Day 2 Preview
MADRID, Spain - Three more blockbuster singles matches are set down for decision on Wednesday at the Sony Ericsson Championships. Here's a quick preview:
(1) JUSTINE HENIN (BEL #1) vs. (3) JELENA JANKOVIC (SRB #3) [YELLOW GROUP]
Head-to-Head: Henin leads 8-0
Fast Facts:
* World No.1's second match at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Championships (and second against a tournament debutante, having beaten Anna Chakvetadze on Tuesday)
* Seventh meeting of 2007 but only second career meeting indoors (the first taking place in their most recent match five weeks ago in Stuttgart, with Henin winning 76(2) 75)
* Jankovic is yet to win a match in eight prior meetings with Henin; after pushing the Belgian to three sets in each of their first five encounters their last three have been straight-set results
* Career Championships win-loss records (incl. SEC): Henin 9-5; Jankovic 0-0
* Number of 2007 titles: Henin leads the Tour with nine (including two Grand Slams) while Jankovic was joint-second with Anna Chakvetadze with four (Auckland, Charleston, Rome, Birmingham)
* Number of Grand Slam titles: Henin holds seven (incl. two in 2007) while Jankovic's best Grand Slam results to date are semifinal finishes at 2006 US Open and 2007 Roland Garros
* 2007 indoor win-loss records (incl. SEC): Henin 11-1; Jankovic 3-3
* While Henin is assured of finishing 2007 ranked No.1 (third time in her career) Jankovic is one of three women in contention for the year-end No.2 ranking (alongside Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic)
* Jankovic's 2007 record vs. Top 5 is 3-9 and vs. Top 10 is 7-10, but remove Henin from the equation and she is 3-3 vs, Top 5 and 7-4 vs. Top 10; Henin is 8-1 vs. Top 5 and 17-1 vs. Top 10 (incl. 2007 SEC)
(5) SERENA WILLIAMS (USA #5) vs. (7) ANNA CHAKVETADZE (RUS #7) [YELLOW GROUP]
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Fast Facts:
* First match at 2007 Sony Ericsson Championships for Williams (first match in this event since runner-up finish to Maria Sharapova in 2004) while it is Chakvetadze's second (losing to Justine Henin on Tuesday)
* This is the first career meeting between Williams and Chakvetadze
* Career Championships win-loss records (incl. SEC): Williams 9-3; Chakvetadze 0-1
* Number of 2007 titles: Williams won two titles in the first three months of the season (Australian Open, Miami) while Chakvetadze took four between January and June (Auckland, Charleston, Rome, Birmingham); neither woman won a title in the second half of 2007
* Number of Grand Slam titles: Williams holds eight (the most among active players) while Chakvetadze's best Grand Slam result to date is a semifinal finish at 2007 US Open
* 2007 indoor win-loss records (incl. SEC): Williams 5-3; Chakvetadze 9-7
* Both women fell to Patty Schnyder in their last match prior to the Sony Ericsson Championships; Williams retiring in the Zürich 1r (w/right adductor strain) and Chakvetadze losing 61 60 in the Linz QF
(4) ANA IVANOVIC (SRB #4) vs. (8) DANIELA HANTUCHOVA (SVK #9) [RED GROUP]
Head-to-Head: Series tied at 1-1
Fast Facts:
* The second match for both women at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Championships (Ivanovic beating Svetlana Kuznetsova and Hantuchova losing to Maria Sharapova, both on Tuesday)
* This their third meeting (2007 and lifetime) and second indoors (also Luxembourg final six weeks ago)
* Ivanovic, the youngest player in this year's singles field, turned 20-years-old on Tuesday
* Both women have won indoor titles in the lead-up to this event, Ivanovic at Luxembourg, Hantuchova in Linz
* Career Championships win-loss records: Ivanovic 1-0; Hantuchova 0-2
* Number of 2007 titles: Ivanovic has won three (Berlin, Los Angeles, Luxembourg) while Hantuchova has collected two titles (Indian Wells, Linz)
* 2007 indoor win-loss records (incl. SEC): Ivanovic 12-4; Hantuchova 12-6
* Record vs. Top 10 players in 2007 (incl. SEC): Ivanovic 13-4; Hantuchova 5-10
* The first 'match' between Ivanovic and Hantuchova was during the filming of the "Never Miss A Shot" television commercial promoting the Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot camera phone, released in July 2006
