Jelena Jankovic Wins First Title of 2009 at Andalucia Tennis Experience

Jelena Jankovic has won the title of WTA Andalucia Tennis Experience tournament as she defeated Spanish opponent Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3 3-6 6-3 in a three-set final. This has been the first title of the year for the Serbian who started the year at no. 1 in WTA rankling, but a series of poor performances saw her sliding down to no. 4 now. This has also become the 10^th tour title for Jelena Jankovic and she is now hoping a successful clay season ahead of French Open 2009 tournament.

Jankovic did not find it easy to win the tournament final against Navarro who got all the supports of the local fans in her first tour final in her career. Well, Jelena Jankovic clinched the first set 6-3 pretty easily, breaking her opponent twice. However, Carla Suarez Navarro bounced back in the second set to take it 6-3, displaying a number of aces. Jankovic took 5-1 lead in the third set, breaking Navarro on two occasions, but the Spaniard then broke Jankovic once to make it 5-3 before Jankovic winning the deciding set 6-3.

Jelena Jankovic put some optimism in her future while talking to media after the match. The Serbian said that she had not started off well to the year, but the victory in Andalucia had given her back the confidence. She is hopeful that she would be able to continue her success in the rest of the clay season too and she is willing to come back to this tournament again next year.

Jelena Jankovic knows it very well that it would not be very easy for her to retain the no. 1 rank, but it is true that winning the title of Andalucia was badly needed for the Serbian who is now full of confident to do well in the months to come.

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Jelena Jankovic vs Carla Suarez Navarro: Andalucia Tennis Experience Final 2009

Jelena Jankovic is going to face Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the final of Andalucia Tennis Experience tournament. This is going to be first final for Jelena Jankovic this year which has so far been unimpressive for the Serbian star. En route to final, Jankovic defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-5, 6-2 in Saturday’s semi-final showdown which took 2 hours, 15 minutes to decide one of the finalists. The Serbian star Jankovic faced tough challenge from Garrigues in the first set, before clinching the second one pretty easily. In the whole match, Jankovic broke Garrigues on seven occasions, as opposed to four breaks for Garrigues’ favor.

Carla Suarez Navarro got past seventh seed Romanian Sorana Cirstea in a three-set semi final. Navarro met Jankovic twice so far on professional circuit, and lost on both occasions. Jelena Jankovic defeated Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter final of last year’s French Open. Now, let us see if Jankovic can hold on to her 100 percent winning record against Navarro and clinch the first title of the year. However, one thing is for sure that Jankovic would go into the match as clear favorite.

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The Canadian Press