Ana Ivanovic bounces over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Fed Cup WG Semis 2012
Former world number one, Ana Ivanovic, hit back to outfox Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Fed Cup WG semi-final battle on Sunday. Later that day, Jelena Jankovic crushed her opponent, Svetlana Kuznetsova, ultimately taking Serbia into the final for the first
time.
The Serbian number one, Ivanovic, made an epic comeback from a set down to conquer Pavlyuchenkova with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 score line. After plucking this match, the Serb not only improved to a 4-0 lifetime in the head-to-head series against the 20-year-old
but also led her country into the final showdown at this International-level tournament.
"I didn't have a great night of sleep last night. I felt a lot of pressure after what happened yesterday," the blossoming Ivanovic stated. "I was a little bit tense in the beginning of the match against Anastasia. She was hardly missing a ball and every
shot was a winner. I just thought, 'Just find your rhythm, this set is gone.' I stayed composed and started playing more aggressively and it worked."
Ranked 23nd in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Pavlyuchenkova flashed into the Sports Palace Megasport in Moscow and won the opening five games successively. She was broken down twice after that but capitalised on another
break chance in the last game to pull out the opener with a 6-3 score line.
Ivanovic made a fitting reply in the following set and went on a six-games killing spree. She hammered exquisite forehands and backhands to seal the equaliser with a bagel.
The 24-year-old kept momentum rolling into the final set which counted the most. She continued swiping in following four games in a row before Pavlyuchenkova could hold on. Apart from losing her serve in the eighth game, she cashed in her third break chance
in the last game and clinched the decider with a 6-3 score line.
In the second reverse singles rubber, Jankovic reflected her old self and crippled Kuznetsova with a breadstick. She jumped to a 3-0 lead before pulling out the opener with a breadstick. The Serbian number two lost her track in the second set and suffered
the first blow in the second game. However, she quickly counterattacked and wiped out the following five games in a row, eventually sealing the set with a 6-4 win.
As a result, she awarded her country the third point, ultimately securing a final spot at the Fed Cup 2012. This was Serbia's first victory against the Russian team.
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