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Ana Ivanovic Beats Flavia Pennetta at the Sony Open

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Number 12 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings for singles Ana Ivanovic defeated 20th seed Flavia Pennetta on Saturday, at the Sony Open in Miami, at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park.

Serbian Ivanovic, 26, claimed victory over Pennetta in one hour and 17 minutes in a 6-4, 6-3 run. With the win, Ivanovic’s record against her Italian opponent is now 5-0.

Ivanovic was ranked No. 1 in the world in 2008, after beating Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open, though saw diminished success afterwards, and failied to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal in her subsequent 17 Grand Slam tournaments. She’d dropped to number 65 in the world in July, 2010.

Below is a clip of Ivanovic’s defeat of Pennetta in its entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTtDwICii1g

In June, 2011, Time Magazine called Ivanovic one of the “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis: Past, Present and Future,” and reporter Matthew Cronin added her to his list of the Top 100 Greatest Players Ever (male and female combined). Since going pro in 2003, Ivanovic has earned over $11 million in winnings.

Ivanovic’s fans took to Twitter after the win:

Ivanovic is described as an offensive baseliner who is known for her aggressive play. She also has a very strong serve, clocking in at 124.9 mph at the French Open in 2007, the fifth fastest serve of all time on the WTA Tour. Still, after her 2008 French Open win, her confidence was said to have diminished, which affected her game. Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova commented that, “while she has absolutely no confidence in herself, she still fights till the last point.”

Though, as of 2013, Ivanovic’s play has become more even, under the tutelage of Nigel Sears, which has allowed her to build her game on her strong first serves.

Image via YouTube.

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