Ivanovic Prepares For Madrid Debut

MADRID, Spain - The emergence of Ana Ivanovic as a major force on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has been one of the most exciting developments of the 2007 season and next week she will look to crown a glorious season with a title run in Madrid. Perhaps the greatest of the young Serbs long list of achievements was her memorable runner-up finish to Justine Henin at Roland Garros, although in a year which saw her collect three trophies and establish herself in the world's Top 5 there was certainly no shortage of highlights.

After a quietly impressive opening few months of the season, Ivanovic really started to hit top form at the start of the clay court season. A powerful all-court game enabled her to embark on a 12 match win streak, encapsulating a title run at the prestigious Tier I event in Berlin and an even more spectacular runner-up finish on the terre battue of Roland Garros. From here the 20-year-old's star continued to rise and the next four months brought title runs in Los Angeles and Luxembourg, as well as a semifinal finish on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon.

Alongside Jelena Jankovic and Anna Chakvetadze, Ivanovic is one of three players making their Sony Ericsson Championships debut this week, but after the year she has enjoyed she will certainly be among the favorites to take the title. She was the fourth player to qualify for the Spanish showpiece and with her hard-sitting game there is every chance of her going all the way at the Recinto Ferial Casa de Campo next week.

"I'm delighted," Ivanovic said. "At the start of the season I made this my No.1 goal, so to achieve it is very satisfying. As a professional tennis player, I train for the opportunity to play against the top players, and in Madrid we should have all of the world's best players there. It's going to be a very exciting tournament and a new experience for me. I am also looking forward to spending some time in Madrid, because I love Spain."

QUICK STATS

Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships standing: No.4
2007 Win-Loss Record: 49-16
2007 Highlights: Won (3): Berlin, Los Angeles, Luxembourg; R-Up (2): Roland Garros, Tokyo [Pan Pacific]; SF (2): Wimbledon, Amelia Island
Championships history: Making event debut