Jelena Jankovic gave a warning with both words and deeds that she feels a better player for coming into the WTA year-end championships as world No 1.
The charismatic Serbian with four 2008 titles scored a rare win over her compatriot Ana Ivanovic before describing how inspired she feels arriving at the last lap already sure of being top on New Year's day.
"Being No 1 is an amazing feeling and it doesn't put me under any pressure," Jankovic said after her 6-3, 6-4 success, which was only her sixth in eight attempts against Ivanovic.
"I feel more motivation and determination and it inspires me to keep going forward. Every time I go out on court I feel like I'm the No 1 and it gives me confidence," she said.
Jelena Jankovic of Serbia serves against compatriot Ana Ivanovic during their WTA tour Championships match in Doha on Tuesday. (China Daily/Agencies)It looked like it too. Jankovic was the more consistent player in difficult windy conditions, but that did not prevent her from moving the ball around well and coming forward from time to time as well.
Ivanovic often looked dangerous, smiting some forehands with sharp angles and great weight, but she made a few too many mistakes, and was too often playing catch-up.
She did that quite well from 1-3 in the second set to 3-3, supported by her boyfriend Fernando Verdasco, the Spanish player who had flown from Paris to be with her.
But Ivanovic felt unwell during the last two or three games and suddenly stopped six points from the end feeling dizzy and took a time out.
She resumed by holding her serve, but Jankovic closed out the match confidently on her own delivery, and afterwards Ivanovic claimed she had been dehydrated in the humid conditions.
She expects to be fit to play the in-form Vera Zvonareva on Wednesday.
Earlier the lesser-known Russian had caused a surprise when she beat her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, the former US Open champion, 6-2, 6-3 in the opening match.
Kuznetsova recently left her base in Barcelona where she has spent much of her life since the age of 14, returning home to St Petersburg in the hope that it will give her the mental lift her career needs.
But her straight sets loss to Zvonareva again produced a feeling of talent unfulfilled, especially after three missed break points in the first set.
Then two games from the end Kuznetsova attempted a forehand drive winner from well up the court which finished in the net. It put her break point down, making the end all but inevitable.
Later, the third of four Russians in the eight-player event was beaten when world No 2 Dinara Safina lost 7-5, 6-3 to Venus Williams, the Wimbledon champion.
Elena Dementieva, the Olympic champion, begins her campaign against the elder Williams on Wednesday.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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