Ana Ivanovic: Serbian Starlet Succumbs to Serena Williams at 2011 US Open
Unfortunately for Ana Ivanovic, the third time was anything but a charm against Serena Williams in the Round of 16 at the 2011 US Open on Monday. The 23-year-old Serbian beauty suffered her third defeat to Williams in three career meetings, this time in straight sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium, 6-3, 6-4.
Ivanovic, who was once the top-ranked women's tennis player in the world after capturing the French Open title in 2008, was hardly a match for the elements, much less a determined Williams sister. Persistent gusts of wind whipped through the court throughout the match, though they seemed a greater bother to Ivanovic, causing her visor to blow off her head.
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It took Ivanovic all of eight minutes to fall behind Serena, 3-0, in the first set.
The 16th-seeded Ivanovic did her best to be the aggressor, evening up the first set at three games apiece and scoring 20 winners to Williams' 16. Nonetheless, Ivanovic was done in by eight double faults in the first set, including one in the eight game to put Serena ahead, 5-3.
Williams, the 28th-seed, served out the rest of the first set before breaking Ivanovic in the first game of the second set. From that point on, it was all Serena, all the time, as the 13-time Grand Slam winner and three-time US Open champ overpowered Ivanovic with vintage Serena serves over 100 miles per hour, including one that clocked in at 101 to put the match away.
Ivanovic's latest attempt to advance to the quarterfinals at the US Open came to an end with a few grunts and a whimper. Injuries, inconsistencies and an overriding lack of confidence have all played a part in holding Ivanovic back from attaining the greatness that seemed her destiny just three years ago.
Serena, meanwhile, seems to have gotten her groove back of late, just six months removed from a life-threatening blood clot. She'll face 20-year-old Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a tongue twister for the ages in the quarterfinals, with her sights firmly set on resuming her perch atop the world of women's tennis by the end of the week.
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