press and explain herself to them.

Bravely, she just about held it together as she spoke to the international press but by the time they had gone and she was left alone to talk to the Serbian journalists, she could contain herself no more and, again, she dissolved into tears. As disappointments go, this one ranked as one of the worst she had had to endure.

Ivanovic had had her chances, briefly, in the opening game as she held three break points, but the moment did not last. When that game escaped her, the match was pretty much one-way traffic as the champion ran away with the first set.

Then, in the opening game of the second set, Ivanovic suddenly felt a sharp pain in her thigh. She called for the trainer. She tried to play on but once that first game was over, she knew the game was up.

“I didn't feel anything up until that point,” she said more than an hour after the match and still looking red-eyed. “Over the past few days I felt muscle tightness, but that was normal after playing so much on the grass.

“Just when I was serving 30‑40 down in that first game, and after my first serve when I landed I just felt a sharp pain on my inner thigh and I couldn't step on my leg ever since.”

It had all been so different on Saturday. Then she had rushed past Samantha Stosur to book her appointment in the fourth round and felt that, at last, her game and her confidence were on the up. Back with her old coach, Sven Groeneveld, and working with Darren Cahill, she was feeling more comfortable on court and, consequently, her thumping ground strokes were beginning to find their mark again.

Ever since she won the French Open and claimed the number one ranking last year, Ivanovic has been struggling. It took her a lifetime to get to the top but once she got there, she was suddenly felled by vertigo. It is a long way down from the top spot and the thought of that drop paralysed her.

But drop she did and now, as the world’s 12th best player, she feels a little freer to play her game and under a little less pressure to produce the big results. Finally, Ivanovic was happy. And then her leg started to hurt and her world caved in again.

“Even though it was 6‑1, I still thought it was pretty close,” she said, gamely. “She played really well. She wasn't missing much. But, yeah, I just felt like maybe I should have had a fair chance to fight back.

“Obviously it's very disappointing especially [since] I felt my form was getting better and better. So, yeah, it's really frustrating.”

By this point, she was almost in tears again. A decent performance against Williams would have done wonders for her confidence and would have shown her rivals that she was getting back to something like her best. Instead she must wait to see what the doctors say about her injury – she was still waiting to undergo some tests – before she can plan the rest of her summer.

“I thought I had some chances in the first game of the first set,” she said. “It’s just frustrating because, like I said, I felt good out there. I was playing better each match. I just thought it was great challenge for me today to play against someone like Venus. And it’s just disappointing I didn't get the right chance to finish the match.”

Ana ivanovic crying Video from the Ana's 4th Round match

2009-08-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Venus sympathy over Ivanovic injury

2009-08-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Venus Williams was full of sympathy for Ana Ivanovic, after the latter was forced to retire from their fourth round match with a groin injury with the score at 6-1, 0-1.

Speaking after the match, the defending champion said: “You know me. I only pay attention to what’s going on my side of the net – but today I felt really sad for her.

“She was really upset. I think she was in a lot of pain. This is Wimbledon. It’s the last place you want to have an injury that you can’t overcome. So I’m wishing her a lot of luck in her recovery.”

“It happened in that last game. She’s tough and tried not to show it. But professional players are always in a little bit of pain of some sort. So you get used to the pain level but I guess it was something she couldn’t work through.”

Venus was cagey on the subject of her own left knee which has been heavily strapped since the end of last week, and was again today.

“I’m doing everything I can for my knee. This is Wimbledon, so it doesn’t matter how much pain I’m in, I’m going to keep playing.”

So how much pain exactly is she in? Venus grinned enigmatically.

“I’m still smiling,” she said. “That’s the life of a tennis player or any athlete. Tape and ice and all.”

So what of Wednesday’s quarter-final, where she will face the former junior Wimbledon champion Agnieszka Radwanska? Williams has played the Pole, seeded 11th here, twice this year and won both, although in Miami the match was not easy. Williams rolled her eyes at the memory.

“In Miami I had a day where I couldn’t do anything right,” she remembered. “That was a tough day. If I hit the ball crosscourt, it went down the line. She’s obviously very talented. She plays a different style game to most of the players in the top 10, but is very effective at it. Obviously she’s playing well to be in the quarter-final. Apparently she likes this surface. But I’ll continue with my methods.”

Time off is carefully managed at Wimbledon, with the emphasis on routine, and practice, and nothing too much out of the ordinary to upset the pattern of preparation. But Venus revealed that she is about to join her younger sister Serena posting on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

“I tried to go to see her site the other day but you have to be a member,” said Venus, sounding as reassuringly confused as any newcomer to Twitter. “I just got a page apparently. So today you’ll be able to see how I feel about it because I’m going to go on today.”

Ana's interview after 4th Round at Wimbledon

2009-08-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

Horrible way to go.

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. Uhm, that's the most disappointing thing because I felt like I wasn't given a fair chance, you know, to fight.

But, yeah, it was really disappointing, especially that, you know, all of a sudden I felt pain after that serve. And, yeah, I'm really disappointing.

