Stuttgart - Jelena Jankovic hopes to return to the top of the women's tennis rankings now that she has regained her form at the start of the clay court season. The Serbian claimed the top spot in late 2008 but has slumped to a current number three with no title yet in 2009.
Jankovic on Tuesday attributed the slide to too much fitness training and personal problems in the off-season which made her slow and sluggish on the court.
Dubai, UAE - Jelena Jankovic got on and off court in efficient style Tuesday, reaching the third round of the Barclays Championships over unconventional Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-2.
The Serb third seed, a finalist in 2005, needed a fast adjustment from indoor play in wintery Paris to the mid-20s Celsius of the Gulf.
Niculesco, ranked 48th, strikes the ball double-fisted off both wings in a style similar to that of Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.
Jankovic, who had a bye in the opening round, said her opponent presented problems but nothing that the former number one could not solve.
Melbourne, Jan. 25 : World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic was bundled out of the Australian Open on Sunday by Marion Bartoli of France.
Jankovic, a losing semi-finalist at Melbourne Park last year who is still chasing her first grand slam title, was beaten 6-1 6-4 in one hour and 22 minutes by the No. 16 seed in the fourth round.
Bartoli''s career highlight to date was reaching the final of Wimbledon in 2007, before eventually going down to Venus Williams.
Melbourne - Women's draw with qualifiers inseryted for for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Jelena Jankovic, 1, Serbia v Yvonne Meusburger, Australia
Kirsten Flipkens, Belgium v Rossana De Los Rios, Paraguay Nathalie Dechy, France v Viktoriya Kutusova, Ukraine
Stephanie Dubois, Canada v Ai Sugiyama, Japan
Sybille Bammer, Austria v Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic
Petra Cetkovska, Czech Republic v Marina Erakovic, New Zealand
Sydney - New number one players Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic line up as top seeds for the first time when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
Nadal, practising privately this week at Melbourne as is Jankovic, opens against Belgian Christophe Rochus as the Spaniard tops a Grand Slam draw for the second time since dethroning Roger Federer from the lead spot last August.
Jankovic, who holds a narrow points margin over Serena Williams, opens with Austrian Yvonne Meusburger.
Stuttgart - Jelena Jankovic hopes to return to the top of the women's tennis rankings now that she has regained her form at the start of the clay court season. The Serbian claimed the top spot in late 2008 but has slumped to a current number three with no title yet in 2009.
Dubai, UAE - Jelena Jankovic got on and off court in efficient style Tuesday, reaching the third round of the Barclays Championships over unconventional Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-2.
Melbourne, Jan. 25 : World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic was bundled out of the Australian Open on Sunday by Marion Bartoli of France.
Melbourne - Women's draw with qualifiers inseryted for for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Jelena Jankovic, 1, Serbia v Yvonne Meusburger, Australia
Sydney - New number one players Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic line up as top seeds for the first time when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
