Image courtesy of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships
Jelena Jankovic was one of the most successful players in tennis last year, yet she ended the season without the one big win which would have mattered most.
When the dust finally settled on the 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season, Jankovic had posted seven disappointing losses to her greatest rival Justine Henin.
Add to that two more career defeats, and it easily apparent why Jankovic has her sights set on Henin. For a player who has reached three Grand Slam semifinals and a career high of No. 2 in the world, nine straight losses are more than a painful memory; it is a quest for revenge.
In comments published by Reuters, Jankovic again threw down the proverbial gauntlet to Henin.
“Last year, almost the whole year, I was number two in the race and number three in the rankings,” Jankovic said to the news outlet.
“So I was very close, and the player who was in front of me was Justine Henin. She was the better one, I beat everybody else last year except her,” Jankovic added.
“(But) this year is a new year, and everything starts from the beginning, from zero.”
So far in 2008, Jankovic has not had a chance to battle Henin, but an opportunity could arise as early as the upcoming Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.
The results from their last three meetings have only progressed downhill for Jankovic. She lost in Toronto 7-6(3), 7-5, Stuttgart 7-6(2), 7-5, and most recently, the Sony Ericsson Championships 6-2, 6-2.
Regardless, Jankovic has refused to give up, and believes that time and age might be on her side.
“These are the best years of my career coming up. I just turned 23, I am more mature and I’ve some experience on the tour,” said Jankovic.
“I think my time will come sooner or later, I think I have the potential to do that.”
