Serbia ‘08: Ana Ivanovic
Monday, December 17th, 2007
2007 Year In Review
Ana started the year ranked 14th but won three titles, reached the French Open finals and Wimbledon semifinals, she finished the year ranked 4th. Her titles included Berlin (clay), Los Angeles (hard) and Luxembourg (indoors). She also reached the finals in Tokyo.
What To Expect In 2008
Ana needs to break through in order to challenge the top three: Henin, Kuznetsova and Jankovic. Ivanovic is strong on all surfaces but has to play more consistent in the Slams and Tier I events.
Let’s see how Ana would fare at the Grand Slams:
Australian Open
Ana had a horrible stay in Melbourne in 2007, losing to Vera Zvonareva in a romp. This will be the first test to see just how much Ana improved in 2007 and what she worked on in the off season and what she will have to still work on. She really dropped off at the end of the year and anything more than a quarterfinal showing would be a bonus.
French Open
Like her countrywoman Jelena Jankovic, Ana has a strong chance to take the French and has proved in 2007 that she can play with the best on clay. Her powerful strokes can be neutralized on the slow clay and the ball would sit up for a player like Henin or Jankovic who can control the point better. Also, Ivanovic won’t be surprising anyone this year, the top players along with fast rising players like Tatiana Golovin will know how to play her more effectively. Look for a semifinal showing at best.
Wimbledon
This is where Ana will shine. Anything less than holding the trophy at the end of two weeks would be disappointing. Her power game should get her the title. By the start of Wimbledon, Ana should have a few titles under her belt and will be riding a lot of confidence. A win here will be the start of a very strong summer for Serbia.
US Open
Ana had a bad summer heading into the Open last year. Even though she did win the title in Los Angeles, she bombed out in the second round in Toronto before losing in the fourth round in New York. It should be different in ‘08. If Ana gets a good draw, she should at least live up to her seeding and make the semifinals. After that, it depends on who she plays. Jankovic has proven to be tough at the US Open and should be the biggest challenge to Ana.
Rankings
It’s doubtful that Ana could crack the top two if Justine or Jelena play as well as they should. With the amount of points Justine has, it doubtful we would see a new number 1 in 2008 unless she has a serious injury or falls off completely.
Hurdles
Ana needs to work on her mental game specifically staying focused and changing tactics when her A game isn’t working. Her powerful strokes won’t be enough to get her to the top, she will have to work on her volley and her footwork. These aren’t major problems, but would obviously compliment her power game to help her finish off points quickly and not get drawn into long rallies with other power players like the Williams’. As I said before, she won’t be surprising anyone this year so developing into a complete player is an absolute must to stay in the top 5.
In Summary
Australian Open - Quarterfinals
French Open - Semifinals
Wimbledon - Champion
US Open - Semifinals
Tomorrow: Novak Djokovic
Maria Sharapova beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday and with the win, both her and Ana Ivanovic reached the semifinals. Both Sharapova and Ivanovic have 2-0 win/loss records while Kuznetsova and Daniela Hantuchova are 0-2. Sharapova and Ivanovic will still play each other while Kuznetsova will play Hantuchova.