Q. Did you have the problem in the first set?

ANA IVANOVIC: No, no, nothing. I didn't feel anything up until that point. Over past few days I felt muscle tightness, but that was, you know, normal after playing so much on the grass.

Just when I was serving 30‑40 down in that first game, and after my first serve when I landed I just felt a sharp pain on my inner thigh and I couldn't step on my leg ever since.

Q. It was very hot today on Centre Court. I think it was 31 degrees in the shade. Did the heat have anything to do with it?

ANA IVANOVIC: It was very hot, but I made sure I stayed hydrated. I had a lot to drink before the match and also last night. Yeah, it was a different day in London.

But, yeah, you know, I enjoyed. I thought I had some chances in the first game of the first set. Even though it was 6‑1, I still thought it was pretty close. She played really well. She wasn't missing much.

But, yeah, I just felt like, uhm, maybe I should have had a fair chance to fight back.

Q. Have you been given any indication yet how serious it is?

ANA IVANOVIC: Unfortunately doctor was not here yet. He's coming only later in the afternoon. So I'm gonna do the checkups later.

Q. How big a disappointment is it compared to anything else you've endured?

ANA IVANOVIC: Obviously it's very disappointing. You know, especially that I felt my form was getting better and better. So, yeah, it's really frustrating (tearing up.)

Q. Is that part of the problem, because you hadn't had the best year, but you were coming back?

NA IVANOVIC: Yeah, just frustrating because, like I said, I felt, you know, good out there. I was playing better each match. I just thought, you know, it was great challenge for me today to play against someone like Venus.

And, yeah, just disappointing I didn't get the right chance, you know, to finish the match.

Q. Will you go away from Wimbledon with a positive feeling, the fact that you think, Yeah, I was playing better, it was coming back?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I think I achieved a lot in the first week and I had some great matches and played some great tennis. And, uhm, yeah, I have to take some positives. Felt like I was in a right way and doing right things, and just have to keep doing that.

Yeah, look forward for next tournament.

Q. You said you felt you had a good chance against Venus. The first set didn't show that. Can you talk about that first set.

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I mean, I think if I would have managed to break the first game I think the first set would look a lot different. You know, even though the score was not indicating that, I thought was pretty close.

But, like I said, she wasn't making many mistakes. And, uhm, I just, you know, tried to hang in there, because it's hard to play like that full match.

But obviously she's great player. She was serving really well. It would have been, you know, tough match. You know, maybe the second set wouldn't be much different.

But still I felt like I should have at least had, you know, chance to try.

Q. There's been a bit of controversy about the Wimbledon playing committee admitting that good looks are a factor when they choose which female tennis players play on Centre Court. What do you think about that? Do you think good looks should be taken into consideration about who should be on the show courts?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, as far as I know, schedules are made on requests from WTA and ATP and also TV stations. So, uhm, I think everyone, you know, gets opportunity to play on Centre Court when they progress far.

But it's very hard. I think it's not easy to make schedule, you know. But, yeah, I really don't know.

Q. Do you think female tennis players should be chosen to play on Centre Court because of their tennis rather than what they look like?

ANA IVANOVIC: I think on the Centre Court we always have interesting matches. You know, there is lot of interesting matches and lot of good players out there.

So, uhm, you know, they have chance only to play one or two women's matches on the big courts, so it's very hard for them to choose, I think.

Q. You've been world No. 1 and French Open champion. Would it have been possible to have done that if you hadn't left your country at an early age to learn your tennis elsewhere?

ANA IVANOVIC: Uhm, no, I don't think. I still think, you know, where I come from, you know, it helped me to get where I am right now. I appreciate everything I had back there.

I think, you know, there were some tough times, there is no doubt about that. But I think in some way it made me stronger, made me appreciate much more what I had once I started traveling.

Obviously, I was very fortunate enough at a young age get sponsors from outside of Serbia, and I think that was a big step for my career. Maybe without that would be, you know, harder or taken longer time.

Q. When you look back at that time, obviously your experience is very positive. When other people are taken away by agents who spot the talent early, are there ever any who don't make the grade like you have?

ANA IVANOVIC: In Serbia, you mean?

Q. Generally speaking on the tour.

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I think it's very individual. So I think if a person is determined and motivated and has the talent, eventually it will come out. And, you know, with sponsors, obviously it comes maybe a little bit easier because you are in a position to travel earlier on and maybe get a wild cards for some bigger events.

But, you know, even if you just have a talent and keep working hard, I think you can get through.

I mean, when I started playing I started at the lowest level, and I didn't have wild cards for a Grand Slam when I started. Also I think it's possible with the hard work to get there.

Q. How hard do you think it's going to be for anyone to beat Venus this week?

ANA IVANOVIC: Uhm, it's gonna be tough. I mean, she's a great player, and she obviously enjoys playing here and competing. She seems she's in a good form. So, yeah, it's gonna be tough.

Q. Do you think she's the favorite for the title?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I think definitely she has good chance.