===============
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
(Melbourne, Australia; outdoor hard (Plexicushion); Grand Slam)
=============== http://www.australianopen.com/
Contents
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1. Photos
2. Semi-final: Hantuchová v Ivanovic review

Apologies for the delay.
This was due to Maria going all the way!

---------
1. Photos
---------

Daniela Hantuchová:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/players/99/photos
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=hantuchova
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/players/wta080394.html
search Getty Images for "hantuchova"

Various players including Daniela:
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/2/photogallery/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7206414.stm

Many players:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/gallery?pg=1&cap=1

-------------------------------------------
2. Semi-final: Hantuchová v Ivanovic review (Thursday 24th January)
-------------------------------------------

Nice winner, nice loser:
+ ANA IVANOVIC [4,DF] d. DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9,EF], 0-6 6-3 6-4

Oh dear! Daniela led 6-0 2-0*, and also had a break-point at 3-2* in
the third set - which went with serve until Daniela at *4-4 netted a
forehand volley that should have been an easy putaway.

Daniela actually won more games (13-12) and more points (83-80) than
Ana, and had better first-serve percentages (in and points won) than
Ana - but if you ignore the first set, Ana's percentages were better.
While they each had 7 BPs, Daniela broke 4 times (before 6-0 2-0),
Ana just 3 times (after 6-0 2-0).

Daniela finished the match with a negative W:UE ratio of 27:33, while
Ana's was a positive 29:25 (not surprisingly, these ratios were the
other way round in the first set).

Daniela was cross during and after this match, because during her
service-motion, she allowed herself to be distracted by the loud
squeaking of Ana's shoes as Ana prepared to receive. Daniela
complained to the umpire, and later to the press, who relayed
Daniela's comments to Ana, putting the words "deliberately"
and "gamesmanship" in Daniela's mouth, but Ana said she wasn't doing
it deliberately to put Daniela off, and that Daniela was just "picking
on it to get upset".

Without having watched the match myself, I tend to side with Ana on
this issue. Squeaking shoes are a natural byproduct of good footwork
on Plexicushion, and unless there is video 'footage' to show that Ana
was squeaking her shoes on purpose, Daniela's complaint sounds as
ridiculous as the accusations that Sania Mirza has dishonoured the
Indian flag by putting her feet on it - the difference being that
Daniela is not demanding a three-year jail-sentence.

Daniela complained that the umpire ignored her complaint, but it
wouldn't have been right to give Ana a code-violation when you think
it through. What was Ana supposed to do - stop moving? Play barefoot?

As a tennis-player, you can't let such distractions get to you like a
dripping tap - you simply have to block them out.

I hope Daniela can learn from this loss rather than acquiring yet
more psychological scars. It's very encouraging for 2008 that she has
reached her first Grand Slam semi-final on top of all the great
progress she made in 2007.

Daniela at 24 may be drawing ever closer to the average career-
expectancy for a female tennis-player (26 seems to be the mode age
for retirement in recent years, and no member of my Eternal Fanship
has ever played a WTA singles-match in her 30s, though three of my
eleven have reached their 30s now), but she's of a different stature
now than when she was in her early tweens: a stature that could see
her regularly reach Grand Slam quarter- and semi-finals.


2.1 Articles
------------

Ivanovic sets up Sharapova final [CEEFAX 490->492]
>>>
Ana Ivanovic will face Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final
after a dramatic three-set win against ninth seed Daniela Hantuchová.

Hantuchová started much the stronger, and raced through the first set
6-0.

It took Ivanovic, from Serbia, 45 minutes to win her first game, but
she settled and took the second set 6-3.

The third set went with serve until 4-4, when three errors from the
Slovak helped fourth seed Ivanovic to break, and the Serb closed
things out 6-4.
<<<

Hantuchová blasts Ivanovic tactic [CEEFAX 490->493]
>>>
Daniela Hantuchová has accused Ana Ivanovic of gamesmanship after the
Serb won their Australian Open semi-final.

Hantuchová, who let slip a 6-0 2-0 lead to lose 0-6 6-3 6-4, claimed
she was regularly put off in serving by a squeak when Ivanovic
shuffled her feet.

"I was really surprised by that," said Hantuchová, claiming umpire
Alison Lang ignored her early complaint.

"I think it's unfair. It's a distraction to the server. We played
before and she never did it."
<<<

Ivanovic fights back to reach final [Teletext 495->499]
>>>
Ivanovic stages comeback [Teletext 498]

Fourth seed Ana Ivanovic produced a stirring comeback to book her
place in the final at Melbourne Park.

The 20-year-old Serbian defeated Slovakian ninth seed Daniela
Hantuchová 0-6 6-3 6-4 to set up a meeting with Maria Sharapova in
Saturday's final.

