News Archive

   NEWS of  Roland Garros

 27.05.2006
      Ana Ivanovic was seeded 19th on the Roland Garros, started Sunday. Very unchancy turn out to be the draw for Ana . In the first round she will play against Samantha Stosur from Australia (43th number of WTA ranking), which has defeated Аna on the last of tournament Grand Slam in Australia. 
     Stosur presently in good form, she is the finalist of tournament in Prague two weeks ago.
    If Аna overcomes Stosur further then in the third round one of her possible opponents can become the  Roland Garros-2004 winner Anastasia Myskina, while last year's winner and favourite Justine Henin-Hardenne is a possible 4th round opponent.     

   NEWS of  Roland Garros

30.05.2006
      In a flawless display of power tennis, Ana demolished Samantha Stosur 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open. It was sweet revenge for Ana, who had lost to the Australian in Melbourne earlier this year.
    The first set was over in just 24 minutes, with Ivanovic punishing every short ball while Stosur won just seven points on her service for the set. 
    In the second Ivanovic raced to a 5-1 lead and was serving for the match when Stosur managed to break.

    “I think I played really good today,” said Ana. “I was pleased with the way I moved, the way I was stepping into the court, also the serve was very good. I’m going to try and keep this level and improve with each game.”
   Ana lost the opening two points but thereafter she was rampant, dominating her opponent by unleashing a flurry of huge forehands. She raced through the opening set in just 24 minutes as Stosur struggled to get into the points.
    “When I played her in Australia I was a little bit impatient and rushing,” said Ana. “Today my tactics were much better and it feels really good to get this victory, especially because I lost to her last time.”
    Ana broke in the fourth and sixth games of the second set and though she was broken for the first time as she served for the match at 5-1, she sealed a 63-minute victory that was as good as any first round match she has ever played. “Everything worked well,” said Ana with a smile.
    It was an especially impressive performance by Ana considering the difficult windy, temperate climate and the fact that she had not played since injuring her thigh in Berlin three weeks ago.
    Ana said: “It was a little bit difficult, but I was trying to watch the ball. I just felt good on the court. Also I had some confidence because I had some really good practice last week.”
   Despite the conditions, Ana produced some of her cleanest hitting of the year. She maintained an excellent depth and blazed 35 winners against just 19 unforced errors. She also hit the fastest serve of the tournament so far, a 194kph bullet, as well as four aces.
    Stosur was only able to hold serve twice, as Ana piled pressure on the Australian. Rather than going for outright return winners Ana would hit aggressive returns before waiting for her opportunities to finish the points.
    “It’s important that I keep this level and try and play at a higher level,” Ana said. “It was good that I didn’t make many unforced errors, that’s something I have been working on.”
    Ana will face Frenchwoman Emilie Loit in the second round on Thursday. The other seed in Ana’s sector of the draw, Anastasia Myskina, beat Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-1 earlier in the day.

By Gavin Versi     www.anaivanovic.com 

Match statistics (in English)

   NEWS of  Roland Garros

01.06.2006
      Ana has only played seven matches at Roland Garros in her short career but already she has ended the hopes of three home favourites. Today she demolished Frenchwoman Emilie Loit 6-1, 6-1 to set up a third round meeting with tenth seed Anastasia Myskina.
     “It was kind of a tough match,” said Ana. “I played my game and didn’t really give her the chance to play hers. I took all my chances and I was a little bit luckier than her.”
      In truth, that is a modest statement from Ana, who was by far the superior player. Loit held her opening service game but thereafter it was one-way traffic as Ana seized control of the match. She won the first set in just 25 minutes amid a litany of errors from her opponent.
     “I think she can play a lot better than that,” said Ana. “But part of that is because I didn’t let her play her game.”
    Illustrating her adaptability, Ana played a different style of match to the one that overwhelmed Samantha Stosur in the first round. Whereas that performance was one of unbridled power, Ana demonstrated plenty of variety here. She hit a number of looping, topspin backhands, which are the forte of the Frenchwoman, but turned up the heat when necessary.
     Ana said: “I tried to get into the rhythm, to play more spin and keep her back, so I could come into the court. It was also a little bit windy so I had to try and get into the rhythm. It was working well, so I didn’t have the need to change anything.”
     Such an approach was reflected in the match statistics: Ana hit a restrained total of 16 winners, but made only 17 unforced errors.
    Ana took her form from the first set into the second, breaking immediately as she breezed to her most comprehensive victory of the year in just 47 minutes.
     “High percentage!” joked Ana when told that she has now ousted three Frenchwomen from the tournament in the past two years. “I enjoy so much coming back here and playing. I’m just taking it step by step and enjoying every moment.”

