By Erik Gudris | Wednesday, April 2, 2014

 

Jelena Jankovic earned not only an impressive opening round win but also plenty of laughs in a candid, yet funny press conference afterwards in Charleston.

Photo Credit: AP

Jelena Jankovic loves Charleston and they love her back.

The former champion enters this year's Family Circle Cup as a strong favorite to win the title again. The No. 2 seed got off to a strong start in her opening round match versus American Lauren Davis.

Despite Davis putting up more a fight in the second set, Jankovic soon secured a convincing 6-0, 6-3 win on Wednesday night.

While Jankovic's tennis enthralls the local crowds, it is her press conferences that the assembled media look forward to each year. "JJ" is known for expressing herself. But for some reason, Charleston seems to bring out both candor and comedy in Jankovic when talking to the press.

Entering the press room bundled up in a blanket, Jankovic remarked, "I look like superhero" before taking the stage looking out at the media gallery.

"It's past my bedtime," Jankovic replied with a laugh when asked about the match overall. "No. I mean it was my first match on clay and I didn't know what to expect from myself or how I would play or what the conditions will be like. And especially it's a night match. I thought that conditions were a little slower than during the day, of course. And you know, sometimes the ball wasn't coming off my racquet as fast as I wanted it, but I think I did pretty well, especially that first set I was very solid."

Jankovic, despite an early loss in Miami, said she is feeling fresher now and took some extra days to prepare for this first clay court event of the season. When asked to confirm if she has stopped wearing makeup on court, Jankovic's sense of humor lit up.

"Oh, can you see I have makeup? Of course not. All natural," Jankovic said the last phrase as slowly as possible that drew a sizable laugh form the media. "I gotta make you laugh a little bit. It's late at night."

So why the change?

"I'm getting older, and I only put makeup when I go to the parties or go somewhere where I want to look nice. Here I want to look like a beast. I just want to look as scary as possible," Jankovic said with a knowing smile. "I don't want to look pretty and all nice and dolled up. For what? I'm going to get dirty and sweaty. The only thing, my hair has to be slick. That's the only thing."

Since she walked in saying she felt like a superhero, Jankovic was asked to end the press conference by picking out what her superpower would be.

"My superhero power? To talk too much," Jankovic said with yet another chuckle. "Or make you laugh in the middle or after my match. I don't know. Maybe fly. If I could fly, you know, with those winnings. I don't know. What do you expect me to say at 9:00? It's like I told you, it's nice, I want to just go and have a rest and take a nap. I have to play tomorrow. I cannot entertain you guys all night."

Jankovic will back to entertain Charleston on Thursday as she takes on Ajla Tomljanovic in the next round.