Ivanovic was blown away in the first set, but recovered her
composure, and took advantage of her powerful serve to seal a second
Grand Slam final-spot.


Ivanovic blames fatigue [Teletext 498]

Ana Ivanovic felt her draining quarter-final win over Venus Williams
played a part in her terrible start against Daniela Hantuchová in the
semis.

The world No 3 lost the opening set 6-0, but bravely fought back to
win the next two and reach Saturday's final.

Ivanovic said: "I didn't have a day off in between, and the roof was
closed, so it made it a lot faster. Playing Venus was emotional, and
drained me a little."


Hantuchová made complaint [Teletext 498]

Daniela Hantuchová has revealed she made a complaint to the umpire
because she felt the shoes of opponent Ana Ivanovic were squeaking
too loudly.

The Slovakian was bundled out of the semi-final in three sets, and
felt Ivanovic's shoes had been a major distraction while she was
serving.

Hantuchová said: "I think it's unfair. It's a distraction to the
server. She's never done it when we played before."
<<<

Ana digs deep to down Daniela
By Adam Lucius <www.australianopen.com>
>>>
Ana Ivanovic recovered from a disastrous start to pull off a
remarkable semi-final win over Daniela Hantuchová in the second of
the women's semi-finals at the Australian Open.

The Serb surrendered the first set before winning in three - 0-6 6-3
6-4 - in an incredible back-from-the-dead performance.

Hantuchová stunned the big Rod Laver Arena crowd by taking the first
set in just 25 minutes.

It was the first time in 112 sets of Grand Slam tennis that Ivanovic
had been beaten to love.

History augured well for Hantuchová, who had won 49 of 53 Grand Slam
matches after taking the first set.

Ivanovic's problems on serve continued in the second set, the No.4
seed dropping the first game as Hantuchová held to take a 2-0 lead.

Lifted by the crowd, Ivanovic held serve in her next game, and then
broke Hantuchová to level at 2-2.

The turning point came at 4-3 when Hantuchová double-faulted to hand
the Serb the game and a 5-3 advantage.

Ivanovic served out the set to complete stage one of a remarkable
comeback.

The third set went to serve until Ivanovic broke at 4-4, giving her
the impetus to go on and seal an incredible win.

"I tried to stay calm [after losing the first set], but it wasn't
easy. I won because of you guys [the crowd]," Ivanovic said.

"If it wasn't for you, I'd be booking my flight back home."
<<<

Frenchman Tsonga knocks Nadal out of Australian Open for a shot at
title
By John Pye: AP Sports Writer
>>>
On the women's side, No. 4 Ana Ivanovic was down a set and a break
against Daniela Hantuchová before rebounding for a 0-6 6-3 6-4 win to
reach her second Grand Slam final.

Ivanovic won her first game while down 0-2 in the second set. That
brought cheers from the crowd, and she said it was inspiration.

She broke Hantuchová twice to make it one set apiece. After battling
to hold serve in a 10-minute game that went to deuce seven times, she
broke again, and served out to reach her second final in four Majors.
<<<

Ivanovic comes back from the dead to reach Aussie Open final (AFP)
>>>
Serbian fourth seed Ana Ivanovic staged a barnstorming comeback from
eight games down on Thursday to beat Slovak Daniela Hantuchová and
set up an Australian Open final against Maria Sharapova.

Ivanovic, backing up a day after a bruising scrap against Venus
Williams, allowed ninth seed Hantuchová to run away with the match
before roaring back to win 0-6 6-3 6-4.

The 20-year-old looked like wilting in humid conditions under the
closed roof of the Rod Laver Arena, taking 46 minutes to win her
first game, and reviving memories of her choke in last year's French
Open final.

Urged on by the Melbourne Park crowd, the Serb clawed her way back
into the match, admitting she was surprised at the intensity of an
opponent in Hantuchová contesting her first Grand Slam semi-final.

"She was playing really good, and I was always on the back foot and
always defending," Ivanovic said.

"I didn't find my rhythm, and I knew I had to go for the shots before
her, because she likes to dominate. I tried to hang in there.

"But I just tried to tell myself that she can't keep up that level
throughout the whole match. I knew I would get a chance at some
point, and that helped me a lot."

Ivanovic will struggle to recover from such a slow start in the final
against an in-form Sharapova, but can count on the support of the
Melbourne Park crowd, which includes locally-based relatives and
expatriate Serbs.

"If it wasn't for you guys, I would be already booking my flight back
home," the relieved world number three said after the win.

The Serbian beauty, who can live up to her billing as the next big
thing in women's tennis with a tournament-win, said she was
disappointed with her slow start, but encouraged by the way she
fought back.

She also dismissed complaints from Hantuchová that the squeaking from
her shoes as she prepared to return serve was an annoying distraction
that contributed to the win.

