MADRID — Jelena Jankovic said she took little notice of compatriot
Ana Ivanovic across the net Wednesday, emerging with a scratchy 4-6,
6-4, 6-1 win in a Serbian struggle to reach the third round of the
Madrid Masters.
"I treated it as just another match," said the
seventh seed who played the Rome final last weekend. "Over the years
you play so many matches and go through so many things.
"Maybe at the start of our careers it was important, Now you just want to play your tennis. You try your best and try to win."
2008
Roland Garros champion Ivanovic led the series 6-2 going into the
contest after making a move back to form last week in Rome with a
semi-final which improved her ranking to 42nd on the WTA.
But the
one-time number one was bedevilled on serve with a dozen double-faults
which did not help her cause in the struggle lasting just over an hour
and three-quarters.
Jankovic probably didn't even notice. "It doesn't matter if it's a Serb or anyone else. I just played my tennis.
"It
was not my best and I didn't expect to play so great after a long week
in Rome. But it's the first match in Madrid with the altitude. I got
through it and I get to play again tomorrow."
Ivanovic faced 20 break points in the battle, losing 11 while Jankovic was broken eight times in the sloppy victory showing.
In
men's ATP play, Croatian eighth seed Marin Cilic notched up a 6-3, 6-0
defeat of Argentine Edoardo Schwank in the second round while number 12
Frenchman Gael Monfils got a break as German Philipp Petzschner quit at
1-1 with a leg injury after just 11 minutes.
Argentine Juan Monaco put out Brazil's 16th seed Thomaz Bellucci 6-2, 6-2.
Making
later starts were second seed Nadal, facing Oleg Dolgopolov of the
Ukraine, third-seeded Scot Andy Murray and French Open finalist Robin
Soderling of Sweden.