Top 10 Ana Moments: #2) Ana reaches 2008 AO Final

We're down to our final two spots in Ana's top ten career moments. At #2 is Ana's semi-final win over Daniela Hantuchova at the 2009 Australian Open which advanced Ana into the finals in Melbourne. The moment is #2 not only because it brought Ana to her 2nd grand slam final but also for the style in which she did it in. But first, lets look at how Ana got here.

Ana breezed through the first four rounds with straight set wins over Sorana Cirstea, Tathiana Garbin, Katarina Srebotnik and Caroline Wozniacki. This set up a showtime match up with Venus Williams in the quarter finals. Despite the fact that she had never beaten one of the Williams Sisters before, Ana turned the tide and scored a major victory over Venus Williams by winning 7-6, 6-4.

The match of the entire tournament, and perhaps the most memorable match of Ana's entire career came in the semi-finals where Ana took on Daniela Hantuchova. Early on, it looked like it would be a route. Daniela bagel Ana, taking the first set 6-0. Ana quickly found herself in a hole early on in the 2nd set down 0-2. It seemed as if all hoped was lost and it would end up being a miserabe day for the beautiful Serb. However, the match begin to change in Ana's favor as she battled all the way back to take the 2nd set 6-3. The 3rd set was really tight and was an epic nail biter. Ana eventually pulled through with the comeback victory to advance to her 2nd ever grand slam finals. It was a match for the ages. Unfortunately it was overshadowed after the match after Daniela Hantuchova accused Ana of intentionally squeaking her shoes on Daniela's serve. Ana claimed the squeak was due to the new court at Rod Laver arena. Either way, it was a bit of a classless thing for Daniela to say and made her look like a sore loser in my opinion. This lead to a cold handshake at the net after the match.



This set up a much anticipated final against Maria Sharapova. It was coined the "Glam Slam" due to the glamorous beauty between Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova. Two young, sexy superstars was sure to grab attention and that it did. Unfortunately, it was Maria who was holding the trophy at the end of the day.

The Perfect Tennis Player

Recently, Ana was asked to create a "Tennis Robot" using the best shots/abilities from different tennis players. Here is what Ana would use to make the perfect player.

Serve - Ivo Karlovic

Forehand - Juan Martin Del Potro

Backhand - Novak Djokovic

Volleys - Roger Federer

Movement/stamina - Rafael Nadal

Attitude/mental strength - Roger Federer

Hard to argue with those choices. Now, if had to rate Ana on all of these on a scale of 1-5, here is how I would rate her.

Serve: (2/5) This is a tough one, because when her serve is on, it's probably one of the best in women's tennis. But it has been off for more than a year now with a painful shoulder which as forced her to change her serving motion and a horrendous ball toss that she hasn't been able to fix. When it is on, I would rate Ana's serve 4/5, maybe even 5/5.

Forehand: (5/5) When it is on, it's the best in women's tennis, and the hardest/powerful forehand in the game. It's a beauty when it is crackling and is the biggest feature in Ana's arsenal.

Backhand: (3/5) Not her most effective shot, but when she uses correctly, it can be very good. I believe Ana is capable of having a good backhand shot but she is just wait to inconsistent with it. Sometimes when her game is on it's good, then there are times when her backhand could use lots of improvements.

Volleys: (2.5) I always get nervous when Ana comes to the net. She s definitely not the best volley player on tour, but there have been glimpses of brightness with that shot. Craig Kardon tried to make that shot better but it's still a liability. I think Ana could become a better volley player, but it shouldn't be her top priority.

Movement/Stamina: (3/5) She has improved her movement over the years, especially under Scott Byrnes who helped get her into better shape. However, she just will never be one of the better movers on tour with her long lanky legs.

Mental Toughness: (1/5) Can you really argue with that? This has been without a doubt the weakest part of Ana's game. She hasn't handled pressure well and has had several meltdowns during matches this past season. She must improve on this in 2010.

Attitude: (4/5) She is a very positive and optimistic person. Who can really knock her for that? Sometimes she may come across a delusional in her press conferences but she is probably just trying to put on her best face.

Personality: (5/5) No matter how much her game sucks right now, she always has been a great person. She is a lovely girl who is genuinely nice and sweet. Impossible to hate her.