"If you see other matches, I was doing exactly the same thing - it's
just the way these courts play," she said.

"I just tried to move my feet, to return the ball, so it really was
not intentional."

Ivanovic, 20, began nervously as her serve misfired, double-faulting
to go down a break in the opening game, and failing to score a point
in the second.

The 24-year-old Slovak, who enjoyed an armchair-ride to the semis
while Ivanovic battled through a bruising clash with Venus Williams,
looked fresher than her opponent.

Hantuchová stunned Ivanovic to take the first set 6-0 after just 25
minutes.

Ivanovic stretched the opening game of the second for eight minutes,
but eventually conceded another break.

She finally held serve in the third game, and went on to score a
crucial break back, for the first time unleashing some of the
aggression that helped her down Williams.

The Serb's recent fitness-work, which included playing in sauna-like
conditions at a British training-centre to prepare for Melbourne's
heat, began to pay off as her movement improved late in the second
set.

She claimed another break in the eighth game, then went on the defend
serve with an ace and take the match to a third set.

It turned into a 59 minute minute arm-wrestle, Ivanovic seizing the
decisive break in the ninth game then serving out the match, slumping
to the floor after Hantuchová netted a return to give her victory.
<<<

Sharapova, Ivanovic to battle for Aussie tennis Grand Slam (AFP)
>>>
A dogged Ana Ivanovic staged a stunning comeback on Thursday to make
the Australian Open final, where a sizzling Maria Sharapova stands
between her and a maiden Grand Slam title.

The Serbian fourth seed looked dead and buried after going down 6-0
in the first set of her semi-final with Slovak ninth seed Daniela
Hantuchová, but turned the tables in emphatic fashion to win the next
two 6-3 6-4.

Ivanovic looked like wilting in humid conditions with the roof of the
Rod Laver Arena closed due to rain, taking 46 minutes to win her
first game, and reviving memories of her choke in last year's French
Open final.

But the 20-year-old recovered after allowing Hantuchová to rattle off
eight straight games, cheered on by an ecstatic Melbourne Park crowd.

"She's a tough player, and I knew I had to go for my shots early in
the rally, and it was frustrating because I couldn't make any - she
was playing really well," she said, applauding the crowd for helping
her regroup.

"I tried to stay calm as much as I could, but obviously it wasn't
easy."
<<<

Ivanovic fights back to reach final (Reuters)
By Simon Cambers (editing by Ed Osmond)
>>>
Serbian Ana Ivanovic recovered from a terrible start to beat Daniela
Hantuchová of Slovakia 0-6 6-3 6-4 and reach the Australian Open
final on Thursday.

Fourth seed Ivanovic looked frozen with nerves as she dropped the
first eight games of the semi-final, but as Hantuchová's level
dipped, she recovered strongly to set up a final against Russian
fifth seed Maria Sharapova.

Ivanovic, runner-up at last year's French Open, said she had only had
one thought when she trailed 0-6 0-2.

"To win a game," she laughed in a courtside interview. "It's actually
not so funny. She's a tough playerm, and I knew I had to go for my
shots early in the rallies and I was missing them. It was
frustrating."

Ivanovic was far too tentative at first as ninth seed Hantuchová, in
her first Grand Slam semi-final, blasted winners on both sides,
romping to a 6-0 2-0 lead.

The Serbian finally held serve in the third game of the second set,
and suddenly the match changed as she became more aggressive, hitting
her groundstrokes with much greater authority.

A fortunate netcord helped her break back for 2-2, and she then
cruised through the rest of the set to level the match.

Hantuchová had a break-point that would have given her a 4-2 lead in
the decider, but Ivanovic held on before some great scrambling gave
her a break when Hantuchová missed a simple volley.

The Serbian then showed no sign of nerves to serve out for victory
after two hours, 10 minutes, and a disappointed Hantuchová did not
look at Ivanovic when the pair shook hands at the net.

Ivanovic, who said she had struggled to focus after an emotional win
over Venus Williams in the previous round, thanked the crowd for
their support.

"I won just because of you guys," she said. "If it wasn't for you
guys, I would be already booking my flight back home."

Ivanovic said she hoped not to repeat the same mistakes when she
plays Sharapova in the final on Saturday.

"She has had a great tournament, beating Justine [Henin]," Ivanovic
said. "We are 2:2 in matches, and hopefully I can start better than
today."
<<<

Sharapova, Ivanovic take contrasting routes to final (Reuters)
By Ossian Shine (editing by Ed Osmond)
>>>
Serb powerhouse Ana Ivanovic staged a sensational fightback to reach
the Australian Open final on Thursday, and will meet Maria Sharapova
when she guns for a first Grand Slam title.

