Ana Ivanovic

Fifth-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic returns to 12th seed Venus Williams of the US during their fourth round match at the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, 02 September 2007 Ana Ivanovic, the world number four, is one of the most exciting prospects in women's tennis. The Serbian star has proved to be an exceptionally versatile player who is clearly building towards something special after several seasons of steady improvement.

Player Biography

Ana Ivanovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1987. She showed an early love for tennis and begged to receive coaching when she was only five years old. Her early training was disrupted by war, but the Serbian youngster persevered, inspired by the performances of Yugoslavian Monica Seles.

Career

Ana Ivanovic began playing professional tennis in 2004, putting in a series of good performances on the challenger circuit before breaking through with a defeat of Venus Williams at the Zurich Open. Despite this positive result, Ivanovic was forced to wait until 2005 for her maiden WTA title.

Grand Slam Record

The 2005 season kicked off with immediate success for Ana Ivanovic as she won her first title in Canberra in the run-up to the 2005 Australian Open. The next 12 months features an excellent grand slam debut as Ivanovic followed up her first WTA title with 3^rd round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, excelling at the French Open where she reached the quarterfinals.

2006 saw Ana Ivanovic pick up another WTA singles title in Montreal towards the end of a year that saw her put in several more encouraging performances at the grand slams, achieving a season best with a 4^th round appearance at Wimbledon.

The 2007 season rewarded Anan Ivanovic for her improved play with three WTA titles, including wins on clay and hard court as a testament to her versatility. These excellent results were backed up by Ivanovic's best ever showing at the grand slams where she reached the final of the French Open, the semi-final of Wimbledon and narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal appearance at the US Open.

Ivanovic won the 2008 French Open for the first time in a surprise defeat over another budding grand slam champion, Dinara Safina. In the subsequent year the Serb's form faltered as she endured several early exits from grand slam tournaments and failed to land a Tier I title. There's little doubt that Ivanovic remains one of the finest players in the women's game, and hear fans will be expecting big things of her going into 2011 and beyond.

Playing Style

Ana Ivanovic plays from the baseline, relying on a powerful flat forehand with variations of spin to win her points. She also boasts one of the more powerful serves on the tour, but is yet to reach the point where power is backed up with perfect technique and control. At the moment Ivanovic's biggest drawback is a weakness in net play, and a consistent inability to re-take control in rallies where her opponent is dominating.