NEW YORK. Disappointment was clearly visible in the eyes of former number one Ana Ivanovic (7) after her first round loss to Dominika Cibulkova, but her beautiful smile was still radiant. “It was a very tough match-up. I thought, especially for the first round – she says not without a slight argumentative twist – I actually started well. I felt she was a little bit nervous in the first few games, but then she really started to strike the ball very, very deep. Especially off her backhand I thought she got a lot more on the ball than I managed to do,” she said after the match. by Anotonio Volpe Pasini
Ivanovic noted that it always a fight throughout the entire match, pointing out that every time she got ahead, Cibulkova was able to come up with some amazing points. ”In the second set and again in the third set I managed to fight back. I felt like it was so close, I created chances, but I always felt she came up with the good shots. She was playing very, very deep and through the middle a lot. So, yeah, few times I was getting caught.”
For Ivanovic it has been a season of ups and downs, with some really good results and some disappointing surprises. “Yeah, very much so. Also today’s loss is definitely very disappointing, because I felt like I did a lot of hard work over the last few months. Over last week I had a great preparation, lots of good training and everything. It was just unfortunate that we came up against one another so early in the tournament.” The Serbian added that her expectations and confidence were both high coming into this match, “Yeah, definitely. I really felt like I had been improving. Last week I saw a huge improvement in my game overall; I felt my that serve was really good today. That’s why it’s so disappointing, because it was a very tough first match for both of us I think. First match of the tournament, as well. So it’s not easy, but today I felt like she used her opportunities better than I did.”
During the match Ivanovic had some problems with her left foot, which she had to have re-taped. She addressed this issue, “Yeah, I have blisters. It’s been a little bit hard. I had blisters on both feet, so a little bit hard.” Ivanovic also spoke on the new conditions of the Arthur Ashe Stadium which now has a roof structure set to be finished for next year’s event. Having played on the main show court several times, Ivanovic shared her view on the difference.
“It definitely felt different. Obviously it was less windy and it felt more sort of like, yeah, indoor a little bit. I actually practiced on the court the other day when it was sunny and the shadows were a little bit strange. I don’t think there is as much sun. But it was really nice to play there today. The conditions were perfect.”
Despite this loss and over the 7-year gap since her lone major win, Ivanovic is convinced that she can still compete at the highest level, remembering her good result in this year French Open when she made the semifinals. “That’s why I’m still here, because I do think so. That’s my goal. Well, it’s just hard work. In the French Open that’s what happened. Going into the tournament I wasn’t in bad shape and I really felt like I was in much better shape this time around, but sometimes it’s not how things work out.”