FIRST-SET WHITEWASH

The pair reached Saturday's showpiece in vastly contrasting styles,
Sharapova pummelling Serb Jelena Jankovic 6-3 6-1, while fourth seed
Ivanovic recovered from a first-set whitewash to oust Daniela
Hantuchová 0-6 6-3 6-4.

Ivanovic won just nine points in the first set, and trailed 0-6 0-2
before pulling things around.

"It definitely was a disappointing start for me," the relieved 20-
year-old smiled.

"I just had a feeling she was playing really good, and I was always
on the back foot and always defending. I just couldn't find my
rhythm. I tried to hang in there to stay with her."

"If it wasn't for you guys, I would be booking my flight home," she
told the crowd.

Ivanovic had looked finished when her Slovak opponent swept through
the first set and broke early in the second.

Seemingly frozen with nerves, the fourth seed kept pounding away at
her groundstrokes, however, and finally they began to pay off as
Hantuchová's standard slipped.

She reeled her opponent in, and finally sealed what had seemed an
unlikely victory in two hours, 10 minutes.
<<<

Ivanovic denies gamesmanship accusations (Reuters)
By Simon Cambers (editing by Ed Osmond)
>>>
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic denied accusations that she used gamesmanship
during her 0-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Daniela Hantuchová in the
Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday.

A disappointed Hantuchová let slip a 6-0 2-0 lead, and later
criticised the fourth seed, saying the way she shuffled her feet
before the server hits the ball, which results in loud squeaking, was
off-putting and unfair.

"That was ridiculous, I think," Hantuchová told reporters.

"I was really surprised with that. I think it's unfair. It's a
distraction to the server. We played before and she never did it."

Hantuchová said she had complained to umpire Alison Lang.

"[I told the umpire] in the first or second service-game, but she
didn't do anything about it. I don't think that [the squeaking] was
very nice."

But Ivanovic said she did not deliberately make a squeaking-noise.

"I just tried to move my feet, to return the ball, so it really was
not intentional," Ivanovic said.

"If you see other matches, I was doing exactly the same thing. It's
just the way these courts play. And if you listen to the guys, I
think they're doing the same thing.

"Once I saw she was complaining [to the umpire]. But there was
nothing I could do, because if I want to move my feet to return a
ball, you know, this was the sound I was producing.

"And also, during the point, if I want to run with small steps around
the ball, it was exactly the same thing. So maybe she was just trying
to pick on something, to get upset."

Hantuchová gave Ivanovic little more than a cursory handshake at the
end, having thought the Serbian had not got to the ball on the first
bounce on the point that gave the fourth seed the vital break in the
final set.

But the Slovakian, appearing in her first Grand Slam semi-final, said
she was just disappointed with her defeat.

"It's just tough, tough to accept that you lose. So I just wanted to
get off the court as soon as possible.

"I thought it was a double bounce, but maybe it was just my mistake.
I should have played the point anyway."

Despite the defeat, Hantuchová said her run to the last four promised
much for the rest of the year.

"In the days to come, I think I will go back and look at the
tournament as a very positive thing," she said.

"I proved once again, to myself, that if I play my game, I can beat
anybody. It's just a matter of doing it for the whole match."
<<<

Sharapova, Ivanovic reach final (PA 'first prize' SportsTicker)
>>>
Maria Sharapova will get a chance to redeem herself in the Australian
Open final.

The fifth-seeded Russian capped her dominant run through the top of
the draw on Thursday with a 6-3 6-1 victory over No. 3 Jelena
Jankovic in the semi-finals of the season's first Grand Slam.

Sharapova will be after her third Grand Slam title on Saturday when
she faces fourth-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic, who overcame a
disastrous start to rally past No. 9 Daniela Hantuchová: 0-6 6-3 6-4.

Ivanovic, who had not dropped a set here prior to her meltdown in the
opening set, will be appearing in the second Grand Slam championship
match of her career.

Ivanovic was a runner-up to Henin at Roland Garros last season, and
followed up that effort by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Hantuchová, her own worst enemy with 33 unforced errors and five
double-faults, was bidding for her first Grand Slam final in this her
29th consecutive Major.

"It's very disappointing at the moment, but I think with days to
come, I think I will go back and look at the tournament as a very
positive thing," Hantuchová said. "I think it gives me a lot of hope
for the whole year.

"I think I proved once again, myself, that if I play my game I can
beat anybody. Just a matter of doing it for the whole match."

The 24-year-old Slovakian was strong early as she earned four
consecutive breaks to capture the first eight games of the match.

A shell-shocked Ivanovic finally started showing signs of life,
securing her first break, and holding serve to forge a 3-2 edge in
the second set.

"I had to calm down for today's victory," Ivanovic
said. "[Hantuchová] is a tough player, I had to go for my shots early
in the rally, and it was frustrating because I couldn't make any."