Via anaivanovic.com

Top 10 Ana Moments: #3) Ana defeats Sharapova in 2007 French Open Semi's

Only three more spots left in our top ten moments list and they all happen to be from grand slams. This week we reach #3 on the list which was Ana's victory over Maira Sharapova at the semi finals of the 2007 French Open. The victory is not only memorable due to her dominating performance over Masha, but it also elevated Ana into her first ever grand slam final of her career.

Overall, it was a pretty impressive tournament from Ana. She took out Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-0 in the 1st round. In the 2nd round Ana knocked off Sania Mirza 6-1, 6-4 and then defeated Raluca-Ioana Olaru 6-2, 6-0 in the 3rd round. Ana did get a bit tougher test in round 4 where she beat Anabel Medina Garrigues by the score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Svetlana Kuznetsova was Ana's next victim in the quarter finals where Ana won 6-0, 3-6, 6-1. But the most memorable and impressive match from the entire tournament and one of the most memorable of Ana's career occurred in the semi finals of that years Roland Garros. Ana took on one of the games biggest and most talented stars in Maria Sharapova. At this time, few outside of the tennis world knew who Ana Ivanovic was, but everybody knew who Sharapova was. This was Ana's opportunity to make a name for herself on the big stage, and that she did. She handily defeated Sharapova by the score of 6-2, 6-1 to advance to her first ever Grand Slam final at the age of 19. Unfortunately, Ana's success ended right there where she was wiped off the court by Justine Henin 1-6, 2-6, but that still doesn't take away from Ana's accomplishments she achieved during this tournament.


For me, this is the moment that fully turned me into a Ana KAD (Kool Aid Drinker). I been a big fan ever since and her win over Sharapova sealed it for me. It was also Ana's coming out party to the world and where her star begin to shine. Ana would repeat her success the following year, only this time winning the final. Roland Garros has always provided Ana and her fans with many great memories and this is one of them. This was surely a moment that no Ana fan will ever forget.

Couldn't find aany video highlights from the match, but here is a cute interview of Ana right after she defeated Kuznetsova in the quarter finals.

Photo Gallery: Ana in her 2010 AO dress

New pics have been released by Adidas of Ana in her new, amazing yellow dress for the Australian Open. Looking good with the sunlight!




Read more about the dress at Ana's official website. Here are a couple of quotes from Ana, expressing her opinion on her new attire.

I love the new dress for SS10. The colours are really bright and refreshing and the skirt pleats add a cute feminine touch. It feels very comfortable and I’m looking forward to wearing it in Australia.”

“It’s great to have outfits that keep you cool throughout your matches especially in Australia where it is really hot. Thanks to the ClimaCool® technology this dress dries fast, and still feels light on your body even if you are in the third set and sweating a lot."

Video: Ana Unveils New Adidas Dresses for 2010

The other day, I posted a couple of pictures of Ana's new AO and RG dresses for 2010. Check out how stunning Ana looks in her new outfits in this new video. I really love her new outfits and the colors. I think she looks excellent in them. And I so love her hair when she is sitting down in the yellow. Just flat out gorgeous!

Top 10 Ana Moments: #4) Ana wins Indian Wells 2008

At #4 in our countdown of Ana's top ten career moments is her title at Indian Wells in 2008. This is without a doubt one of my all time favorite moments from Ana. Indian Wells has always been one of my favorite tournaments and is the best event outside of the four grand slams in my opinion. Some like to refer to Indian Wells as the 5th grand slam of tennis, so a victory here is a big deal.

In her first three matches Ana took out Ioana Raluca Olaru, Tathiana Garbin and Francesca Schiavone. In the quarters, Ana easily took out Vera Zvonareva who she lost to in the IW finals this past year. Ana then defeated her fellow Serbian compatriot Jelena Jankovic in straight sets during the semi's. Finally, Ana met Svetlena Kuznetsova in the Indian Wells finals where she won by the score of 6-4, 6-3.

This was one of several great moments from Ana during the 2008 season. Outside of the grand slams, this is by far the greatest moment of Ivanovic's young career thus far. For this reason and others, Indian Wells has become one of my favorite tennis tournaments during the tennis season. To me, it it the official start of spring and is where the tennis season really begins to heat up. I also love the stadium and the atmosphere of the event, and so does Ana. She is stated before that she loves the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of Indian Wells. With the beautiful picturesque backdrop of the mountains and California sun, it's one of the finest places to play tennis in the world. It should come to no surprise that Ana has always has had a lot of success in this tournament. In 2009, Ana was once again able to make it back to the Indian Wells finals, only this time losing to Vera Zvonareva in the finals. Hopefully she will be able to continue her success here again in 2010!

