Ana Ivanovic closes on second straight title
At the beginning of last week, it had been two years since Ana Ivanovic had won a WTA Tour title but with the majority of seeds exiting in the opening two rounds of the Luxembourg Open, the fourth seed could well be poised to win her second title in as many weeks.
Yesterday’s results saw top seed Elena Dementieva (who Ivanovic defeated in two tiebreak sets at the China Open this autumn) withdraw from her second-round match against Polona Hercog with a foot injury; fifth seed Daniela Hantuchova lose in three sets to Germany’s Angelique Kerber; second seed Aravane Rezai win just one game against Kirsten Flipkens; and 143rd-ranked Anne Keothavong defeat last week’s Generali Ladies Linz runner-up Patty Schnyder 7-5, 6-2.
While the upsets rolled on around her, Ivanovic wrapped up what was ultimately a straightforward 6-4, 6-1 win over unseeded Spaniard Arantxa Parra Santonja as she continued the revival that began at the US Open, where she reached the fourth round, and culminated in claiming the title in Linz last weekend after moving through the tournament without dropping a set.
One of those who went by the wayside as Ivanovic cut a swath through the field, was Julia Goerges, who just happens to be one of the only two seeds remaining in the Luxembourg draw and also the world No. 26’s quarter-final opponent.
So there’s a guarantee that by the semis only one seed will remain in contention for the title. And with Ivanovic rediscovering the form and confidence that took her to the 2008 French Open title and the top of the world rankings in the same year, and adding some extra fitness and improved footwork to what has always been a strong attacking game spearheaded by that powerful forehand it’s hard to come to any other conclusion that that seed will be the 22-year-old Serb.
From there, just two wins against unseeded opponents would separate Ivanovic from the title; with that protracted form slump, which earlier in the year saw Ivanovic’s ranking plummet out of the top-60, now seemingly a thing of the past, it’s hard to see that happening.
After winning in Linz the former world No. 1 is already set to end her season on a high, but she may just have one more reason to celebrate in Luxembourg this weekend.
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