Not an upset, and not a surprise.

You might’ve noticed that Ana Ivanovic lost to Nadia Petrova, or maybe not. Ivanovic hasn’t been all that noticeable lately unless you subscribe to the Serbian Hello magazine. The most pathetic part is that we can’t even call it an upset since Nadia is seeded No 7 in Eastbourne and Ana is … unseeded? Have we really come that far?

Just 12 months ago, she was the poster gal for tennis, newly crowned French Open Queen and No 1 in the world. To say it’s been a free fall since then is an understatement. I may be a non-fan of Ivanovic, but I don’t kick players when they’re down. Get a coach Ana and pull yourself together. Choking away a double break in the third set against one of the biggest chokers of the game is a new low, even for you. 

 

 

And how about her compatriot Jelena Jankovic? Losing to a struggling Chakvetadze – surprise? Hardly. I actually saw it coming given the surface and Jankovic’s H2H against Chakvetadze. Anyhoo, Jankovic is now Chakvetadze’s bitch with a 3-7 record against the Russian, struggling or otherwise. That’s not really saying much though – JJ’s everyone’s bitch these days.

 

I am always torn between loving and hating Jelena Jankovic whenever I read her pressers. Don’t suppose this time would be any different. JJ’s latest laundry list of miseries include:

1) the surface change was too sudden

2) the ball bounce was too low

3) her legs got tired in the third set and didn’t want to bend anymore. 

4) she lacks motivation right now and wants a break

5) she can’t eat chocolate 

 

Sheesh, no motivation? Girl you’ve yet to win your first slam. Your mother is laboring her ass off, lugging around your LV suitcases so you may train and practice in peace. You’re about to go down in history as the biggest fluke of a No 1. No fucking motivation? 

Don’t, don’t give me that “my No 1 spot didn’t fall out of the sky” argument. You know it did. Ivanovic imploded, Serena didn’t play much, and Sharapova got injured. You were always deserving of the No 2 or 3 spots, and instead you ended up as No 1 because it fell into your lap. 

It’s just not good enough for Jelena Jankovic to insist that on one hand, she deserved her No 1 ranking with or without a slam, and on the other, that she has no motivation right now to even win her first slam with Wimbledon just around the corner. Build a bridge and get over it. 

 

What JJ needs right now is a coach and someone on her team who can play the bad cop. Whip that girl back into shape I say! 

 

‘I’m lacking a bit of motivation right now. I’m still not doing that badly but I’m far from what my calibre is and the results that I’m capable of. I’ve been No 1 in the world and it’s not so easy to stay there. It’s a constant battle against yourself.

‘You need to be disciplined. When you want to eat chocolate you have to say No. No to yourself because it’s not good for you to eat chocolate all the time. You need to go out there and practise four or five hours a day. It’s not easy to do that, but that’s the life of a professional. You need to be strong and keep going.

‘I need to get back the desire to fight and work hard, especially in matches. Why am I lacking in motivation? Lots of playing, lots of travelling. We’re all human, we’re all allowed to make mistakes. There’s not one player in any sport who just went uphill. All of them had ups and downs, even when they were doing well.

‘I wish I could have a break now, maybe not play for a little bit and get to the point where I want to play tennis again and I want to run after balls – things I am missing at the moment. I’ll play Wimbledon and then we’ll see.’

Source: Guardian

 

Props to Vera Zvonareva, who lost to Amelie Mauresmo in 3. First match back from an injury on your least favourite surface against a former Wimbledon champ – no one’s gonna read too much into it. Nice to see her back at least. 

 

Props also to Dancevic, who downed Igor Andreev handily last night. Another dark horse to keep in your files, just in case he decides to pull an upset or something. If you haven’t seen Dancevic play, clickey. 

 

Boohoo. Sveta is Sveta again. 3 games? THREE GAMES?

We talk about wanting a longer grass season, but why are grass court warm ups so damn boring. Ayee.

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