RG12 - 2008 champion Ivanovic beaten by Errani

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Sara Errani(ITA)[21 def.  Ana Ivanovic(SRB)[13]

1-6 7-5 6-3

Ana Ivanovic, the former world no.1 and winner at Roland Garros four years ago, saw her one-set lead overturned by Sara Errani as the Italian won 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Ana Ivanovic, who lifted the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen here in 2008, will go no further in this year’s tournament, despite winning the first set against Sara Errani. The rising Italian – currently the world no.24 but certain to reach a new career high as a result of this win – dug in to win a match of many service breaks 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two hours dead.

In the first set Ivanovic looked all set to cruise through against an opponent she previously beat here in 2009. Errani – a quarter-finalist in Australia this year – opened her service account less than magnificently with a double fault, and added another for good measure to surrender her serve at the earliest opportunity. She broke back right away, helped by Ivanovic refusing to smash an overhead. Instead the Serb patted it back into play and was duly punished. But Errani’s efforts went to waste when she conceded her own serve again to love, and she shrieked in frustration. A series of mistakes on the big points handed Ivanovic the set 6-1 in 25 minutes.

Errani cuts out the errors

But she could not carry that impetus forward into the rest of the match. Errani began to flex her muscles, for what she lacks in height at 5ft 4in (1.64m) she compensates for in power. She began to remember why clay is her favourite surface, picking up her service percentage and aided no end by a sharp rise in unforced errors from her opponent. Ivanovic, now coached by Nigel Sears (father of Andy Murray’s girlfriend Kim), was sent sliding so far beyond the tramlines trying to retrieve the ball that she ended up doing the splits. 

Errani was forcing the pace, and she had Ivanovic running all over the court to secure the break at 3-1. Thereafter they traded breaks until at 5-5 Errani remembered the idea is to hold, and at 6-5 she reached Ivanovic’s half volley to put the ball away and level the match.

Once again at the start of the third set Ivanovic broke - yet once again she couldn’t make it stick. Then it was Errani’s turn to break for 3-1, and duly be broken back. The crucial breach came when Errani made it 4-2, and actually managed to hold. On the second match point Ivanovic sent the ball wide, and after two hours exactly the victory belonged to Errani.