Ana Ivanovic moves further in Cincinnati + declines Rogers Cup wildcard
World No.62 Ana Ivanovic followed up her first round upset of Victoria Azarenka with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Yaroslava Shvedova at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati. It’s Ivanovic’s first back-to-back win since the tournament in Rome in May when she reached the semifinals.
Ivanovic’s next opponent will be world No.49 Elena Vesnina, who advanced by upsetting fifth seed and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-4. If Ivanovic manages to overcome Vesnina, she could potentially face top seed and fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals.
Another breaking piece of news about Ivanovic is that she has declined a wild card into the main draw of the Rogers Cup. The former champion had her initial request turned down several weeks ago and was supposed to play qualifying. Tournament director Eugene Lapierre offered Ivanovic a wildcard on Tuesday but the Serb didn’t want to accept it, partly because it doesn’t fit her schedule any more and partly because she was offended by the director’s comments.
I would have loved to have played in Montreal, but I was quite hurt by the comments of Mr Lapierre that I was shown in The Montreal Gazette recently.
I don’t think his comments were necessary, and they contradicted everything he had told my management previously: that I was not getting a wild card because I am not Canadian.
The fact that my original request was turned down isn’t really an issue: I would have been happy to play qualifying, but I felt that they kind of stepped over the line with this interview, making public our correspondence and even misrepresenting it. Unfortunately I don’t feel welcome at this tournament.
Anyway, I am playing New Haven in a week or so, and I am currently at my third straight event (Cincinnati). Even though I haven’t played many matches, the training and travel take their toll, and I think this is the right decision to make, for several reasons.
(photo: © Neal Trousdale)
Ana showed that she is a pure class. The tournament director really crossed the line with his statement few days ago. Go, Ana!!!! Win Cincy!!!
Wise decision. GO ANA !!!
Entering the lions' den one more time.
I didn't have a problem on what the tournament director said. I have a problem that he back tracked by offering her a WC. As for this woman, she is showing diva attitude and ego.
further*
go ana!
Good for you Ana! Now back up your words and beat Vesnina.
HaHa good eye Mr. Jacob, I have no Furhter comment.
Hey Jacob and Carlos, I corrected it.
I'll make no furhter mistakes. 
Wow! She is a diva. She proved she has pride! They are really naive when they thought she will accept it
Good for her. Go Ana!
Good move,Ana. It's sad that organisers have sometimes so little respect for the players. She did a wise thing to turn them down.
Great!Keep on winning girl!
Excellent decision Ana, you have all my support!
Rogers cup will not be nearly attractive without you there, and it's the lesson that Mr. Director needed to learn, obviously!
Best wishes in Cincinnati!
Good job Ana. I'm from Montreal even if I'm very sad that I won'T see you before the Us Open, I completely aproove your decision and comment.
We have trouble with that tournament director since he took over responsabilities from former tournament director Richard Legendre.
Hopefully it will be his last mistake and that the crowd will teach him that his decision was bad and unclassy for a former #1 player who is on the tournament promo and adv.
I do remember what Ana did for Montreal in 2008 traveling from Europe to play Canadian Open even if the Olympics were coming. Eugene Lapierre do not, but we will make sure he will learn from that.
Go Ana!
Ana is not exactly an elite player,she has been slumping and rightly gave the wc to a Canuck who needs it more.They only thought of Ana after Wozniak withdrew,she should know she doesnt have the appeal of say pova or the Williams sisters.She is delusional if she thinks North Americans care about her,they like them blonde and blue eyed and skinny.
get a life Ana you are not that great a player!
As a Canadian of Serbian origin I have to ask a question – is this insult related to her nationality? We still remember when Djokovic won Montreal in 2007 he was referred to as a Croat. Now is Anna's turn to get her round of insults from arrogant Rogers cup director. I wonder if same director would do the same to a "fallen" American player. I do not think so!
Go Ana go!
Millica you should understand why the organizers were nervous to give her a WC ,she has been in a deep slump and since May has been losing early.I think Ana should realize that her results have not been stellah and her celebrity is deeming its nothing to do with her being Serbian.She is not a mega tennis star like say Wozniacki,Serena,Venus or pova.She is delusional to think they really care about her in North America.She is popular in Australia because of Adam.
Milica, it's not because of her nationality, it's just that they had "better" options for the tournament and they thought they didn't need Ana.
i would bet 100$ if you could find 5 person who knows tennis who prefer to see STephanie Dubois insted of Ana Ivanovic in the main draw. On one side we put privilege to immigrant to find a job in public serviuce.. in sport, we do the oppositie, we prefer local girl or boy instead of quality7.. doesn't make sense to me! and I pay 1500$ for the week to see that!
fyoto you compare wozniacki as a mega tennis star to the likes of the williams sisters and sharapova?
you jest for sure, no?
Maisie you know what Caro is more popular than Ana but a tier lower than the sisters.Caro is popular in New York and Ana is not,for some reason Ana has never done well in New York and always looks nervous on court.
I believe Caro will be more successful than Ana because of her consistency,she doesnt lose early to nobodies and she is very young and will soon be the leader of her generation.
Good move,Ana. It's sad that organisers have sometimes so little respect for the players. She did a wise thing to turn them down.
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Every years there's 5-6 women who say they'll be there but at the last minute cancel because of some "injuries". Not really surprising organisers have so little respect.
Every years Williams sisters say they will be in Canada and almost every years they cancel.
It's a business. No place for respect.
Well, Ana is now Williams sisters. She played there before and won and one year she really helped them out with her appearance there. So she has shown a lot of respect . In my opinion business cannot function properly without respect. You can exploit people but it will backfire and I think Mr Lapiere is going to experience that very soon. He's done the worst PR for his event, that's for sure.
I meant: Ana is NOT Williams sisters. Sorry for the typo.
Yeah, he really didn't need this PR.
Forgot to mention, this photo epitomizes why I call this woman "The Fist Pumping Imbecile".
Carlos, I could never call Ana an imbecile.
Of course you wouldn't call her an imbecile, you are a classy young lady. Remember my profile? Allow me to call her that for you.
No, no, call her that way for you!
Young lady, are you suggesting not to call her an imbecile while she fist pumps to show off her opponents?
She even fist pumps when lower rank opponents make unforced errors which is call unsportsmanlike conduct; and those people are call…
Yeah, I'm suggesting.
Just to clarify Beautiful Boss, You are banning me from calling her "The Fist Pumping Imbecile"?
Carlos, I'm not banning you. I was just suggesting.
Is it OK use "F.P.I." Beautiful Boss?
Carlos, you can use whatever you like.
Well, that "imbecile" made a big name for herself in the world of tennis and is on a way to get back to the top so she has a hell of a good reason to pump her fist.