Ontennis
Ana Ivanovic
How did you get started playing tennis?
I started playing tennis when I was five years old. Noone else in my family played tennis but I loved watching it on television, especially Monica Seles. I kept asking my parents if they would take me to tennis classes, and eventually they did.
What goals have you set for yourself?
At the beginning of this year my aim was to be Top 150 by the end of this year, but I'm already at about that ranking, so I would like to be 100, so I can get into the main draw of the Australian Open. Of course, in the future I would like to be Top 10, and eventually No.1.
What do you like most about being a professional tennis player?
It's just the feeling of doing something that I love doing. I'm very lucky to have a job that I really enjoy. Having the chance to compete and travel around the world, it's a very nice thing for me.
Which tennis player do you most admire, and why?
Roger Federer. The way he acts on and off the court I think is great. He's so professional in the way he plays, and all the things he does, in interviews and everything else.
Serbian starlet shocks Mauresmo
Amelie Mauresmo's French Open hopes came to an end for another year as she lost 4-6 6-3 4-6 to 17-year-old Serbian Ana Ivanovic in the third round. The third seed, who has never made it past the quarter-finals of her home Grand Slam, started nervously in front of an expectant crowd at Roland Garros.
After dropping the first set, she hit back from 3-1 down to take the second.
But Ivanovic held her nerve in the decider as Mauresmo surrendered the match with a double fault.
"It was one of the best matches I've played," said Ivanovic.
"Maybe not the best but still I'm really happy that I took my opportunities and I look forward to the next matches.
Ana Ivanovic begins to fulfil potential with Mauresmo win
When Ana Ivanovic won her first career title as a qualifier in Canberra in January, she was tipped by many as a future star of the women's game.
On Saturday, the 17-year-old from Serbia and Montenegro proved she has the nerve for the big stage when she broke French hearts with a 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory over third seed Amelie Mauresmo in the third round of the French Open.
"It was one of the best matches I've played," Ivanovic said. "Maybe not the best but still I'm really happy that I took my opportunities and I look forward to the next matches."
Ivanovic, who has climbed from 705 in the world rankings at the start of 2004 to her present placing of 31st, showed no fear in front of a packed centre court at Roland Garros to send Mauresmo packing early once again.
But though the Frenchwoman, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in her home grand slam event, failed to live up to the hype yet again, Ivanovic showed enough to suggest that she could go a lot further.
Unlike many players who have moved from Eastern Europe to the United States to train, Ivanovic still lives in Belgrade, where she attends high school. "I have had a few options to go to Florida but I decided to stay in Europe," she said. "My manager is from Switzerland now and I live in Belgrade so I still have to go to school at home and I try to stay close."
Ivanovic lost to Mauresmo at the Australian Open in January, but said she was a little more nervous playing on the centre court at Roland Garros. "I played in the Australian Open on centre court but here it was a bit bigger, and I was really impressed. "I was a little nervous at first but the atmosphere was great, I knew to expect it as she is a home player, but I just tried to stay calm."
Mauresmo was generous in defeat, saying that Ivanovic had a great chance to become a top-10 player. "She can play at that level, she has proved it in the past with some fantastic performances. You get into the top 10 by being consistent. Can she do that, I think she can."
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