By Chris Oddo / Saturday, January 18, 2014

 

Ana Ivanovic is partying like its 2008, after coming from behind to upset top-seeded Serena Williams on Day 7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Photo Source: Australian Open.

Ana Ivanovic pulled the shocker of the 2014 Australian Open, knocking off world No. 1 Serena Williams, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 for her first career victory over Williams and her first trip to the Australian Open quarterfinals since she reached the final in 2008.

The loss ends Williams' bid for a sixth career title in Australia and an 18th Grand Slam title, which would have tied her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all-time list.

It was just the sixth time that Williams has dropped a match in a major after winning the first set, but the third time in three years that Williams has failed to make the semifinals Down Under.

Ivanovic executed a bold strategy of attacking Williams' vaunted serve, and even though she squandered a break lead to drop the first set, she regained the upper hand in the second set against an increasingly lethargic Williams to force a decider.

With the crowd firmly in her corner and pulling for the upset, Ivanovic rallied for a 3-0 lead in the decider and never dropped her guard, holding serve in each of her final nine games to keep Williams at bay.

“It was very consistent,” Ivanovic told the shocked and delighted Rod Laver crowd after the match. “I was very happy about that. It's not easy playing such a champion.”

Williams hit 13 aces on the afternoon, but was stymied by Ivanovic's aggressive returns for much of the match. She faced 14 break points against the Serb, saving 10.

Immediately after the match, it was reported on Twitter that Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou told the press that Williams had suffered a back injury between her second and third round matches, and that while it wasn't serious, the injury had hampered her movement against Ivanovic.

Williams, to her credit, downplayed the rumors (though eventually she admitted that there was a problem and that she had even considered pulling out of the tournament), instead giving praise to her opponent. “I was just trying to do the best I could today,” she said. “Maybe I wasn't the best physically, but that had nothing to do with it. I think Ana just played a really good match. She did what it takes to win.”

Regardless of the veracity of those reports, it was obvious that Williams was far from being at her Grand Slam winning best.

She struck only 22 winners on the day, while committing 31 unforced errors, and appeared to be struggling with movement as she attempted to fend off Ivanovic's aggressive tactics. At times she became frustrated, at others resigned. But mostly, the shots that she needed just weren't there.

For Ivanovic, they were. She brought the fight to Williams and returned what many consider the best serve in the history of women's tennis with remarkable power and precision. When the match was on the line, with her ardent supporters rising to their feet and calling for the upset, Ivanovic held her nerve and finished the job with great poise.

"I had to remind myself all the time, you know, just to stay in the moment," Ivanovic said. "Because there were moments in the match where it could have gone either way."

Ivanovic, who had never won more than four games in a set in four previous matches against Williams, will face Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinal round. The former world No. 1 has reached one Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2008.

During a one-year period that began in the spring of 2007, Ivanovic reached three Grand Slam finals, winning the 2008 French Open and rising to No. 1 in the world. But her success didn't last, and she has since struggled to regain that championship form.

She dropped out of the top 10 in 2009 and has not returned. But she has steadily improved over the last few seasons, despite undergoing a steady turnover with her coaching team. She currently sits at No. 14 in the world, and is making her 37th consecutive Grand Slam main draw appearance.

Elsewhere on Day 7, Li Na trounced Ekaterina Makarova to reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open for the fourth time in five years, 6-2, 6-0.

Li will meet Flavia Pennetta, who fought past Angelique Kerber in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.