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Featured Match Analysis

Day 12 - Match of the day: Ana Ivanovic – Jelena Jankovic

Ana Ivanovic
Serbia
VS.
Jelena Jankovic
Serbia
BACKGROUND
In the absence of Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic is considered by many to be the favourite to win in Paris. This looks even more likely after the elimination of Maria Sharapova, and considering the way the brunette has cruised through her first five matches. The world number two struggled with her nerves in last year’s final, but now seems more in control during big matches.Like her countrywoman, Jelena Jankovic is chasing her first Grand Slam title. She has everything it takes to make a name for herself on clay. She may have been outclassed by Henin in the semi-finals last year, but the Belgian is no longer a threat. The older of the two Serbs (she is 23, Ivanovic is 20) would no doubt like to beat her compatriot onto the winner’s podium of a major tournament because, even though they may be friends off-court, on-court they remain fierce rivals…
CURRENT FORM
All memories of her disastrous injury-ridden clay season forgotten, Ivanovic has displayed glittering form since the beginning of the tournament. Humiliating Czech Petra Cetkovska with a 6-0 6-0 whitewash in the fourth round, Ivanovic has easily beaten off all adversaries, only coming into slight trouble once in the first round, where she “only” won the deciding set 7-5. She looked like she was in agony after her fourth round clash against Polish Agnieszka Radwanska. Her arm injury was so bad that she had to rush back to Serbia the following day to see her specialist, who could not get a French visa at such short notice. But it seems like he did the trick, if her form against Carla Suarez Navarro is anything to go by. Jankovic swiftly dealt with the Spaniard in the quarter finals, but she may have left some of her energy behind in the first week.
STRENGTH
Ivanovic is the epitome of the modern player. Fast and powerful, she wins points thanks to her clean baseline shots. She has one of the best forehands on the tour, and her first serve is devastating. She may not have a great touch on the ball or excel at volleying, but her infallible rhythm stops her opponents exploiting these weaknesses.Less powerful than Ivanovic, Jankovic is nevertheless very solid on the baseline. Her footwork is exceptional, and she covers the court well. Her best shot is without a doubt her two-handed backhand, and she is more partial to drop-shots than her countrywoman. In short, she is more of a clay-court player, and that could make the difference…
TACTICS
If Ivanovic does not make too many mistakes she should easily control the match, since she has plenty of attacking shots up her sleeve. She must try and hit winners, and use her first serve to win easy points.The longer the match lasts, the more Jankovic will have the advantage. She is a better defender, but whether she can hold out with her arm trouble remains to be seen. The emotional angle will also come into play. A Grand Slam semi final is a big deal, especially for two players who come from a relatively small country.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
A five to one victory for Ivanovic in this head-to-head. But only one of those matches was played on clay - at Amelia Island in 2007 - and on green clay, which is very different to the red clay at Roland Garros. Almost all of the matches were very close.Jankovic’s only win dates back to 2006 in Los Angeles. None of their head-to-heads were at a Grand Slam, so the stakes are very different…
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