TENNIS GODDESS ANA IVANOVIC HAVING DIFFICULTY STAYING AT THE TOP OF THE RANKINGS

Written by: Staff on 29th August 2014

TENNIS GODDESS ANA IVANOVIC HAVING DIFFICULTY STAYING AT THE TOP OF THE RANKINGS

epa04372461 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia hits a retutn to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during the fourth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 28 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Grand Slam events are the tournaments that truly distinguish a player from being passable to being outstanding and though Ana Ivanovic won the French Open title and claimed the world no.1 ranking six years ago, she has struggled to maintain her reputation ever since.

The best Ivanovic has managed are quarterfinal finishes in the 2012 US Open and 2014 Australian Open. Another disappointing demise in only the second round in this year’s concluding major has forced the 26 year-old from Serbia to take a long hard look at career and she’s come up with a few conclusions.

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia hits a return to Alison Riske of the US during the second day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, Meadows, New York, USA, 26 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

Ivanovic has seemed like she’s about to experience something of a renaissance this year, reclaiming a place in the world’s top ten and coming up with several creditable performances in lesser tournaments. This year she has won titles in Monterrey (Mexico) and Birmingham (England) and reached finals in Auckland, Stuttgart and most recently Cincinnati.

She scored a notable win over top seeded Serena Williams at the Australian Open but since then the majors have been a disappointment with third round exits at both the French Open and Wimbledon with the 7-5,6-3 defeat against the big serving Czech, Karolina Pliskova the most unsatisfactory of all.

“At the Grand Slams I just haven’t performed that well,” admitted Ivanovic who was playing her first major with the guidance of new coach Dejan Petrovic. “It’s something that I’m definitely going to work on and see where I can improve, because that’s definitely the big aim for me for next season.

“I really want to reassess how to approach the Grand Slams maybe differently and see what I did wrong in my preparation to them.

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia reacts as she plays Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during the fourth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 28 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

“When I come to the majors, I do put a lot of expectations on myself. I tend to overanalyze and over think instead of just playing the game. It’s a work in process. I really think I have potential to do well, and that’s something I want to change for next year.”

Although Ivanovic is still in contention for the WTA Championships to be played for the first time in Singapore starting on October 26, she suggested the likelihood of working with a sports psychologist during the off-season and in her preparation to next January’s Australian Open.

“I think there are lots of exercises to try,” added Ivanovic. “I changed a lot in that manner, but there are still times when I want it too much. It’s then I go back to those patterns.”

Topics: Ana Ivanovic, Tennis, US Open 2014

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10sBalls_com says:

August 29, 2014 at 8:55 am

TENNIS GODDESS ANA IVANOVIC HAVING DIFFICULTY STAYING AT THE TOP OF THE RANKINGS- http://t.co/c85cIDqa6Z @AnaIvanovic #tennis #usopen