By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, January 20, 2016

 

"I think it's all about trying to find your way," said Ana Ivanovic after reaching the Australian Open third round.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Ana Ivanovic knows seeded status provides no immunity from early-round upsets.

Seventeen of the 32 seeds failed to survive the second round, including compatriot and former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic. But Ivanovic was in no mood for premature parting.

The 20th-seeded Serbian defeated Latvian qualifier Anastasija Sevastova, 6-3, 6-3, to reach the Australian Open third round for the eighth time in 12 appearances.

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The match was halted for about a half hour after a spectator suddenly fell and was injured. Ivanovic said she was rattled by the sound of the fan falling.

"I felt really bad. I was really shaking, because the sound of the lady falling was really loud," Ivanovic said. "I could hear it. I stopped immediately.

"I just hope the lady was fine. It was actually good that we had to wait a little bit because I was really shaking, because I could imagine and it was not so nice. Then they told us she was bleeding, so, yeah, I hope she's well."

A year ago, the former world No. 1 was bounced out of the opening round at both the first and last Grand Slams of the season, falling to qualifier Lucie Hradecka in Melbourne and bowing to Dominika Cibulkova in New York.

This season didn't exactly begin with a bang, either.

Ivanovic failed to win a set in tune-up tournaments in Auckland, where she lost to Naomi Broady, and Sydney, where she was swept by Karolina Pliskova.

Finding the range on her forehand, Ivanovic broke serve four times and dropped just six points on her first serve.

Most importantly, she showed staying power.

The power of rising young players and their fearlessness in wielding it has made Melbourne the upset capital of the Grand Slam world.

"It's tough. You see it through the years now, so many new players coming up," Ivanovic said. "Their feel is they have powerful game and they are just dangerous. It's never easy playing first rounds. It's completely different to when I started.

"I remember seeded even myself would you get to third, fourth round without dropping too many games. So if you had 6-4, 75, they were like, What's going on? And now every match it's a battle, and, yeah, you just have to try and push yourself, like I spoke before, because it's all challenge. They are young girls and they're fearless."

The 2008 Roland Garros champion will join forces with a member of the fearless youth. Ivanovic said she plans to partner 22-year-old compatriot Aleksandra Krunic in doubles at the Rio Olympics.

"I would like to play doubles. I was speaking to Krunic. She's my Fed Cup companion," Ivanovic said. "She's really good doubles player, actually. We are trying to play few tournaments also leading up to Olympics."

The former No. 1 said at the moment she has no plans for a mixed doubles pairing with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, but hasn't completely ruled out a mixed doubles bid.

"I think three disciplines would be pushing it a little bit, but let's see how the year goes," Ivanovic said.