LOS ANGELES, CA, USA - Another chapter was written in the budding rivalry between Serbians Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic in Los Angeles on Saturday, as Ivanovic battled back from the brink of defeat to win for the fourth time in the pair's five encounters and move into the final of the $600,000 East West Bank Classic presented by Herbalife.
The two split the first two sets and it was in the third where the drama began to play out. The seemingly tireless Jankovic came out firing in the decider, winning four of the first five games to go up 4-1. Ivanovic began hitting the mark on her massive forehand again at that juncture, bringing the match back on serve. At 4-5 she faced two match points, saving both with brave aggressive plays, and she made it out of a 40-0 hole in the penultimate game before serving out the 46 63 75 victory.
"I didn't use my chances and the match didn't go my way," Jankovic said. "I had some chances and then it was 5-4. She made some big serves and some aces. I was a little bit tired and out of gas; but at least today I played so much better than I did in my previous matches, so I'm happy. I just have to learn from this."
Ivanovic is now 4-1 lifetime against her countrywoman, the only loss in that mark coming at this very event one year ago, where Jankovic prevailed in straight sets in the quarterfinals. Overall, it's a match-up Jankovic hasn't relished in.
"She is quite powerful. She came up with great shots when she needed them. On the days when she is hitting cleanly she is very, very good," Jankovic declared. "Against Ana, there is something that does not suit my game. Some players you like to play and some players you don't. I have to stay positive and go forward though. Ana is playing quite well at the moment. She looks fresh."
Ivanovic has had a meteoric rise among the upper echelon of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour ranks this year, starting with winning her second Tier I title in Berlin, which propelled her into the Top 10. Reaching her first Grand Slam final in Paris and following that up with a semifinal showing at Wimbledon has pushed her up to No.5 in the world, which will become No.4 after her run to this week's final.
In the final, the No.3-seeded Ivanovic will face No.4 seed Nadia Petrova, who was a walkover winner on Saturday evening as top-seeded Maria Sharapova was forced to pull out of the day's second semifinal due to a lower left leg strain.
"My muscle was getting tighter and tighter when I came here; when I began to warm up it was getting worse and worse," Sharapova stated. "I couldn't lift my foot on the serve nor could I run to more than two or three balls. I was in the treatment room trying to get everything done to it but it did not help.
"I would love to get on the court today and I've been playing some of my best tennis this year. But, when you can't play 100% and can't lift your foot..."
Understandably, Petrova was disappointed not to have had the opportunity to be on Center under the lights, but at the same time was happy to reach the final.
"I was actually looking forward to tonight's match - I had a lot of people coming to watch and support me," Petrova said. "But it's always good to be in a final. I haven't been in a final for a while and it's great. I'm very excited!"
Petrova and Ivanovic are tied 2-2 in four completed matches (not including injury retirements). In their only complete 2007 encounter, the Serbian teenager was the victor on the slick lawns of the All-England Club, winning 61 26 64 in the fourth round of Wimbledon after trailing 3-1 in the third set.
Although the Top 2 singles seeds were left behind in the semifinal round, the Top 2 doubles seeds made it through to the final on Saturday. No.1 seeds Alicia Molik and Mara Santangelo, the reigning Roland Garros champs, beat Tatiana Poutchek and Anastasia Rodionova, 63 62, while No.2 seeds Kveta Peschke and Rennae Stubbs beat No.4 seeds Gisela Dulko and Maria Kirilenko, 64 61. (WTA)