Hantuchová double-faulted on the final point of the eighth game to
hand a 5-3 lead to Ivanovic, who served out the set without losing a
point.

Both players held serve early in the third set, with Ivanovic saving
the first break-point of the set during an extended sixth game that
included seven deuces.

Hantuchová was the first to blink at 4-4, as Ivanovic gained a break
on the heels of three unforced errors by the Slovak, who - trailing
30/40 - dumped a potential winner into the net.

Though friends off the court, Hantuchová was upset that her service-
game was disrupted by Ivanovic's stutter-step footwork - which
resulted in sharp squeaking-sounds.

"That's ridiculous, I think," Hantuchová said. "I was really
surprised with that. I think it's unfair. It's a distraction to the
server. We played before and she never did it.

"[I told the umpire] in the first or second service-game, but she
didn't do anything about it. I don't think that was very nice."

Ivanovic said she has done the same thing in other matches, and it's
a simply a matter of how the courts play.

"I just tried to move my feet, to return the ball, so it really was
not intentional," she said. "Maybe she was just trying to pick on
something, to get upset."

Ivanovic and Sharapova, who will be playing for the $1.2 million
first prize, have split four career-meetings.
<<<

Sharapova rolls into Australian Open final (AP)
>>>
Just when it looked like the Serbian fans were going to head home
very disappointed, Ana Ivanovic gave them something to cheer for.

Seemingly headed for a quick departure after drawing a blank in the
first set, fourth-ranked Ivanovic made a dramatic turnaround and
landed a spot in the Australian Open finals against Maria Sharapova
with a 0-6 6-3 6-4 victory over No. 9 Daniela Hantuchová on Thursday.

Now she gets the unenviable task of trying to derail No. 5 Sharapova,
who was sharp again in overwhelming Serbia's Jelena Jankovic 6-3 6-1.

The second match started as a near-replay. Ivanovic credited her fans
for helping her rally.

"If it wasn't for you guys, I would already be booking my flight back
home," she told the crowd.

Ivanovic appeared to have a letdown at the start after beating Venus
Williams in the previous round. She repeatedly tried to psyche
herself up as she won only nine points in the first set.

Hantuchová had her constantly sprinting side to side with sharp
groundstrokes, mixed with well-placed spins that kept Ivanovic from
finding any rhythm.

"I think she didn't miss a ball," Ivanovic said. "I just tried to
tell myself that she can't keep up that level throughout the whole
match. I knew I would get a chance at some point."

When Ivanovic finally held for her first game while already down 0-2
in the second set, the crowd erupted in cheers of sympathetic relief.

The small victory provided just what she needed: a jolt of confidence.

Finally hitting with authority, Ivanovic broke twice to pull ahead
5-3, then held at love. What had been a rout in the making was even
with a set to go.

Hantuchová shockingly blinked while serving at 4-4. She fended off
one break point at 15/40, and set herself up to save the second with
a drop-volley. Ivanovic scrambled to keep it in play but was out of
court when Hantuchová netted an easy volley.

Hantuchová wasn't sure what happened to her.

"Good question," she said. "If I knew that I think, I would have
changed it while I was still on the court. That's tennis. I had a
great opportunity, but it just didn't happen for me today."

She complained to the umpire that while she was serving, Ivanovic's
shoes were squeaking loudly.

"That's ridiculous, I think," she said. "I think it's unfair. It's a
distraction to the server. We played before and she never did it."

Ivanovic denied she was doing it intentionally.

"If you see other matches I was doing exactly the same thing," she
said. "It's just the way these courts play. And if you listen to the
guys, I think they're doing the same thing. I just tried to move my
feet, to return the ball."
<<<

Sharapova, Ivanovic Reach Australian Open Final
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2001
>>>
The tension that was missing from the first semi-final was certainly
there during the second, and at the end of the day it was Maria
Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic who were able to battle through to the
Australian Open title match with very contrasting victories.

The straight-set dismissal of one Serb was nearly repeated by
another, as an in-form Daniela Hantuchová played flawless tennis to
build a 6-0 2-0 lead over Ana Ivanovic in the second semi-final match
of the day. But a few critical forehand-mistakes from the No.9 seed
gave No.4 seed Ivanovic hope, and the aggressive Serb played her way
back into things in a hurry, evening it at a set apiece.

The 59-minute third set was full of drama as the two women continued
to hold tightly to their service through the first eight games, with
the sole exception of Ivanovic's 2-3 service-game, in which she saved
break-point (which would have given Hantuchová a 4-2 lead) and
finally held after seven deuces. But the Slovak would be the first to
crack, losing her serve at 4-4 with a putaway volley into the net.
Ivanovic confidently served out the 0-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

"She wasn't missing a ball and was making almost all of her first
serves; but I just tried to tell myself she can't keep up that level
throughout the whole match and I knew I'd get a chance at some
point," Ivanovic said. "I had a chance to win the first game of the
second set but didn't, then I went down a break. But I was so, so
happy to fight through that second set. And once I managed to win it
I felt much more comfortable, and a lot more confident going into the
third set.

