Generali Ladies Linz

Slobodan Zivojinovic reveals latest offer from Austrians

- “The officials of the Generali Ladies tennis tournament in Linz are refusing to sell the licence for the event, but Belgrade and Serbia are not giving up on the intention to bring to world’s finest tennis women – including Serbia’s own Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic – to Belgrade in 2009,” Serbian Tennis Association chairman Slobodan Zivojinovic says for Blic.

It was shaping up to be a tale of two seasons, with the first chapter full of incredible success and the second plagued by injury and up-and-down results. But this week Ana Ivanovic made a resonant return to the winner's circle, crushing the in-form Vera Zvonareva in straight sets to capture her third Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title of the year - and first since winning Roland Garros in June - at the Generali Ladies Linz.
 

French Open champion Ana Ivanovic clinched her first title since Roland Garros with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Vera Zvonareva in the Linz Open.
 
The battle of the top seeds proved a one-sided affair with the Serb breaking her Russian opponent on no fewer than six occasions, completing the win in 50 minutes.
 

Vera Zvonareva cruised and Ana Ivanovic rode out some highs and lows as the top two seeds took decidedly different routes to the Linz final.
 
The second-seeded Zvonareva thoroughly thrashed sixth-seeded French woman Marion Bartoli, 6-0, 6-1, in 51 minutes.
 
"It was definitely a good performance from me," said Zvonareva. "I think I was staying pretty aggressive throughout the match and executed well in the important moments and that probably made the difference."
 

They made it through in very different fashion, but Ana Ivanovic and Vera Zvonareva set up a championship clash between the Top 2 seeds at the Generali Ladies Linz with semifinals wins on Saturday.
 

Ana Ivanovic and Vera Zvonareva won contrasting victories on Saturday to reach the final of the Linz Open.
 
Top seeded Serbian Ivanovic battled for over two hours to overcome third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2 3-6 7-5, while Russian second seed Zvonareva needed only 51 minutes to trounce sixth seed Marion Bartoli of France 6-0 6-1.
 
Both Ivanovic and Radwanska played to a high standard. Ivanovic served and returned better and struck powerfully from the baseline, but Radwanska was the smarter and more persistent player.

Russian Vera Zvonareva took advantage of a wretched performance from Marion Bartoli to trounce the French sixth seed 6-0 6-1 and reach the final of the Linz Open.
 
The second seed will next play top seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic or third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who play later on Saturday.
 
Zvonareva's victory took only 51 minutes, but could have taken considerably less time but for some carelessness by Zvonareva and late resistance from Bartoli.
 

Ana Ivanovic and Vera Zvonareva continued to march towards a title clash between the Top 2 seeds as both Top 10 stars earned straight set victories in the quarterfinals of the $600,000, Tier II Generali Ladies Linz on Friday.
 

Ana Ivanovic is practicing quality control on court again.
 
Playing what she called one of her best matches in recent months, the top-seeded Serbian saved seven of nine break points to slip past seventh-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta, 6-4, 6-4, and advance to the semifinals of the Generali Ladies Linz.
 
The top three seeds reached the final four.
 
It is Ivanovic's second semifinal in two weeks. She lost to eventual-champion Venus Williams in the Zurich semifinals on Saturday. Williams beat Pennetta in Sunday's final.