By N.D. Prashant
Doha: It has been a roller coaster ride for the Serbian star Jelena Jankovic this season. She clearly failed to carry forward her fine form of the 2008 season. But, her sparks of brilliance in between tournaments has ensured her a third-straight berth at the Sony Ericsson Championships.
It was a huge task for her to finish in the top eight for this tournament and had it not been for her face-saving effort at the Moscow Open, she would have missed the bus. But now that she has made it, she is aiming to make the most of her week in Qatar.
“I’m feeling good. It’s the last event of the year, the most prestigious event, which none of us would want to miss,” she said.
“Even though I had a tough year, so many things that have happened off the court that affected my tennis, I’m still in the top eight. No matter what happens, I’m always trying to do my best and be positive out there.”
The Serbian agreed that she was never at her best or in the right frame of mind all through the season, and lots of it had to do with the events happening in her life off the field.
“As one of the top players, our life is very difficult, very demanding to be on the Tour, to play every day, to work hard. We’re always under pressure.
“My mother was sick when I was competing at the US Open and my grandmother also passed away. That’s the time you realise there are more important things in life than tennis; and tennis is just a game.
“You realise you don’t need to take it so seriously. You don’t go blame yourself when you lose, you don’t get so disappointed like I used to before.
“I’m a bit more gentle on myself now. You know, I just try to enjoy it as much as I can.
However, Jankovic has vowed to comeback stronger and fitter next year. “My goal for next year is to work hard and to improve my game; to be at the top again.
“I had a lot of fitness issues at the beginning of the year. As you see now, I’m much skinnier than before. I may have lost seven to 10 kilos. Maybe you wouldn’t tell, but it was the case in the beginning of the year. I felt really slow on the court. I lost really my speed.
“Nowadays, if you don’t move well, it’s tough to compete against the best players, men or women. You have to be always on the ball. You have to be hitting. You always have to be in position.”
The Serbian had mix reactions on this season’s schedule for women tennis.
“To be honest, there were times this year where I felt like I wanted to play some more. I felt like I needed some matches because, especially after Wimbledon, I didn’t play for a month, and then I played one tournament in Stanford, and I felt like in order to come into form and be ready for the US Open and some of the big events, I needed to play some matches and get match tough again.’
“There was a time I felt the schedule didn’t suit me, where I wanted to compete a little bit more, get the rhythm and experience. But unfortunately this is how it is.”
Jankovic won just two titles this year, Marbella and Cincinnati. She finished runner up at Tokyo and was a semifinalist at the Paris Indoors. But having made it to this tournament, she is confident of putting up a good show.
“This year I struggled not just in the Grand Slam but in other tournaments as well. I haven’t done well at all. But, still I’m in the top eight, which is a huge achievement.
“Many players didn’t even win a tournament while I have won two. I still have a chance to play here and have given myself an opportunity to do well. If I’m here, anything can happen.”
Jankovic recollects how tough it was for her at Moscow to ensure a place here in the top eight.
“It was an unusual situation for me because the last two years I was the first one to qualify for the Championships, almost a few weeks after Wimbledon. And this year was just the opposite: I was the last one to qualify. I got injured in Beijing, when I needed that result over there.
“My hand was swollen. I couldn’t really hold the racquet. So my only chance was in Moscow.” |
