Ana Ivanovic is starting to look more and more like the Grand Slam champion she’s been in the past.
Ivanovic, 24, owns the 2008 French Open title and also reached two other major finals – the 2007 French Open and 2008 Australian Open – earlier in her career. But after that French Open victory injuries set in and her confidence crashed. While she’s captured 11 career titles – the last when she defended her Bali crown last fall – she didn’t win any trophies between the three she picked up in 2008 until she won the 2010 Linz and Bali titles.
Now the Serbian star is looking more comfortable on court again and is into the fourth round courtesy of a 6-3 6-4 win over American Vania King on Saturday.
“I really hope I can go far and spend another week here,” Ivanovic said after posting the 77-minute match win over King. “That would be fun to compete next Saturday.”
Ivanovic made some changes to facilitate her goal of hopefully collecting at least another Grand Slam title. For starters, she picked up a new coach in Briton Nigel Sears after last Wimbledon. Sears used to be the guru behind Daniela Hantuchova’s game, so Ivanovic was very familiar with him and his abilities as a coach.
“I was very excited after Wimbledon when we sort of started working together,” the 24-year-old said. “I felt like through the summer in America I was improving each week. But we didn’t have time for preparation to work on the game. This off-season was the first time we could actually take some time and work on things specifically. I really feel it’s paying off.”
Ivanovic is yet to drop a set through three rounds, playing Lourdes Dominguez Lino, of Spain, Michaela Krajicek, of the Netherlands, and King.
One improvement Ivanovic and Sears have been tackling is with her serve. When a player believes they can take care of their own serve it allows them more freedom to go after the opponents’ serve for the break.
When asked on what she’s been working on since joining forces with Sears, Ivanovic said, “One of the big areas was the serve. That needed some improvement. Throughout the end of last year it was improving. In the off-season we really had time to work on it. It has improved a lot.”
Against Krajicek in the second round, Ivanovic never faced a break point on serve. Against King she was not that fortunate as the American broke her serve on three of nine offerings – in the fifth game of the first set, and the second and sixth games of the second set. Ivanovic, however, was able to break serve on five of nine opportunities, which enabled her to score the victory.
“(I was) really happy to close out that second set because it was really up and down,” she said. “It was (a) tough set, but she was playing well.”
It’s the getting through tougher battles that makes a player strong and Ivanovic has struggled to return to that kind of form. She’s hoping that the program Sears designs will keep her on the up-and-up. But there’s always patience needed when you adjust to a new player-coach relationship.
“We are still getting to know each other, the rhythm and what works, what not,” she said of the relationship with Sears. “We both believe in the same things. Pre-season, we sat down and set goals for ourselves. I feel like I can absorb a lot of his teachings.”
One goal was to reach at least the quarterfinals here at Melbourne Park. She hasn’t been in a Grand Slam quarterfinal since she won the 2008 French Open and this is the 15th major she’s played since that achievement. She’s now one match away from that quarterfinal goal, but she has world No.2 and reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova standing in her way in the fourth round.
“It’s going to be a very tough one,” Ivanovic said of playing Kvitova. “Petra is definitely playing some great tennis. She’s one of the hottest players at the moment. It’s going to be a great challenge for me.
“But I’m really happy to go out there and throw my best at her. The better player will win.”
Another goal Ivanovic is focused on for 2012 is playing at the Olympics. A hand injury kept her from competing at the 2008 Beijing Games.
“It’s definitely one of my priorities for this year,” Ivanovic said. “I’m so thrilled to have (the) opportunity to compete in Olympic Games. I think it’s a great way to represent your country.”
But before Ivanovic can get too caught up in the Olympic dream, she needs to be caught up on fashioning a strategy to take care of Petra Kvitova in the fourth round. And she’s just happy to be feeling like she’s back playing winning tennis.
“I still believe I can do well,” Ivanovic said. “I’m just enjoying competing again. It’s going to be tough, but I love challenges.”