"At 2-3 in the third set, we had long game and I managed to win it.
I knew she was probably mentally a bit down about that. I knew I had
to step up and do something different, and I managed to break her.
I think it was a huge moment."

"I was just really pleased with the way I was doing things until that
6-0 2-0 game," Hantuchová said. "I think I proved once again to
myself, if I play my game I can beat anybody. It's a matter of doing
it the whole match. It's really disappointing now, but in the days to
come, I'll look back at the tournament as a very positive thing. It
gives me a lot of hope for the whole year."

The comeback from a first-set bagel has been quite a rare sight on
the Grand Slam stage - only once before had a player pulled it off,
the honour going to She Who Must Not Be Named, who beat Sánchez-
Vicario at Roland Garros in 1992: 0-6 6-2 6-2 [apparently they've
forgotten Daniela's loss to Shinobu Asagoe at Wimbledon 2003].
<<<

Ivanovic edges Hantuchová
By Pippa Davis (Eurosport)
>>>
Fourth seed Ana Ivanovic booked her place in the final of the
Australian Open with a battling 0-6 6-3 6-4 comeback-win over Daniela
Hantuchová.

Trailing by a set and 2-0, Ivanovic looked down and out, but won six
of the next seven games to take the second set, before battling
through a tight third to set up a final-clash with Maria Sharapova on
Saturday.

Ivanovic looked frozen to the spot by nerves in the opening stages of
the match, in much the same state that saw her lose the French Open
final 6-1 6-2 to Justine Henin last year.

Meanwhile ninth seed Hantuchová, high in confidence after reaching
her first Grand Slam semi-final, was blasting winners from all over
the court, and there were just 23 minutes on the clock when the
Slovak served out the bagel first set.

Ivanovic finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the ninth game
of the match, much to the delight of the crowd, and wasted no time in
breaking the Hantuchová serve to level up the second set.

The Slovak held to stop the run of games against, and both players
secured another hold apiece before Ivanovic struck again. Trailing
3-4, Hantuchová threw in a poor game, tamely surrendering her serve
with a double fault to hand Ivanovic the opportunity to serve out the
set.

Ivanovic, who will become the new world number two next week
regardless of the outcome of Saturday's final, duly held to love to
seal the set, and looked to have the momentum going into the third.

But Hantuchová refused to be pressurised into collapsing, and got
back on track with a service-hold in the opening game of the third
set. The 24-year-old even looked the more likely to take the
initiative, holding a break-point during an epic sixth game that
involved seven deuces, and holding to love in her following service-
game.

But Ivanovic stuck with her opponent before breaking in the ninth
game when Hantuchová, who had an entirely open court to play with,
tapped a very nervy forehand into the top of the net.

The Serb then confidently served out the match to love, setting up
the Sharapova-clash after Hantuchová slapped a forehand return of
serve into the net.

Ivanovic said: "It definitely was a disappointing start for me. First
game I was a little bit nervous and my serve didn't work very well,
and I didn't move as good as I should have. I didn't find my rhythm,
and I knew I had to go for the shots before her, because she likes to
dominate. I just couldn't find my rhythm. I tried to hang in there,
you know, to stay with her. I just tried to tell myself that she
can't keep up that level throughout the whole match. I knew I would
get a chance at some point, and that helped me a lot."

Hantuchová said: "[The way Ivanovic moved and squeaked her shoes
while waiting to receive] was ridiculous I think. I was really
surprised with that. I think it's unfair. It's a distraction to the
server. We played before and she never did it. In the first or second
service-game, [I told the umpire] but she didn't do anything about
it. I don't think [the squeaking] was very nice. It's just tough,
tough to accept that you lose. So I just wanted to get off the court
as soon as possible."
<<<

NUMBERS GAME
By Neil Frankland: AP Sports Writer
>>>
Ana Ivanovic's climb up the WTA rankings is catching her by surprise.

Fourth-seeded Ivanovic rallied to beat Daniela Hantuchová 0-6 6-3 6-4
in two hours, 10 minutes to reach the Australian Open final and earn
herself the No. 2 position when the new rankings are released next
week.

Only she didn't realise it.

"Really? No, really? Oh, okay. Well, great," Ivanovic responded when
told of her new ranking. "I really didn't expect that. That's
definitely good, so one more spot to go."