By Gavin Versi     www.anaivanovic.com 

Match statistics (in English)

   NEWS of  Roland Garros

03.06.2006
      Tenth seed Anastasia Myskina produced a brilliant performance to end Ana’s French Open dream. The 2004 Roland Garros champion triumphed 6-2, 6-3 in a hugely impressive display of reactionary tennis.
     “She played a very good match,” said Ana. “She didn’t give me much chance. She was hitting the ball all over the court. I tried to put her under pressure and get into the court and change the rhythm, but everything I tried to do, she had the answer. She was just playing better today.”
     By her own admission, it was a nervous start by Ana. Though she won the opening two points of the match, she hit three successive unforced errors and was immediately broken. Myskina was playing within herself, keeping the ball in court for long enough to draw mistakes from the 18-year-old.
     It wasn’t until she was down a double-break at 1-4 that Ana began to show her capabilities. She hit a flurry of crushing forehands but, to her frustration, shots that would go for winners against most players were returned thanks to Myskina’s excellent retrieval skills.
    Ana said: “She was running very well. Some shots I was very surprised how she got them back, and so deep. So I had to start the point all over again. She just played great tennis today.”
     Though she missed two break points, Ana was more into the match at the end of the first set, and the nerves appeared to have gone away. However, Myskina remained firmly on top, brilliantly counter-punching and, like a jujitsu fighter, using Ana’s power against her. “She’s very good at that,” said Ana.
     “But also, when I tried to change the rhythm and play some high balls and slice, she would hit winners from the middle of the court.”
     The Russian broke Ana in the opening game of the second set. Serve matched serve for the next seven games, though Ana created opportunities for herself as Myskina served at 2-3. “I had a little bit of a chance but I had a couple of mis-hits, which was a little bit unlucky,” Ana said.
     The Serbian was unable to capitalise and, as she served to stay in the match, the Russian broke Ana once more to seal a 64-minute victory.
     Ana said: “Of course I’m a little bit disappointed, but I tried to do everything. Today it was not enough.”


By Gavin Versi     www.anaivanovic.com 

Match statistics (in English)

   NEWS of  Roland Garros

05.06.2006
      Clay season review

     Ana made several positive strides during the clay court season, but the injury she sustained in Berlin meant that it was a largely frustrating seven weeks.
     Summarising the period, Ana said: “Warsaw was okay. In Berlin I played really good for that set. I was a little bit unlucky with the injury because I was starting to feel really good on clay. I can move around and run very well.”
     Ana played 11 singles matches on clay this season and won seven of them. One of her four defeats occurred when she injured her thigh while leading Na Li 6-1 in Berlin. Her last match on the surface was a straight sets defeat to tenth seed Anastasia Myskina at the French Open on Sunday.
    “I played only three tournaments and I could not practice much before Roland Garros,” said Ana. “I think one week of preparation for this Grand Slam wasn’t enough, even though the practice went well. This is the top level and you cannot go with just one week of practice.”
     Results-wise, the highlight of Ana’s clay court season was undoubtedly her 6-3, 6-2 demolition of second seed Patty Schnyder in Warsaw. Previously Ana had not won a set against the Swiss in four matches.
     Ana, who also reached the doubles semi-final of the Polish event, was able to score that victory thanks in part to her improved footwork. The 18-year-old worked very hard on this aspect of her game with fitness coach Pierre Paganini, especially at the beginning of April before Ana competed in the Fed Cup.
     “I improved a lot on my movement,” Ana said. “I can run a lot better. It was not the case against Myskina though, because I was a little bit tense.
    “It’s something to learn from. I am pleased with the opportunity to play in Paris. I’m going to analyse it and make sure that I have a good preparation for Wimbledon.”
     Ana’s next tournament is the Ordina Open in s’Hertogenbosch, which begins on 19 June.

By Gavin Versi     www.anaivanovic.com