Video highlights of Ana's win over JJ in the semi finals.

Ana's sport.ch interview

This past week, Ana was interviewed by the Swiss site sport.ch. Here is the entire interview, parts of it translated through google translator.

You partly live in Switzerland. What do you like most about our country?

It’s a beautiful country with many wonderful landscapes. I like the lakes in Zurich and the mountains in Lausanne especially – it’s fun to train in these areas. I also like the relaxed mood in the country and the people are very respectful of your privacy. For me, it’s the perfect place to live.

Have you ever been in the Basel Zoo?

No, not yet! But it is funny that they just respond. I recently spoke with a friend about it. Normally it's a lot more sightseeing in cities other than in my hometown. Maybe I'll stop by soon, but off operations in the''Zolli ", when a friend of mine to visit. Finally, I live very close

If you’re in Basel and have some time off. What are the things you like to do most?

I’m quite a homely person so I spend a lot of time at my apartment. My management company is in Basel too, so I meet my manager Dan Holzmann for dinner now and then. There are a couple of restaurants – Italian and Swiss – that I enjoy visiting, especially “Oliv”.

If you already live in Switzerland, have you ever thought about applying for Swiss citizenship in order to then play for Switzerland in the Fedcup too?

No, I'm not worried about it.

You had to end your season because of''physical problems early. "What exactly they are prevented from playing the last few tournaments?

The cause was an infection of the upper airway during my stay in Asia. It was a virus that plagued me and forced me to call off the tournament in Beijing. But it was already the last event, which I had planned for the season finale in Doha, I was not qualified yes.

Recently you said that you were overtrained during the first months of last season. How did that happen?

I was just übermotiviert - I wanted to achieve at any price, my old form. For that I worked hard, probably too hard. In hindsight I would have to treat me more days off, because the regeneration is as important as the training and fitness.

They have changed their game in recent months. What exactly have you changed?

I had a tendonitis in his shoulder, which was very painful and forced me to adjust my fee motion. The move has given me much trouble at the beginning, but it was necessary so that my shoulder is not more affected. But I am confident that I can soon make the old service movement.

When the problem occurred for the first time?

That was after Wimbledon, I felt this pain for the first time I said before, it was necessary to make this adjustment. But I'm glad if I can pitch again''normal. "It is not so easy to change completely the whole thing.

Ana Ivanovic, the women's tour does not enjoy the same attention as those of men. What do you think are the main reasons for this condition?

The question I have asked myself have never, since I do not follow what is reported in the media. But I am of the opinion that the women's tennis at the moment is extremely exciting. We have many great players in the top 10 and with the return of Kim (Clijsters, COR) and Justine (Henin, COR) to come back two flagships. There is currently a good mix between young and more experienced players. The upcoming season will be definitely very exciting!

Why are the players at the top are not the same constant as the masters?
I am not sure if this true. Take, for example, Serena Williams: She has been for years the front. The same applies to her sister Venus. But one reason could be in terms of consistency of impact: The men simply have a much stronger impact on whom they can rely on.

Kim Clijsters made her comeback a few months ago and also Justine Henin will return . What do you think about those comebacks? Is it good for women’s tennis that such successful players come back?

I think it’s great for women’s tennis, and exciting for me personally, because they are both great champions. I’ve never beaten either of them, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to test myself against both. I get on very well with Kim, so it will be fun to see her around the locker room now in the future.

Many professionals still reflect on the record that friendships among players occur only rarely. With whom do you understand best?

True, most are not exactly best friends, you spend the most time with their own team. When I arrived as a junior on the WTA Tour, I was expecting to close many new friendships. But I quickly learned that the tour is the most friendly environment. I understand myself well, but with many colleagues, Sorana Cirstea Maria Kirilenko, Sania Mirza and Svetlana Kuznetsova, I would call even as friends.

In the Swiss women is heating up, Karolina Sprem, recently won her first tournament. Do you know her personally?

Yes, but we do not know us too well. But she seems to be a nice girl, very friendly. When I played here in Switzerland, Inter Club, we are running the one time or another on the road.

What do you think about it in the future?

I played on the tour has never been against it, so I do not want to judge her game. But it would be natural for Swiss tennis great if they could continue to make such progress and win many tournaments.