Ivanovic will next face fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova, who cruised
past Jelena Jankovic 6-3 6-1.
<<<

Ana's Australian Open Blog
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1968
>>>
What a match! I've had a few good comebacks in my career and that was
one of the best. I made a terrible start, but it was more a case of
Daniela playing so well than me not performing. At 6-0 2-0 it was
almost embarrassing. She was playing great tennis and nothing seemed
to be working for me. I think I'm a pretty good fighter, and I just
hung in there and my serve helped me. I knew the longer I stayed in
the match the more chance there was of her level going down. On the
other hand, I was able to focus better in the second set and my form
improved.

In a situation such as that, mental energy becomes just as important
as physical. It was just 24 hours after my win over Venus, and I had
been very excited during that match. I would have liked to have had a
day to recover, to calm down and recharge, but I obviously had to
play another very important match.

Last year I had some good comeback wins against Vaidišová, Jankovic
and also Hantuchová. The most important thing when you are behind –
and this may sound obvious – is to just stay positive and forget
about the score. I didn't panic and think, "I must break here." I
took it point-by-point, and it worked out well.
<<<

Popcorn tennis - day 11
By Darren Saligari <www.australianopen.com>
>>>
Ana Ivanovic d Daniela Hantuchová 0-6 6-3 6-4. It looked like it was
going to be a gimme for Hantuchová: she took the first set 6-0 while
Ivanovic looked on helplessly. Then the game changed. Ivanovic
started to move better, shots started hitting the lines, and suddenly
we had a game on our hands. Ivanovic squared the ledger, winning the
second set, and then it was game on in the third.

It'll be a long drive home for Daniela Hantuchová. She looked like
she had this one, but somehow Ana Ivanovic forced her way back into a
match that looked all but over.
<<<

Ana: Struggle makes me strong
By Adam Lucius <www.australianopen.com>
>>>
First-time Australian Open finalist Ana Ivanovic believes the
experience gleaned from her amazing semi-final escape provides the
perfect preparation for a shot at the title.

The Serb will meet Russia's Maria Sharapova in Saturday's decider
after coming from a set down to overpower a stage-struck Daniela
Hantuchová in a thrilling semi on Rod Laver Arena.

Ivanovic was in dreadful touch early, conceding the first set 0-6
before coming home 6-3 6-4 to steal the match and give herself a
massive confidence-boost ahead of her second Grand Slam final.

"It definitely does [give me a lift]," Ivanovic declared.

"I didn't perform the best I could today, and my serve-percentage was
quite low, but I just managed to fight through it."

"It was a little bit flat in the beginning. These things I'm facing
for probably the first time in my career, and it's definitely
something I can learn from."

"I was just really proud of myself [for coming back]."

Asked where it had gone wrong early, the No.4 seed replied: "In the
first game, I was a little bit nervous, and my serve didn't work very
well, and I didn't move as good as I should have."

"I didn't find my rhythm, and I knew I had to go for the shots before
her, because she likes to dominate."

"I tried to hang in there, to stay with her."

"In the second set, I managed to fight through, and then once I
managed to win it, I felt much more comfortable and had a lot more
confidence."

A philosophical Hantuchová said after her first Grand Slam semi-final
appearance: "It's very disappointing at the moment, but I think in
the days to come I will go back and look at the tournament as a very
positive thing."

"I think it gives me a lot of hope for the whole year."

"I think I proved once again to myself that if I play my game, I can
beat anybody."

"It's just a matter of doing it for the whole match."

"It's going to be a great experience for me."

Hantuchová refused to predict a tournament-winner, saying the
finalists were too evenly matched to split.
<<<

Sharapova, Ivanovic move into Australian Open women's final
By Dennis Passa: AP Sports Writer
>>>
Hantuchová wasn't as complimentary of Ivanovic after her three-set
loss, accusing the Serbian player of deliberately squeaking her shoes
on the court-surface when the Slovakian player was in her serving-
motion.

Hantuchová complained to the chair-umpire, to no avail.

"I was really surprised with that," Hantuchová said. "I think it's
unfair. It's a distraction to the server."

Ivanovic said she's done the same thing in her other matches here on
the new Plexicushion surface.

"It's just the way these courts play," she said. "I just tried to
move my feet, to return the ball, so it really was not intentional."
<<<

Sharapova, Ivanovic clash in final (PA SportsTicker)
>>>
A runner-up to Henin at Roland Garros last season, the 20-year-old
Ivanovic had not dropped a set prior to Thursday's improbable 0-6 6-3
6-4 semi-final victory over No. 9 Daniela Hantuchová of Slovakia.

After dropping the first eight games of the match, Ivanovic rallied
to become only the second player to win a Grand Slam match after
losing the opening set 6-0.

