Jelena Jankovic Stuns Serena Williams, Reaches Australian Open Semifinals
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Jan 21, 2008 | Print
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Third seed Jelena Jankovic has moved into the semifinals of the Australian Open after defeating an uninspired and erratic Serena Williams in two sets 6-3, 6-4.
The defending champion was dismissed from the tournament after only ninety-nine minutes and thirty-six unforced errors.
To Jankovic’s credit, she took advantage of Serena’s lethargy and surprised herself with a berth in the semifinals. Unlike her previous four matches, Jankovic appeared relaxed and confident.
Serena was not moving well and looked tired whenever she went into long rallies. Between points she walked gingerly, sometimes favoring her right leg. Her forehand was erratic at times, with frequent misses ending long over the baseline or in the net.
After losing the fourth game of the second set and receiving a code violation for a smashed racquet, Serena began to serve better and play more aggressively. Unfortunately, for the three-time Australian Open champion, it was too late, and Jankovic won the match after breaking Serena’s serve for the seventh time, on her first match point.
According to ESPN’s Pam Shriver, Serena did have treatment to her right quad before the match, but there was no report of an official injury. Both players took an injury timeout during the second set; Jankovic for treatment to her left hip and Serena for a blister taping.
Once Serena’s post-match press conference is complete, more information will be known about whether this loss was related to an injury or just a terribly bad day at the office.
Should Jankovic advance to the final and go further in the draw than her countrywoman Ana Ivanovic, she will overtake Svetlana Kuznetsova for the No. 2 spot on the rankings behind Justine Henin.
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