When you have finished the season, you have said that they will return stronger than ever. How are you doing right now?

I have allowed myself a relaxing holiday and the beginning month, the fitness training resumed. Next week I will also take back every day for the club. The break has done me good and I look forward to working in the next few weeks hard on me to get time to start the season to be my best form.

How important was it to shut down after the rather disappointing season again?

Very important! During the season I had no time to do the right vacation. During the breaks I had to either use the time for physical therapy or fitness training. That I could do it right after all leave has felt pretty good.

Are you able during this pause, not to think about tennis?

No, it is impossible to get the head completely free, but I love the sport too much.

How realistic do you rate your chances of being number one again soon?

This will always be my goal! But I think right now more inclined to win more Grand Slam tournaments, instead of me a position as a ranked set goal. The ranking comes automatically when you play well.

Ana's 2010 AO and RG outfits

Adidas has revealed their 2010 Adilibria line outfits which Ana is part of. Ana will be wearing yellow at the Australian Opena and Orange at Roland Garros. Here is what Ana will be wearing this January in Australia.

And here is Ana's French Open apparel


If you want proof that this is what Ana will be wearing, here's a pic (a very small one) of Ana in her new AO outfit.

This pretty much clears up the question of whether or not Ana will remain with Adidas or not. I am glad she is staying. Despite the fashion disaster from Adidas last year with her 2009 AO and RG uniboob dresses, I think Adidas did a great job this year in regards to giving Ana a quality dress to wear on court. I love the change in colors. It's gets kind of tiring seeing Ana in purple, blue and white all the time. The yellow will look great on Ana with her really nice tan in the Australian sunshine and the orange will be a good match for Ana with the clay courts. All in all, good job Adidas!

Ana's interview for Sports.ru

Ana gave an interview to the website sports.ru. Here is the translation of that interview.

Ana, if you are going to find a permanent coach or continue to work with the team of trainers Adidas?

- I am very pleased with the work of Sven Groenewold, which is part of Adidas Player Development Programme. With him, I'll work in the off-season. I think he knows me and my game better than anyone else, so his candidacy is best suited to bring me back to their former positions. Two years ago he helped me prepare for a great season, and it laid the foundation for a better year in my career. Therefore, I am sure of it.

How do you celebrate your birthday?

- We had a great evening with my family and friends. Everything went quiet and peaceful. Last month in Belgrade, we had a big party for my brother Milos, who turned 18. There was a lot of fun: live music, a lot of people, and we had fun all night.

- How do you plan to spend the off-season? And when you start preparing for the new season?

- My vacation has ended. Due to the fact that I am not qualified for Doha, my off-season this year was longer than usual, so I started training much earlier. Gym, I took up in early November, and next week plan to return to training and play a game almost every day.

- Do some kind of global problem that you care about? And in general if you have interests other than tennis, and anything else associated with it?

- Yes, I have many hobbies outside of tennis! With regard to global problems, I am closest to the welfare of children in today's dangerous world, and because of her I became Ambassador to UNESCO. I love spending time with children, and very proud that I go to the Serbian program of "School without Violence". The information campaign is aimed at making schools safer

- People in Russia love and appreciate the films of former Yugoslavia. And you of him? Do you like film directors like Kusturica, Makaveev, Tanovich? What Serbian movie are you most excited? And what movies do you like?

- I also love movies - foreign and Serbian. I like the movies of Emir Kusturica, especially "Underground", which, in my opinion, received the Palme d'Or Cannes Film Festival. I think this film shows great Kusturica Serbs, and I love his black humor. There are two films, which have long been with me - "a false summer" Goran Paskaljevic and Lajanje na zvezde ( «Lai at the stars") Zdravko Comp, which I liked as a child.

Ana returns to practice

Ana was generous to take some time to write a new diary entry to her supporters on the homepage of her official website.

I'd like to thank everyone who sent me a birthday message last week. I had a very nice time: a quiet dinner with friends!

It was my brother's 18th birthday last month – now THAT was a celebration! There were over a hundred people and most of them danced all night.

I've already started training again, to be ready for the new season. At the moment it's just fitness, but tennis will start next week, with Sven.

There's not much else to say at the moment. Always when I begin my off-season training the focus is on fitness, then I gradually move onto tennis, and by the end of the training block tennis is of course the main focus.

I had a good break. It was just what I needed!

