Ivanovic 'thrilled' to be in first French Open semi-final since 2008

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  • Ivanovic surges into the French Open semis.

    Ana Ivanovic’s return to the French Open semi-finals, seven years after she won the tournament as a 20-year-old, is a journey of evolution and self-discovery riddled with a few highs and many more lows along the way.

    But through it all one thing remained constant – Ivanovic’s eagerness to take it on with a smile.

    That smile was on full display when the Serbian former world No1 tackled tricky windy conditions to beat grand slam quarter-final debutante Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 to make the last-four stage at a major for the first time since 2008. 

    Her celebration with her team and boyfriend Bastian Schweinsteiger after she walked off court said it all as they bounced around in a huddle marking her return to a stage she fought for seven years to get back to. 

    Ivanovic says surrounding herself by the right people has been key and not being too hard on herself has been a vital improvement in her approach to tennis and life in general.

    “Oh, my God, that’s one thing that I really learned. Ever since I was young, girl, even in school, I was always a perfectionist, and I always wanted to do my homework as soon as I got home. Everything had to be done properly. And you know what? When you have tough times and when you learn you can’t be perfect in every situation, it’s hard to accept because I still do expect,” said the seventh-seeded Ivanovic.

    “But you just have to, because it’s not about the situation. It’s how you deal with it. You always have a choice. Now I really try to forgive myself sometimes and to accept it and to move on.”

    Ivanovic is on fire in France

    In a half of the draw that had defending champion Maria Sharapova, No3 seed Simona Halep and No8 seed Carla Suarez Navarro, few would have picked Ivanovic as the reliable seed to emerge as the semi-finalist, especially considering she had won just two matches on clay this year coming into the tournament. 

    “I had to battle. First round, Sunday, I lost the first set, I was down and had to fight my way back. Second round was the same story. I just really tried to hang in there and not think about the occasion or the match or anything. I just tried to execute,” she said. 

    “I’m very, very thrilled to be in the first semi-finals for the first time since 2008. It’s been a long road and hard work.” 

    Ivanovic feels she’s learned a lot since 2008 – the year where she won her only major and reached No1 in the world – but most importantly she’s come to understand what works best for her.

    “There were so many expectations and so many exciting moments at that time in my career and my life in general,” she said of her breakthrough season many years ago. “I feel like people around me were not as experienced. Of course, it was happening for the first time for them too.

    “So I don’t feel like I was guided really well. Because all of a sudden, everything started changing.  My coach wanted to change my playing style, and this one wanted… I’m like ‘no’. Why change something that worked and it worked for so long?’  

    “Then when I became older and more mature, I knew more strictly what I wanted and what I needed.

    “Now I would say ‘no, that’s not what I want. This is what feels good for me and this is what doesn’t’.”

    Ivanovic’s next opponent is Czech lefty, Lucie Safarova, who was clinical in her tough 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over hard-hitting Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.

    Safarova will face Ivanovic

    Windy conditions usually make for unwatchable tennis but the pair played a remarkable first set that had the kind of quality fitting of a grand slam quarter-final. 

    Safarova, seeded No13, will be playing her first semi-final in Paris and second at a major. She followed up her shock victory over world No2 Maria Sharapova the day before with another impressive win and says it was tricky handling her emotions overnight. 

    “It’s not easy because you have so many emotions going on. I couldn’t really fall asleep yesterday evening, and then I wake up so early,” said the 28-year-old. 

    “So I was a little tired in the morning. But the will to win and to be in the semi-finals was so big that once I stepped on the court I was just fighting and playing really well.”

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