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Ailing Jankovic Ready For Russians
(February 4, 2010) Jelena Jankovic's back is still aching and her voice is still cracking from the cold she's contracted, but the former World No. 1 has landed in Belgrade and plans to play for Serbia when it hosts Russia in this weekend's marquee Fed Cup tie before an expected crowd of more than 19,000 enthusiastic Serbian fans at the Belgrade Arena.
Battling both a back injury and a cold, Jankovic was still home in Florida uncertain of her status for this weekend's tie. But Jankovic arrived in Belgrade on Thursday and will practice on Friday to prepare for Serbia's World Group debut on Saturday though she conceded she is not 100 percent.
"Of course I'm tired. It's been a long flight," Jankovic told Fed Cup.com. "I had an injury in my back. I'm still not 100 percent recovered. This is a special occasion for us. I will really try my best to help as much as possible and I hope we will be able to do it."
Jankovic and fellow former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic lead Serbia against four-time Fed Cup champion Russia. On Monday, Jankovic was still at home in Florida and said she nearly did not make the trip to Belgrade.
"I was very close to not coming," Jankovic said in a slightly raspy voice. "I was actually thinking I will not play. I realized even though I am not 100 percent and risking a bit my injury it's been a long way and we worked so hard to get to this position. And now we have a huge chance, with the help of our home crowd, to play against Russia, which is one of the best teams in the world. If we are able to get past them I think things will get easier for us. I am willing to give everything I have and I hope and pray we will be able to win the matches."
While Jankovic is physically reeling, Russia reinforced its team with captain Shamil Tarpischev bringing in reigning Roland Garros champion Svetlana Kuznetsova to lead the Russians.
The fourth-ranked Kuznetsova joins 31st-ranked Alisa Kleybanova, 38th-ranked 40th-ranked Vera Dushevina on the Russian squad. She replaces 58th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova. Kuznetsova is 16-5 overall in Fed Cup play, including a 12-4 singles record. She has played on three of Russia's four Fed Cup championship teams.
Russia, which won the Fed Cup in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, lost to eventual-champion Italy in the 2009 semifinals, snapping a streak of eight straight wins.
Kuznetsova, the highest-ranked player in this tie, is 5-4 against the eighth-ranked Jankovic but has won just 1 of 6 meetings with the hard-hitting Ivanovic. Struggling with her service toss and confidence for several months, 2008 Roland Garros champion Ivanovic has seen her ranking plummet to No. 23.
Ana Jovanovic and Bojana Jovanovski round out the Serbian squad, which is making its World Group debut against a Russian team that has won four of the last six Fed Cup championships, but is playing without top 20 players Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova.
Jankovic is 26-9 (20-6 in singles) and Ivanovic owns a 13-2 record overall, 10-1 mark in singles in Fed Cup competition.
Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
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