Love
Ana

So there you have it. Anybody who had any concern, such as myself, on whether Ana is working with a coach while in Australia for the off-season, she provided us with the Answer. Sven will be with her next week and she will gradually get back into tennis mode. Lets hope they can get everything worked out in Ana's game so that she comes back better than ever in 2010!

Ana to remain in Australia for remainder of off-season

As previously mentioned in the posts below, Ana is currently in Melbourne supporting Adam in the Australian Masters golf tournament. Adam did address his relationship with Ana to the Australian newspaper the CourierMail. Here is some of what he had to say.

"She's really lovely and a great girl. It's been going very well. She's based in Europe and, at some point between our two tours, we manage to see each other."

Adam also believes that the fact that they both are elite athletes can help each other out a lot.

"You understand what each other goes through. Our performances this year weren't so good, so we need to figure things out a little bit more."

For those of you who are unaware, they met late, last December at a Rolex event in Australia. Adam commented on that as well.

"It's good to have some other things come from the relationship [with Rolex] other than nice watches," Scott says with a laugh.

But most importantly, it looks as if Ana is going to be spending the remainder of the off-season in Australia with Adam. This according to Adam himself.

She'll be in Australia for most of the time I'm here this summer," he says. That might be the real test - if she can put up with me." Responding to a question if spending more time together would help each other, Adam replied, "Maybe that's the trick."

Well now we for more certain that Ana will be spending the rest of her off-season in Australia. The big question is will she have a coach with her during her stay there? Practicing alone and WAGging just isn't going to prepare Ana for next year, which is crucial. As I mentioned before, she needs somebody with her to clean up her mistakes or else she will continue to make them.

BTW, Adam just finished tied for 6th at the Australian Masters tournament. Pretty good tournament for him. Second consecutive good tournament in a row for Adam who finished tied for 3rd a couple of weeks ago in Singapore. Maybe Ana is his good luck charm. Hopefully Adam's success will rub off on Ana and he will be there supporting her in Brisbane and Melbourne come January rooting her onto similar success. Tiger Woods won the tournament for those who are curious.

(Just want to say, credit to gaviotabr at tennis forum for finding these pics.)

Photo Gallery: More Ana WAG pics from Melbourne

Who agree's with me that Ana looks absolutely stunning in black?

Top 10 Ana Moments: #5) Ana wins Montreal 2006

We're now halfway through Ana's top ten moments list. Now we come to the top 5, where coming in at the #5 position is Ana's Rogers Cup title in Montreal in 2006. This was Ana's first Tier 1 title of her career.

In this tournament, Ana took out Tatiana Golovin and Jie Zheng in the first two rounds before getting a walkover in the 3rd round after Jelena Jankovic pulled out. Ana then had a couple of straight sets wins over Katarina Srebotnik in the quarter-finals and Dinara Safina in the Semi-finals. This set up a showdown in the final with Martina Hingis. In one of the more memorable and impressive victories of Ana's career, Ana defeated Hingis 6-2 6-3 to capture her only title of 2006.

This win was very memorable to me as well because this was the first time I had seen Ana play and is really when I became a fan. Two reasons why I loved this final. For one, she beat Martina Hingis who I strongly dislike, and secondly as I just mentioned I became her fan after her big win and I fell in love with her adorable and cute personality. She is just so bubbly, it's hard not to like Ana.

Video highlights of Ana's victory over Martina Hingis in the 2006 Rogers Cup finals in Montreal.

WAG in Black

Ana continued her WAGging in Melbourne this weekend. Here is a HOT pic of her from yesterday's 3rd round of the Aussie Masters. Anybody else agree with me that Ana looks really hot in black? Love it and her shades.

Photo Gallery: Ana at Australian Masters

Ana was in the gallery for first round action at the Australian masters in Mebourne today, cheering on her boyfriend Adam Scott.

Ana in Melbourne for the Australian Open.....of Golf

Ana is in Melbourne with Adam Scott as he prepares for the Australian Open, the golf version that is, which isn't a major. Ana was in Singapore a couple of weeks ago supporting Adam there also. WAGging has become a full time job for Ana this off season it seems. As many of you know, Adam has had a rough year, just like Ana has. Ana's fall in the rankings is nothing compared to Adam's fall where he went from world #3 to #62. His prolong slump has some critics blaming his relationship with Ana (and others) for his poor play.Which is kind of funny because numerous of Ana fans have blamed Adam and even Fernando for her struggles. Adam would have none of it when he was asked by reporters about how his relationship with Ana has affected his golf game.

