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Ana Ivanovic getting back to business

Serbian hopes to go deep and fly through the draw after brief injury lay-off

Dubai — Ana Ivanovic hopes to go deep and fly through the draw here at the Aviation Club this week as she aims to kickstart her 2015 season.

The Serbian 27-year-old, who is seeded fourth for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, reached the final of the Brisbane International last month, only to lose to the number one seed Maria Sharapova 7-6 (4), 3-6, 3-6.

Ana Ivanovic is seeded fourth for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. — KT photo by Dhes Handumon 

However, Ivanovic followed that up with a disappointing first-round exit to Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka 6-1, 3-6, 2-6 at the Australian Open and she has since been troubled by a nagging toe injury.

“Unfortunately, since Australia, it has been a long break and I really miss the travelling and the competing. It does feel like a completely new season,” she said. “I had a great start to the year in Brisbane; I played some really good tennis at a very high level. It was very unfortunate then I had that accident just before the Australian Open started and I had to take another two-week break. I have only been back practising for about 10 days or so, so it’s not an ideal situation. But, it’s something you have to deal with. In sports, you always have this kind of thing. 

“Now, it’s all about getting back into it, trying to get a few matches under my belt and get back into the season. Hopefully, the season can pick up.” Ivanovic — like Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki — enjoyed something of a career resurgence in 2014, with a season-ending world ranking of fifth representing her highest finish in the standings since 2008 (Fifth again).

She’d like nothing more than to repeat that feat this season and make big impressions at the three remaining Grand Slam events too.

“I’d love to compete (at the WTA Finals) in Singapore and finish the year in the top five again. That would be a really big goal for me,” Ivanovic added. “You want to peak for the biggest tournaments and this is something I was lacking a little bit last season.

“I had great lead-ups and then a few disappointments in the big events and I really want to improve that. It’s obviously a process, but I’m just enjoying being able to complete again and do what I love. I am very fortunate to be back in the top 10 and I want to maximise this, push on and see how far I can go.”

alex@khaleejtimes.com