June 20,2008:
The crown relinquished by the retired Justine Henin proved a perfect fit for Ana Ivanovic in Paris and now the new world number one plans to make her succession complete with victory at Wimbledon.
The Serb emerged imperiously from the struggle for the top ranking at the French Open earlier this month and showed she was the natural heir to Henin, the livewire Belgian who stunned tennis by announcing her retirement at the age of 25 last month.
The 20-year-old from Belgrade left Roland Garros with her first grand slam title, the world`s top ranking and knowledge she has the power, timing and movement to dominate the game.
"You just have to make sure you keep doing the right things on the court and play your matches and the rankings, they take care of themselves," Ivanovic said after beating Russia`s Dinara Safina in the Roland Garros final.
"I think I have a good chance (of winning Wimbledon)," said Ivanovic, who lost to eventual champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals last year. "I`ve been working really hard and this hard work gives results."
There are fewer loose cannons in the women`s game to shock Ivanovic, who missed the warm-up event at Eastbourne this week to rest an abductor muscle strain, in the early rounds. No Ivo Karlovic or Mario Ancic-like threats lurk in the women`s draw and she should progress to the quarter-finals with ease.
Grass Dangers
There she could meet one of the Williams sisters, so dangerous on grass even if they looked a shadow of their former selves in Paris.
Venus, who has just turned 28 and is seeded seventh, will be playing her 12th Wimbledon, has a 51-7 win-loss record and has won the major four times.
Both she and sixth-seeded sister Serena, 26 and twice a champion here, have the experience, power and guile on grass to break the eastern European cartel.
Should she overcome that hurdle Ivanovic is seeded to face Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova or Maria Sharapova before a showdown with second-ranked Serbian rival Jelena Jankovic.
Questions have to be asked about Jankovic`s temperament after her grand slam semi-final record slumped to 0-4 with the defeat by Ivanovic in Paris. Kuznetsova, never past the last eight in London, generally gets found out by the more fleet of foot on the slick surface.
Sharapova, winner in 2004, looked anything but a world number one in Paris, giving away almost 11 games in double faults and complaining of a shoulder injury, until Safina finally put her out of her misery in round four.
But she has experience of lifting the Rosewater Dish and the hurt of loss to the bludgeoning Safina and with it her top ranking, will undoubtedly spur her on.
"My chances are just as good as everybody`s, it`s all about who takes their chances," said Sharapova, who has chosen to stay away from the warm-up events before her Wimbledon tilt.
There are fewer loose cannons in the women`s game to shock Ivanovic, who missed the warm-up event at Eastbourne this week to rest an abductor muscle strain, in the early rounds. No Ivo Karlovic or Mario Ancic-like threats lurk in the women`s draw and she should progress to the quarter-finals with ease.
Grass Dangers
There she could meet one of the Williams sisters, so dangerous on grass even if they looked a shadow of their former selves in Paris.
Venus, who has just turned 28 and is seeded seventh, will be playing her 12th Wimbledon, has a 51-7 win-loss record and has won the major four times.
Both she and sixth-seeded sister Serena, 26 and twice a champion here, have the experience, power and guile on grass to break the eastern European cartel.
Should she overcome that hurdle Ivanovic is seeded to face Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova or Maria Sharapova before a showdown with second-ranked Serbian rival Jelena Jankovic.
Questions have to be asked about Jankovic`s temperament after her grand slam semi-final record slumped to 0-4 with the defeat by Ivanovic in Paris. Kuznetsova, never past the last eight in London, generally gets found out by the more fleet of foot on the slick surface.
Sharapova, winner in 2004, looked anything but a world number one in Paris, giving away almost 11 games in double faults and complaining of a shoulder injury, until Safina finally put her out of her misery in round four.
But she has experience of lifting the Rosewater Dish and the hurt of loss to the bludgeoning Safina and with it her top ranking, will undoubtedly spur her on.
"My chances are just as good as everybody`s, it`s all about who takes their chances," said Sharapova, who has chosen to stay away from the warm-up events before her Wimbledon tilt.
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France`s Amelie Mauresmo is a shadow of the player who lifted the title in 2006 and is labouring with a leg injury.
Ivanovic said in Paris winning a grand slam was something she had dreamt about "since I was a little kid."
"It`s my incentive to keep working hard and win more of these trophies."
Few would bet against her work failing to pay off on Centre Court on July 5.
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