Wimbledon: Jelena Jankovic ready to become a single success

Tag : Ready Mixed

Speaking at a photo shoot for sportswear giants Reebok, Jankovic,who plays Ukraine's Olga Savchuk first up, said: "Winning the mixeddoubles with Jamie Murray was great and I had so much fun.
"But this year I will be more focused on the singles and I wouldlove to do well.
"It's only in England that I get asked about Jamie, nowhere else.It's because I normally only play singles everywhere else.
"But here he was the first Brit to win a title for so long so ofcourse it is going to be huge.
"If it was in Serbia it would only be me all over the place butbecause he is British well, who else are you going to talk about?
"I understand that. But now I just want to be healthy and enjoy mytennis."
Defeat in this month's French Open semi-final to fellow Serb andworld No.1 Ana Ivanovic meant Jankovic has now lost at the lastfour stage in four of her last seven Grand Slams.
Each defeat has come to the eventual winner (she lost to Wimbledonfinalist Marion Bartoli in the fourth round last year). Now,though, she is ready to shed her tag of being a nearly woman andinsists neither champion Venus Williams, nor the American's nemesisMaria Sharapova will stand in her way.
Jankovic added: "I don't think about rivals, I just look at everyplayer in the same way and when I step on to court I want to givemy maximum.
"I think only about performing at my best, doing what I have beenpractising in my training sessions and transferring it to mymatches.
"Of course I need to know about strengths and weaknesses but I justtry to do what I do best."
Asked about her inspirations and her response is immediate, mumSnezana.
She added: "She is the one who is always supporting me in the goodand the bad times.
She is always giving me good advice. She has taught me good mannersand has done a great job raising three kids. I hope she keeps doingit!"
The annual debate is certain to rage this week about the slim tonon-existent chance of our British women.
Jankovic said: "I can't tell you why the British girls are notdoing well.
"I can only tell you that coming from Serbia, we didn't have thebest facilities to train.
"We don't have the best financial status and we have tried veryhard to make it.
"We are very motivated, very hungry. We strive to be the best andmaybe that's why we are doing well because in England you haveeverything.
"You have the best facilities. You have so much money, you have thebest coaches and the players maybe have a lack of motivation, alack of something to push them.
"Maybe they wonder why they have to work so hard when they haveeverything.
"Those players that don't have so much are the ones that really dowant to work and want to make it."