Early in this third-round match, long before Fred Stolle learned what ‘Ajde’ means, his co-commentator Rennae Stubbs said Ana Ivanovic was in the driver’s seat and that her opponent, Vania King, was “along for the ride, no matter where that ride takes her.” Ivanovic went off track a few times, but mostly she drove forward and, after 77 minutes, got where she wanted, beating King, 6-3, 6-4.
Ivanovic did it with the big forehand she’s always had and a big serve’s she’s finding again. She was less dominating than in her last two matches, particularly with her winner-to-error count. Today she served 22 winners against 29 errors. (King served 14 winners against 26 errors.)
In the first set Ivanovic dominated until 3-1. In the fifth game she struggled with her toss for the first time and eventually double-faulted to give King a break. She seemed less confident after that, and King, who doesn’t have Ivanovic’s weapons but knows how to use the court well, made the most of it. Until she herself was broken again while down 3-4. That emboldened Ivanovic, and she served out the set.
The second set was a little more dramatic. Down 1-2, 0-40, Ivanovic quietly asked for the trainer. (On a changeover during which Ivanovic looked distressed, the trainer gave her tablets for an apparent bug she caught.) She won nine straight points after that, playing aggressively again, perhaps in an effort to end points quickly. At 5-4 she served out the set, winning her first match point on a King error.
King, who’s known for impressive doubles results—she has 14 doubles titles, including two Grand Slam titles with Yaroslava Shvedova—says singles has always been her priority. She’s had a good run here, making the third round for the first time after upsetting No. 15 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. King’s loss leaves Serena Williams the last American woman in the draw.
For Ivanovic’s fans, it must be heartening, and downright shocking, that the same player who once made spectators gasp during second-serve ball tosses boasted some of the prettiest serving stats going into this match. Ivanovic hadn’t faced a break point in Oz, and she led the field in first serve points won (91 percent). It seems the “annoying practices of just serving, serving, serving,” which she mentioned lightheartedly in press, are helping. It’s all a pleasant surprise, even if it comes at a Slam where Ivanovic reached the final four years ago. Asked about the up-and-down years since then, she acknowledged the bumpy ride but added, “Even in the past few years I always felt, you know, I could play great match, upset a top player.”
In the fourth round, where she’ll play Petra Kvitova, arguably the top player right now, Ivanovic will have a chance to do just that.
—Bobby Chintapalli