Ana is today featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune, a quality Californian newspaper that is providing in-depth coverage of the Acura Classic
Ivanovic hits hard and gets plenty of hits on Web
Popular Serbian teen looking for first big win
By Jerry Magee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 31, 2006
The 19-year-old Serb has the skill and strength to be a threat at Wimbledon after an impressive year in which she broke through at the top level. By Barry Flatman
TECHNICALITIES clearly intrigue Ana Ivanovic. She can readily inform you of her ability to propel a tennis ball at 122mph within 0.005 seconds of impact, forcing it to accelerate 1,000 times faster than a Formula One car. If required to elaborate, she can add that her service possesses sufficient velocity to compress a tennis ball to half its original circumference.
Ana was recently interviewed via email by CNN World Sport anchor Candy Reid. Below is a transcript of the interview. The original can be viewed here
Candy Reid: Ana, thanks for your time. When did you start playing tennis and why?
An interview with Ana Ivanovic that featured in the January 2006 issue of Australian Tennis Magazine.
“Ana was enormously popular in Australia this summer (particularly after another fantastic win over Amelie Mauresmo in Sydney!) Please pass on our congratulations and good wishes to Ana.”
Australian Tennis Magazine
download: PDF Ivanovic: A Fan Hit (1.71 MB)
2006 Medibank International - A. Ivanovic d. A. Mauresmo 6-3, 7-5
Q. A different venue, different conditions. Was it important to take your Hopman Cup performance to a different environment in order to get ready for next week?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. Hopman Cup is different preparation. It was indoor so I had little bit trouble in my first match, especially with my serve. But today I played much better. And I think this is very good preparation for Melbourne, so I am really pleased I could perform better today.
“I am certainly not a surprise package anymore,” says Ana Ivanovic with a crafty smile as I ask her about the 2006 season, which for Ana began in Perth’s Hopman Cup exhibition on New Year’s Day and kicks into full swing in Sydney next week.
Fastest riser through the ranks
The startling Serb who has rocketed nearly 700 places
Stephen Bierley, Wednesday June 15, 2005, The Guardian.
When Ana Ivanovic was 11 she went out to the practice courts in Belgrade to take her mind off the war. "I was a little bit afraid at first. But then you realised that they were not bombing everything, just special buildings."
Q. I was watching. At the end, obviously you played well, but a couple of let cords helped a little bit.
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, yeah, I think third set I played quite well. I think it was a good match. She played also very well. On the end I really pushed to the maximum, I gave my best, and I was really little bit lucky.
Q. It was 4‑5, she served for the match. Two in one game, dead lets. Then to start the next game...
Seventeen-year-old Ana Ivanovic of Serbia and Montenegro won her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title Saturday after beating Melinda Czink in a history-making final of the Richard Luton Properties Canberra Women's Classic.
In just her fifth Tour-sanctioned event, Ivanovic showed nerves of steel to take the match in straight sets 75 61.
"It's an amazing feeling," Ivanovic said. "I didn't expect to win this tournament. I was a little nervous in the beginning today and she (Czink) was playing very well.
