Jelena Jankovic, who was stunned by 17-year-old Melanie Oudin in the third round of Wimbledon, didn’t want to blame her own lack of quality for the defeat and even characterized her opponent’s game as mediocre.

From what I have seen, she can play if you let her play. But she cannot hurt you with anything. She doesn't have any weapons, from what I've seen. She's a consistent and quite solid player. She doesn't make so many mistakes. But she doesn't do anything either, so it's like she's depending kind of on you.

These statements seem especially unacceptable when you consider that Oudin made 38 winners to Jankovic's 13.

I'm a Jankovic fan but she should have shown respect for her opponent and accepted her own decline, despite the diziness that affecteed her during the match. (source: Tennis Head, photo: Life)

Share This

Sixth seed Jelena Jankovic fell in the third round of Wimbledon 2009 to American world No.124 Melanie Oudin 6-7 (8) 7-5 6-2, while her fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic made a better showing than usual and advanced to the fourth round.

The former world No.1 Jankovic lost to qualifier Oudin in three sets, but even that first set she won in a tiebreaker could have easily went into the hands of Oudin who had four set points. The second set was equally intriguing. Oudin overcame a 5-4 deficit and since then the match turned into the biggest upset of the first week of Wimbledon.

Oudin has been making her Wimbledon debut this week, and before she had a 0-2 record in Grand Slam matches. After the tournament the 17-year-old will crack the Top 100 for the first time.

Ana Ivanovic had a much more difficult opponent in her third-round match, in the form of Roland Garros semifinalist Samatha Stosur, ranked 19th in the world. The 13th-seeded Ivanovic beat Stosur 7-5 6-2 and will next face the most difficult opponent, five-time Wimbledon titlist and defending champion Venus Williams.

Ivanovic took the Australian’s serve in the first game and marched on for a 4-2 lead. Stosur then leveled at 4-4, but Ivanovic broke again and served out for the set. In the second set Ivanovic raced to a 4-0 lead, and it was clear she would advance and finally show us she can still play solidly. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Share This

Five-time Wimbledon titlist and defending champion Venus Williams was as comfortable as ever on grass and saw off world No.97 Stefanie Voegele to reach the second round. Sixth seed Jelena Jankovic also progressed, with a 6-4 7-6(0) victory over Julia Goerges of Germany.

Third seed Williams defeated the 19-year-old Swiss 6-3 6-2 in 74 minutes. The American took control of the opening set after winning 14 straight points, and three breaks of Voegele's serve gave Williams the second set.

Jankovic stormed through the opening set in 45 minutes. In the second set Goerges took a 5-2 lead, but the Serb pulled level and raced away to win the tiebreak 7-0.

Jankovic’s grasscourt game is being helped by coach Chip Hooper. JJ didn't want to say whether Hooper will be her new coach, but she revealed that he's working on her serves and volleys.

Williams will next play Kateryna Bondarenko, while Jankovic’s next opponent will be Iveta Benesova. (photo via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Share This

Anna Chakvetadze hadn’t scored a Top 10 win since February 2008, but she improved by beating world No.6 and third seed Jelena Jankovic, who followed fellow falling Serbian star Ana Ivanovic out of the AEGON International. Final score: 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2. Thankfully, unlike Ana, for Jelena we can at least say she was upset!

Not only is Jankovic still in the mud, and she lost in the first round of a tournament, but she lost to Anna Chakvetadze, who herself said "I am pleased with every win right now because it's very important to me to get back my confidence."

Jankovic has started losing in the very beginnings of tournaments, and plus, to insecure players. Chakvetadze had last defeated a Top 10 opponent when she beat Marion Bartoli at the Paris Indoor event.

Jankovic’s excuse for the defeat was the change of surface: "It was obviously my first match on grass." However, the 24-year-old also mentioned her worrying lack of motivation: "I'll play Wimbledon and then we'll see. At least I can take a few weeks off then. I wish I could take a break now. I need to get to where I want to play tennis again."

It could make Jankovic any better that second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova lost to Aleksandra Wozniak in straight sets 6-0 6-3, just days after lifting the French Open trophy, while fourth seed Vera Zvonareva fell to Amelie Mauresmo 6-3 1-6 6-3, in the opening round as well. (via M&G, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Share This

World No.41 Sorana Cirstea of Romania beat fifth seed Jelena Jankovic 3-6 6-0 9-7 in the fourth round of Roland Garros, in a match that lasted two hours and 44 minutes.

The first set was in the hands of Jankovic, the second was dominated by Cirstea, while the decider brought a grueling fight. After breaking Cirstea’s serve, fifth seed Jelena Jankovic was serving for the match at 5-4 and was two points away from victory, but Cirstea broke back, and than broke Jankovic’s serve in the 16th game of the third set to win on her third match point.

The 19-year-old Cirstea had never advanced beyond the second round in her previous five major events. Jankovic was a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 2007 and 2008.

Cirstea will play Australian seed No.30 Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals. Stosur defeated France’s Virginie Razzano 6-1 6-2 in the fourth round.

Second seed Serena Williams played her "most focused match so far" to beat seed No.24 Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-1 6-2. Williams has now reached the quarterfinals, while extending her Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches. The American will next play seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who outlasted 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 1-6 6-1. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Share This