Beware, The Exciting Ana Is Back!

I remember when I first fell in love with Ana Ivanovic's game. She was playing in Los Angeles in 1997 and I got to watch two of her matches on TV. In the first one, i.e. the semifinal, she faced her compatriot Jelena Jankovic. The two share a tense relationship and I've always felt that Jankovic is really envious of Ana. Not only is she younger and more beautiful, but she's also a much better player. Living constantly in the shadow of her more popular rival, Jelena gave it her all in this epic battle. When the two go head-to-head, you can easily feel that there's more at stake than just the win. At least for Jankovic, who seems to be unleashing a personal war against her rival. However, when Ivanovic is on, there's little that stands in her way. She plays such a thrilling tennis and her forehand is just breathtaking. Every shot is a gamble and the younger Serbian doesn't hold anything back. This time, she clawed her way back and emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins, 7-5 in the decider. Advancing into the final, Ana bumped into Nadia Petrova. Although she didn't have a winning record against the Russian, the Serbian was stronger and, consequently, she subdued Petrova's resistance in two close sets.  She won the title and along with it, my heart. After these two matches I was totally mesmerized by this powerful, exciting player, whose fan I became instantly.

It was such a tremendous joy for her to be out there, to fight and eventually, to win. A big smile and a c'mon following a forehand winner are definitely Ana's trademarks. Possessing such a solid game, it was no surprise to me that she made it to number 1 in the world after winning her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2008. After Justine's shock retirement, she seemed destined to rule the women's tour.

I am not sure what happened to her, but once she made it to the top and the world was at her feet, she crashed. She started being tense, scared and, most importantly, she lost her joy of being on court. When this occurred, her game crumbled to pieces. She experienced her darkest period ever since and people were beginning to lose their faith in her. After more than a year of intense and deep fighting, Ivanovic, backed-up by coach Heinz Günthardt, regained her stamina. Once her fire was relighted, the Serbian returned to winning ways, capturing titles in two of her last three tournaments of 2010 in Linz and in Bali.
Immediately after, she parted ways with Günthardt. Many were quick to argue against her decision fearing it might lead her back to the middle of nowhere, from where she's escaped just a couple of weeks ago. Luckily this wasn't the case and the Serbian appears stronger than ever. After overcoming an injury picked up in Australia, Ana looks poised to continue she assault on the top of the ranking.
I just watched her Indian Wells fourth round match with Jankovic. It's no secret to anyone that while Ana crashed and burn, Jelena blossomed. She got to number 1 in the world in 2008 and she's been a constant top 10 figure ever since. She may not have captured that elusive Grand Slam, but at the moment, she appears to hold the upper-hand in the clash with her recently resurgent compatriot. Therefore, Ana  had something to prove. She came out on fire and she never lost that momentum. I was really pleased to see her play her thrilling game once more. Her forehand was at paramount levels and her serve was utterly effective. With an impressive display, she dismissed Jankovic in two easy sets, winning 6-4, 6-2. It marked her first win over a top 10 player in a long time. Too long I should say.
For me it was the first time I could see glimpses of the old Ivanovic being back. If she manages to stay injury free, she clearly has a chance of making it back into top 10 really soon and why not, to challenge the latest stages of Grand Slams. Welcome back Ana, I am really excited of having you back!

photo: GETTY IMAGES