Ivanovic ends Serena Williams' long winning streak (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-94kL9mTj4X_qaygKrNs4AGbIhmFkK3ZBffWyXSFxbhjI14lFfuYPT4UNwEBuSCPvWXabQnOkATbqns0kOJ1LhlLUB32qvROyrM0t6qv1Vqy6b2D7GKfprGeEGmdFxmrWygGBqD7BVI/s1600/201401182319839758292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-94kL9mTj4X_qaygKrNs4AGbIhmFkK3ZBffWyXSFxbhjI14lFfuYPT4UNwEBuSCPvWXabQnOkATbqns0kOJ1LhlLUB32qvROyrM0t6qv1Vqy6b2D7GKfprGeEGmdFxmrWygGBqD7BVI/s1600/201401182319839758292.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390157533823_4305" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Moments before she started pounding the first of her many winners past <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="8" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/134" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Serena Williams</a> at the Australian Open, <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="9" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/998" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Ana Ivanovic</a> listened intently to the announcer on Rod Laver Arena outlining the extraordinary accomplishments of the woman soon to be across the net from her.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390157533823_4343" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">It was her 70th match at the Australian Open, a record in the Open Era. And then, of course, there's the 17 major singles championships.Williams, a five-time champion at Melbourne Park, won 78 of her 82 matches in 2013, and was coming into the fourth round on the second-longest winning streak of her career - 25 matches.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390157533823_4363" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''When we were starting the match and they were talking about all her Grand Slam titles, it was quite impressive,'' Ivanovic said, recalling the pre-match introductions. ''But I didn't think much about the occasion and who I was playing, because it can get overwhelming.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">True to her word, Ivanovic, who had never won a set against Williams in four previous meetings, took on the biggest serve in women's tennis without fear. And she hit pinpoint forehands - 20 of 33 winners were on that side - to all areas of the court. Williams, who later revealed she was carrying a back injury, didn't even bother trying to chase some of them down.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Just under two hours later, it was game, set and match: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and an upset victory to put Ivanovic into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time since her run to the final in 2008.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="10" data-uuid="4d1d178b-f24a-33a8-9162-d00c2b18cfaa" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/ivanovic-ends-serena-williams-39-photo-142729332--ten.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Ivanovic ends Serena Williams&#39; long winning st&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 391px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Ivanovic ends Serena Williams&#39; long winning st&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="391" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/mkfa8lXiWSh0wlyTPeMIAQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM5MTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401190310114468636" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Ana Ivanovic of Serbia celebrates her win over Serena Williams of the U.S. in their fourth round mat …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''It's not easy playing such a champion ... but she is also just a human,'' said Ivanovic. ''I just went out there swinging.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Williams never got into the swing of things, at least not to way Ivanovic expected. She noticed from the outset that Williams' serve seemed to lack its usual zip. Williams also made some very uncharacteristic errors on her backhand, a telltale sign of back pain.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''It wasn't the best,'' Williams admitted later, sounding surprised when asked about the back injury. Her coach had let it slip after the players walked off the court that Williams had been experiencing back pain for days.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''Again, I don't want to blame anything. I feel like Ana deserves all the credit,'' Williams added. ''I feel she played unbelievable today. I think she went for her shots. It's not like I gave her the match.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Ivanovic will next play 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, who had a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0 win over local hope Casey Dellacqua.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="11" data-uuid="d6b947a4-c54e-32e6-b0e7-8699c4b4d6d2" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/ivanovic-ends-williams-39-streak-photo-083220148--ten.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Ivanovic ends Serena Williams&#39; long winning st&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 223px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Ivanovic ends Serena Williams&#39; long winning st&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="223" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/nkFluDScpUdmx4BKf2g1Tg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIyMztxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401190208076938548" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Serbia's <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="12" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/1068" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Novak Djokovic</a> impersonates his coach and former Grand Slam champion Boris Becker's …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The other quarterfinal in Ivanovic's half will feature two-time finalist Li Na, who beat No. 22 Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-0, and No. 28 Flavia Pennetta, who defeated No. 9 Angelique Kerber 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The men's draw progressed more according to rankings when three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and No. 3 David Ferrer advanced to the quarterfinals, along with No. 7 Tomas Berdych and No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Djokovic continued his bid for a fourth straight Australian title with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 win over Fabio Fognini. Ferrer beat Florian Mayer 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 and will next play Berdych, the 2010 Wimbledon finalist.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Djokovic will play Wawrinka, who finished off the Sunday night program at Rod Laver with a 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) win over Tommy Robredo.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''I've been elevating my game as the tournament is going on,'' said Djokovic, who later entertained the crowd with an impersonation of his new coach, Boris Becker. ''The general feeling on the court, all the shots, using the court position really well, being aggressive, playing my style of the game.''</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="13" data-uuid="3b5ed0e9-cf15-3eef-a8c3-034b43de65e5" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/ivanovic-ends-williams-39-streak-photo-064819849--ten.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Ivanovic ends Serena Williams&#39; long winning st&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 207px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Ivanovic ends Serena Williams&#39; long winning st&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="207" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jHg7DhFN1RmWtSpO.iNwZw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwNztxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201401182318839308280" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Serena Williams of the U.S. speaks during a press conference after her fourth round loss to Ana Ivan …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">On Monday, Djokovic's major threats to the title - top-seeded<a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="14" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/599" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Rafael Nadal</a>, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and 17-time Grand Slam singles winner <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="15" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/42" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Roger Federer</a> - will play their fourth-round matches. Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka and No. 3 <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="16" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/403" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Maria Sharapova</a> are in action on the women's side.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Ivanovic will have the day off - she's planning a celebratory dinner with some of her Serbian relatives who live in Melbourne.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Asked if having Williams out of any Grand Slam makes a difference, Ivanovic said it ''definitely'' did, then explained why in effusive terms.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''I think she's done so much for the sport, and she's still doing it,'' Ivanovic said. ''She's such a great athlete and a great person to have on tour. We want her, because it pushes us.''</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390157533823_4457" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">With the challenge met on Sunday, Ivanovic, at the urging of several fans, attempted to throw a souvenir towel into the stands. The breeze blew it back at her.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390157533823_4442" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">She was plainly off the mark, perhaps for the only time all day.</div></div>

Ivanovic ends Serena Williams' long winning streak (BLOG)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Moments before she started pounding the first of her many winners past  Serena Williams  at the Australian Open...

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