''I don't know how to respond to that,'' Scott told the Herald of talk golf had not been his main priority. ''Should I not have a girlfriend? I tried to do everything that I felt was 100 per cent right for me this year. I wasn't working on the right things for a period of time and it took a long time to work out what was right again.''

Adam also discussed their support they have for each other.

''We do what we can but it's no different than any other relationship that I've been in. I've never had someone travel with me so we see each other when we can. I heard it reported that I'd gone to Wimbledon instead of playing Tiger's event, but I was never playing his event. It's just false reporting.''

It's nice to see a couple able to support each other. So now, when are those practice sessions supposed to begin again? I have no problem with Ana supporting her boyfriend, but it's very critical for her to get back to training with a coach such as Sven and her new fitness coach. Walking around the golf course all day isn't going to help Ana's game out for 2010. Maybe I am being a little to pessimistic here. As long as she knows how to balance the two out, which I am not sure if she is capable of doing, yet.

Here'a another little nugget from the article with a quote from PGA player Reitef Goosen on Adam Scott.

"Scotty's still young and he has a lot of hot chicks on his mind."

A lot? I'll just assume that Retief was just being jealous.

Top 10 Ana Moments: #6) Ana wins LA 2007

At #6 on our list of the top ten moments in the career of Ana Ivanovic is Ana's title victory at the 2007 East/West Bank Classic in Los Angeles. It was at the time, Ana's 4th career title and one of her most memorable tournaments. For me, this was one of my favorite tournaments that Ana was involved in, with some exciting moments.

After a first round bye, Ana knocked off the American Ashley Harkleroad and then Lucie Safarova in the next two rounds. Ana next faced Maria Kirilenko in the quarter finals. I loved this match simply because I love both Ana and Makiri and, lets be honest, they're both hot! Always will love this pic!


The match of the tournament came in the semi finals where Ana faced her Serbian compatriot Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic took the first set 6-4, but Ivanovic responded by winning the 2nd set 6-3. Ivanovic faced a couple of break points in the 3rd and final set down 4-5, but she was able to save them. Ana fought her way through and eventually won the match 7-5. In the finals, Ana meet Nadia Petrova of Russia. Ana was able to come through with a 7-5, 6-4 victory to come away with the title. This was one of Ana's more memorable tournaments of her career and she played a lot of great tennis in this tournament. Another thing I loved about this event? The purple outfit Ana wore. She looked awesome in it!

Video highlights of Ana's semi final match against Jelena Jankovic.

Happy Birthday Ana!

Today Ana Ivanovic turned 22 years old. It's amazing how fast she has grown up. It seems like yesterday that she was that chubby, shy teenage girl with braces on. Now she is a grown adult woman. The past year has been rough for her, so lets hope 22 is better than 21. Where ever you are at Ana, I hope you are having fun! Here are a couple of videos from Ana's last two birthday's of her cutting her birthday cake. Why am I posting these vids, because I just feel like it.

Exciting!

As most of you know, Ana has been in Singapore this past weekend supporting her hottie as he plays in the Singapore Open. He actually played quite well, finishing 3rd for the tournament. In tennis, that's the equivalent of a semi-finals appearance. So maybe Adam can do what Ana wasn't able to do, end the season feeling good about himself. As you can see in the first few seconds of this video, Ana looks very excited watching golf. OK, I am exaggerating, she looks like she wants to get the hell out of there.

Top 10 Ana Moments: #7) Ana wins Berlin 2007

At #7 on our top ten moments list is Ana's triumph in Berlin in 2007. At the time, it was her 3rd career title and the beginning of the best stretch in Ana's career.

After breezing through the first three rounds, Ana received a difficult challenge from Patty Schnyder in the quarter finals. She was able to come through the tough battle with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win. Ana got a pass in the semi-finals after her opponent Julia Vakulenko had to retire while Ana was up 4-3 in the 1st set. This set up an epic showdown in the Berlin finals against Svetlana Kuznetsova Kuznetsova. After dropping the 1st set 3-6, Ana was able to fight through winning the next two sets by the close score of 6-4, 7-6.

