Dubai: Former world No. Jelena Jankovic wants to use her love affair with Dubai as a launchpad for the rest of the season.
The Serbian – who made her mark as winner of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in 2003 – celebrated her 10th appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open late on Sunday with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win against qualifier Timea Babos in two hours and seven minutes.
A Dubai resident for quite a few years now, Jankovic was relieved at notching her first win of the season. “I’m very happy to get a win under my belt. It’s my first win of the season, and it’s nice to kind of get that monkey off my back. I have been suffering with my back injury, and it has been a process overall just getting back in form and just starting to practice, and losing some weight,” Jankovic told media.
Jankovic, who was world number one in August 2008, could not get off the blocks at the Australian Open last month as she crashed to a straight sets first round defeat against Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. “I was kind of overweight in Australia. I didn’t have enough time to prepare, and I was fighting hard,” she said.
But now with her first win and a second round meeting with Spanish wild card Garbine Muguruza, Jankovic has taken her first step towards re-building her tennis. “I need my confidence back and just overall playing my game. I train very well, but then playing the match is different. I was fighting hard today, and there were times where here and there I could play well, but then there are a lot of things I have to improve and get better,” she said.
“I just have to stay positive and just keep working. At the moment my main goal is to get as many matches as possible. The more I compete, the better I start feeling out there. Then I don’t have to think as much. When you don’t play so many matches you are overthinking or you don’t know what to do at certain times. You over-think, you over-analyze. You just become too analytical, and it’s against you. It doesn’t do any justice,” Jankovic added.
“So I just have to go out there and play freely and go after my shots and believe in myself. That’s what I have to do on the court.
“I love playing in Dubai. I have done very well here in the past. I have my residence here and I come quite often during the year. I love it here. I love the weather. I love pretty much everything about it and hopefully I can do well at this tournament,” she said.