She Who Must Not Be Named is the only other player to accomplish
that, posting a 0-6 6-2 6-2 victory against Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario
at the French Open in 1992 [not true! Daniela also lost her second-
round match to Shinobu at Wimbledon 2003 after winning the first set
6-0, while Monica Seles lost likewise to Sandrine Testud in the third
round of Wimbledon 1997].
<<<

Ivanovic focused on keeping emotions in check (Reuters)
By Greg Stutchbury (editing by Ossian Shine)
>>>
Ivanovic has members of her extended family living in Melbourne, and
has enjoyed an enthusiastic expatriate Serbian following during the
tournament, which had also helped her through some of the tight
moments during her run: especially in the semi-final against
Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchová.

Hantuchová had won the first set 6-0 and was leading 2-0 in the
second before Ivanovic made an astonishing fightback to win the match
in three sets.

"When I was in the court, I was so surprised to see how many people
supported me," she said. "They helped me so much to win that match.

"It's obviously a great feeling, because I feel so comfortable out
here, you know, just having so many fans."
<<<

2.2 Daniela's semi-final press-conference
-----------------------------------------

Source: www.australianopen.com

Q. Have you ever played as well as you did in those first eight games?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: I think so, yeah. I wasn't really surprised. I
did just like yesterday tactically, whatever I had to do to get to
that point of the match. I was just really pleased the way I was
doing things until that point.

Q. How did it get away from you?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Good question. If I knew that, I think I would
have changed it while I was still on the court. You know, that's
tennis. Sometimes you can do, I think, all the right things, all the
best things. Maybe you just need a little more luck to get through.

Honestly, I thought I was very close. I had a great opportunity, but
it just didn't happen for me today.

Q. How hard is it to accept a defeat after you started so well and
you were up 8-0?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: I was up 2-0. Yeah, it's tough. It's very
disappointing at the moment, but I think with days to come, I think I
will go back and look at the tournament as a very positive thing.
I think it gives me a lot of hope for the whole year.

I think I proved once again, myself, that if I play my game I can
beat anybody. Just a matter of doing it for the whole match.

Q. You've said before that you're very, very hard on yourself; you're
a perfectionist. So have you gotten better at not being so hard on
yourself, and will this be the hardest one of all to get over?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, definitely. I think I got much better in
that. I mean, obviously right after match, especially match like
this, you are going to be disappointed no matter if you are
perfectionist or not.

But I think now I'm much more aware of how to take things and how to
learn from them. Definitely this match today, it's going to be great
experience for me in order to learn something new, and hopefully I
can improve that in the matches to come this year.

Q. Do you think Ana's experience to get to the French Open's final
last year came into play at all?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Well, definitely she had experience being in the
semi-final of a Grand Slam. Obviously it was a new situation for me,
but I think considering that situation, I came up playing pretty
well, I thought, especially the beginning of the match. There was
nothing wrong with that.

So I wasn't really afraid of the situation. I think I did the right
things. And, yes, just one of those days.

Q. After such a long match, you had a very cursory handshake there at
the end. Was that the disappointment, or had she done something to
displease you?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: No, no, no, absolutely. It's just tough, tough to
accept that you lose. So I just, you know, wanted to get off the
court as soon as possible.

Q. Did you have any issues with the double bounce or the...

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, I thought it was a double bounce, but maybe
it was just my mistake. I should have played the point anyway.

Q. So you actually saw it double bounce, though?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah.

Q. Did you raise that with the umpire?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, but she told me it was just the one bounce,
so there was no point to argue at that time.

Q. What about the way she squeaks her feet when she returns?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, that's ridiculous, I think. I was really
surprised with that. I think it's unfair. It's a distraction to the
server. Yeah, we played before and she never did it.

Q. Did you say anything to the umpire?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah, in the first or second service-game, but
she didn't do anything about it. I don't think that was very nice.

Q. Is that something you've come across anyone else doing, or that's
the first time that's happened?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Yeah.

Q. When she had the last challenge, and she stopped the ball and she
didn't play the last point, then you had made the point. Instead you
replayed, and then you didn't say anything at this moment.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Talking about luck today, I think there was no
point. I think I saw also a couple of netcords that really the ball
was going so much out, and it came back up to my side.

It was just one of those days that everything was going against me,
but I felt like I still, you know, kept trying, kept fighting. You
know, I mean, what was I supposed to do? It was over. It was no point
of fighting with the umpire or whatever.

Q. How do you break down the final with Maria?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: It's going to be interesting. I mean, you know,
it's tennis, so it can go either way. It's going to be interesting.
I can't predict anybody.

Q. Do you still think you look at this tournament as a breakthrough?

DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ: Well, definitely I think it's been a great
experience. I had a wonderful time here. And, once again, it just
showed me that if I do the right things I really belong to the top,
and right now I think it's just a matter of time, doing more work,
consistent basis, and hopefully I'll get more chances in a Grand Slam
to break even further.


Ana's semi-final press-conference (can't they ever interview her
without using the word "boyfriend", even after she declared her
current single-status?):
http://preview.tinyurl.com/27yduu

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/