This victory was big for Ana in that it gave her a lot of momemntum going into her next event on her calendar, which was the French Open. She made the finals there which set up a great summer and 2nd half for Ana. It's safe to say that Ana's win in Berlin that year gave her a big boost which helped her have a successful 2007 season resulting in Ana being awarded the break though player of the year award from the WTA.

Photo Gallery: Ana watching Adam in Singapore

Love her shirt, don't know why. At least Ana doesn't look like a widow this time on the golf course.

Video: Ana and Adam in Singapore

Ana chilling in Singapore with her boy toy.

Ana in Singapore

Wondering where Ana is and has been up to? Well according to this source, she is with Adam Scott in Singapore to watch him play in some golf tournament.

Two-time Singapore Open champion Adam Scott is back, with girlfriend and tennis star Ana Ivanovic in tow.

The couple attended a private function at the Garibaldi Italian Restaurant and Bar, along Purvis Street, yesterday.

Hopefully we will see some pics. I just hope she is also with her new fitness coach as well.

JJ on Ana's season

Anybody who knows me, knows that I do not like Jelena Jankovic. She is just too much of a diva for my liking and opens her mouth too much. However, she did speak briefly about Ana's down year while speaking at a press conference in Doha.

"She has her own team. She tries her best. It's hard. We are athletes. You can't always be at the top of the game. Our years are long. It's not like other sports, where you play for a few months then have a few months off. We always try to play our best tennis, but some years are better than others. That's part of sport, part of life as well. We have a lot of ups and downs in both. It's important to just be positive and always learn - to keep learning until you die."

For once I actually agree with something JJ said.

(Source)

Ana finishes 2009 ranked #22

The big drop in the ranking has finally come. Today, Ana has dropped 8 spots in the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings from #14 to #22. It was expected, but still hard to believe. This is Ana's lowest finish since 2004. Ana's Linz and Doha points came off this week which is the reason for the big drop. There is a reason why I asked how important is Ana ranking to you in this weeks poll question. Some think it matters a lot and some don't think it matters at all. I heard from many fans that Ana's play is more important than her ranking. I completely agree with that thinking. I think all her fans would rather see Ana play well then be ranked high. However, her ranking is still very important because it has a major effect on her draws. The lower her ranking, the more difficult her draw, especially at grand slams and premier events. Ana's Australian Open draw could be brutal.

If Ana wants to climb back up the rankings again, she will need to go deep into tournaments, and with tough draws, it becomes even more difficult. The bulk of Ana's points she will have to defend will come in the first 3 months of next season, most notably, Indian Wells in March. If she struggles right out of the gate and has an early exit at Indian Wells, her ranking will plummet even further. It will all be on Ana to come out strong in 2010 and start the season with early success. A bad start will be a bigger drop in the rankings and more importantly, a bigger drop in confidence.

To remain positive, Ana has shown in her most recent interviews that she is determined and serious about getting back to her old form next season and I have faith in her. I do believe Ana will turn things around in 2010 and begin climbing the rankings again. I fully expect to see Ana back in the top 10 by the end of next year.

1 Safina, Dinara (RUS) 7731pts
2 Williams, Serena (USA) 7576pts
3 Kuznetsova, Svetlana (RUS) 5772pts
4 Wozniacki, Caroline (DEN) 5485pts
5 Dementieva, Elena (RUS) 5415pts
6 Azarenka, Victoria (BLR) 4451pts
7 Williams, Venus (USA) 4397pts
8 Jankovic, Jelena (SRB) 3555pts
9 Zvonareva, Vera (RUS) 3550pts
10 Radwanska, Agnieszka (POL) 3340pts
11 Pennetta, Flavia (ITA) 3150pts
12 Bartoli, Marion (FRA) 3105pts
13 Stosur, Samantha (AUS) 2945pts
14 Sharapova, Maria (RUS) 2820pts
15 Li, Na (CHN) 2541pts
16 Petrova, Nadia (RUS) 2440pts
17 Schiavone, Francesca (ITA) 2375pts
18 Clijsters, Kim (BEL) 2340pts
19 Wickmayer, Yanina (BEL) 2310pts
20 Razzano, Virginie (FRA) 2300pts
21 Mauresmo, Amelie (FRA) 2077pts
22 Ivanovic, Ana (SRB) 2067pts
23 Vesnina, Elena (RUS) 2030pts
24 Hantuchova, Daniela (SVK) 1985pts
25 Lisicki, Sabine (GER) 1905pts