Jankovic Advances to Quarterfinals at Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

Dubai, UAE, February 27th, 2008: Jelena Jankovic was stretched to the limit by Indian icon Sania Mirza in the second round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday, taking two hours and 14 minutes to edge through 4-6 6-3 6-4.

There was some impressive tennis from both players right through the match, but neither managed to establish a rhythm or consistency. Mirza twice broke the third seeded Serb in the first set, only to then immediately lose her own serve. But a third break at 4-4 allowed her to sneak the opening set.

There was just one break of serve in the second set, when Jankovic hit a winner down the line to break for 3-1. She also held two more break points at 4-1 but Mirza held off that challenge, and Jankovic had to fight off two break points as she served out for the set.

In the final set, Mirza built a 3-1 lead, but Jankovic drew on her greater experience and raised her game to earn a welcome victory.

“She gave me a hard time on the court,” said Jankovic, who twice protested to Mirza’s supporters when they called out during the points. “I was also just struggling with my game, despite her playing well and hitting the ball very solid.

“I had trouble with my shots. I couldn’t set up and I was making quite a lot of errors. When I had the shot I would miss it or I would do something that was not really the best option. But I tried to hang in there and managed to win.”

In contrast, second seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova took under an hour to dismiss Czech Lucie Safarova, winning 6-1 6-2.

“I’m very pleased with that,” said the Russian, who served 10 aces. “I was focused and serving very well. I was enjoying myself and that is very important after the (windy) conditions last week (in Qatar).”

On Tuesday night the players were entertained by a magician at the player party, and Kuznetsova was still talking about how clever he was on her way to the courts the next day.

“We were talking about this today in the car,” she said. “Sometimes he did this and then he did that, but how? I can’t think about that because then I couldn’t focus on my game because I get so frustrated. It was amazing. I was asking if he could come and help me out so I could serve and the opponent doesn’t see the ball.”

Jankovic was not the only top player to struggle, as both sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze and former Dubai champion Amelie Mauresmo were taken to three sets.

Chakvetadze eventually overcame fellow Russian Dinara Safina 6-7 6-4 6-3, and Mauresmo defeated Japan’s Akiko Morigami 4-6 6-1 6-4.

The 2008 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, which is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, continues until March 1st with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament, and is followed by the ATP event from March 3rd to 8th.