News Archive

   NEWS of  Pacific Life Open

 12.03.2006
          Ana eased to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Severine Bremond in the second round of the Pacific Life Open. The 18-year-old had too much firepower for the world No.119 and triumphed in 66 minutes.
    Ana broke in the fourth and sixth games of the first set and in the first, fifth and seventh games of the second set. Though she was twice broken herself, an impressive first serve percentage of 71 helped Ana ease to victory.
    Another encouraging point for Ana was that she took advantage of five of the nine break point opportunities she created (56%), while she saved eight out of the 10 she faced (80%). Before this match break points had been one of the scourges of Ana’s season so far as she failed to fully capitalise on her chances.

     By Gavin Versi  www.anaivanovic.com

I was happy with my first match. I felt I served well and I was also pleased with how I moved. I made some mistakes but I was able to increase the level of my game in the second set.
    I like this surface. It’s a medium-paced hard court and it seems to suit my game. I feel good on the courts here and able to develop my game.
     Concerning organisation, player facilities, transportation and hotels, Indian Wells is one of the best tournaments. The tournament staff work hard to make sure that we are kept happy. They do a great job.
     Staying in the desert, it is very different from being at other tournaments. It is quiet here but there are lots of restaurants with excellent food. The nature is amazing, definitely my favourite thing about the place. You can see the mountains above the desert and palm trees everywhere.
    Bye for now
     Ana   From Ana`s diary  www.anaivanovic.com

In the 3d round Ana will faced with American Shenay Perry (94-st number in rating WTA).  Last match with Perry Ana won with difficulty at last Australian Open.

   NEWS of  Pacific Life Open

13.03.2006
          Ana is into the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open. She thrashed American Shenay Perry 6-1, 6-3 in the last match of the day at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens to set up a meeting with Russian Anna Chakvetadze.
     On a cold night in front of few spectators on the stadium court, Ana raced into a 3-0 lead, twice breaking the world No.94 thanks to a combination of clean, powerful hitting and unforced errors by Perry. She wrapped up the opening set inside half an hour, breaking Perry four times as she attacked the American’s second serve mercilessly.
     Perry made a better start to the second set, holding serve for the first time and even earning three break points for a 2-1 lead. Ana saved them all and the set went with serve until the 18-year-old converted her sixth break point of the set to move 4-2 ahead. Ana, who wore a cute, form fitting adidas outfit despite the chilly conditions, outplayed Perry in every department and sealed victory in one hour and eight minutes.
     Chakvetadze, the world No.36, upset eleventh seed and fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-3 earlier in the day. Ana has twice played the 19-year-old and won on both occasions. The first encounter was in the final of the Batumi ITF Women’s Circuit event in Georgia, on hard courts, and ended in a 6-3, 6-3 win for Ana; in their other match Ana won 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 on the clay of Rome last year.

     By Gavin Versi  www.anaivanovic.com

   NEWS of  Pacific Life Open

  14.03.2006
          Ana has reached the quarter-finals of the Pacific Life Open. She beat Russian Anna Chakvetadze 6-3, 6-3 to set up a meeting with fourth seed Elena Dementieva. It will be the third Tier I quarter-final of Ana's career following her last eight appearances in Miami and Zurich last year.
     Ana was always in control of the match, which lasted just 67 minutes. She took the opening set without facing a single break point despite a modest first serve percentage of 58. Three breaks in the second set, in which Ana won an incredible 74 per cent of points on the Chakvetadze serve, sealed a comfortable victory for the Serbian.
     The 18-year-old has not dropped a single set in her opening three matches here. In fact, she is yet to concede more than three games in any set.
     Ana has never played world No.8 Dementieva. The Russian reached the last eight by beating China’s Na Li 6-3, 6-2 in the match that preceded Ana’s on Court 3.

       By Gavin Versi  www.anaivanovic.com

   NEWS of  Pacific Life Open

  16.03.2006
          The tennis equivalent of the game of two halves was played out at the Pacific Life Open this lunchtime, as Ana dominated the beginning of her quarter-final match with Elena Dementieva only to lose in three sets. The 18-year-old eventually went down 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to the fourth seeded Russian.
     Ana revealed to us during the Australian Open earlier this year that she is not a fan of early starts but that certainly was not in evidence today as she flew out of the blocks, breaking Dementieva in the third game and losing only one point in her own opening two service games.
    As expected, the 24-year-old produced a string of double faults – she had served 45 in this event coming into the match – and Ana capitalised on the deficiencies in her delivery to break again and move 4-1 ahead. Though she was broken herself in the next game, Ana was moving freely and timing the ball superbly. A succession of hard, flat groundstrokes overwhelmed the Russian as Ana completely bossed the first set.
     As she sealed the opening set 6-2 then broke immediately in the first game of the second, Ana had one foot in the semi-finals. It was here that the match began to turn round. The Serbian missed four game points in her next service game that would have seen her move 2-0 ahead and Dementieva’s quality of tennis began to increase. She broke back immediately.
     Serving at 1-2, Ana hit one of several outrageous recovery shots that were a highlight of the one hour, 53 minute match. However, a double fault at the wrong moment allowed Dementieva to break and though the Russian stumbled somewhat, she sealed the second set by breaking Ana in the tenth game to level the match at 2-6, 6-4.
    Ana, who made frequent, familiar self-encouraging cries of “ajde” during the opening two sets, appeared to be extremely disappointed at dropping the second set and she slammed her racket against the ground as she made her way to the chair.
    As she often does, Dementieva took a bathroom break and when the match resumed was a different player to the one that Ana had dominated in the first set. The Russian raced into a 5-0 lead while the crowd, which had gathered steadily, having been virtually non-existent at the 11am start, fell quiet.
    Though Ana managed to pull two games back it was too late and Dementieva, the world No.8, sealed a place in the quarter-finals on her third match point when Ana netted a backhand.
   
       By Gavin Versi  www.anaivanovic.com