When Jelena Jankovic spoke with Sport360° during her pre-season in Dubai last November, the Serb said she was determined to return to the top and believed she could win a Grand Slam title.
Some bold statements from the 28-year-old, but Jankovic backed them up with a title run in Bogota, a semi-final showing in Miami, a final appearance in Charleston and now a quarter-final showing at Roland Garros.
Looking cheerful on court from her very first round in Paris, where she also played doubles and mixed doubles, the former world No1 hopes her happiness on court will translate into a return to the top.
“I enjoy playing, I enjoy competing, that’s what I love most,” said Jankovic. “Just being out there. It’s nice to be playing pretty well again. That’s what I strive for, to just keep improving, getting better and getting on top of my game.
“I want to come back, I want to really go to the top again and so far so good. I’m competing well, I’m just trying my best on the court.”
The world No18 faces defending champion Maria Sharapova later on Wednesday for a place in the last four in what will be their ninth career meeting in the pro circuit.
But Jankovic and Sharapova go way back having both trained together at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida. Today will be their first meeting on clay even though they both vaguely remember they played on the surface against each other as juniors.
“It was like when we were 12 years old maybe, if that counts. Does that count?” said Jankovic, who trails Sharapova 1-7 head-to-head, with her sole victory over the Russian coming on grass in 2007.
Sharapova, the No2 seed, was briefly tested in the third round against Jie Zheng but has not dropped a set yet this fortnight.
She recalls her junior days with Jankovic saying: “We played against each other quite a bit in the juniors, all the time. So we know each other quite well. I think the clay really suits her game. I think she’s a great retriever, gets a lot of balls back.”
The other quarter-final on schedule today is also between two players who are well acquainted as Victoria Azarenka faces her friend Maria Kirilenko.
Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, is 3-2 against Kirilenko and will be seeking her first ever semi-final at Roland Garros.
VERDICT: Sharapova in three. Azarenka in two.
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