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Jelena Jankovic Raising The Roof On Her California Dream
By Richard Pagliaro
(March 10, 2010) INDIAN WELLS — The desert gave Jelena Jankovic the chills yesterday.
The sixth-seeded Serbian's raspy voice revealed the cold she caught after practicing on a wind-swept Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Open without a jacket.
Regaining her health and rebuilding her ranking are two of Jankovic's immediate professional concerns, but the always-entertaining former World No. 1 arrived in Indian Wells poised with another pressing concern — raising the roof.
Jankovic is building a new home in the exclusive San Diego County enclave of Rancho Santa Fe. Bu to call the home a house would be as over simplistic as comparing the desert to a sand box.
This creation — a 20,000-square foot, three-level house — will come complete with a tennis court, swimming pool, 10-car garage prompting Jankovic to call her new digs "a castle." The only thing missing is the roof and some extensive interior decorating.
"They are close to putting the roof on. It's a huge house, 20,000 square feet. It's a castle," Jankovic told the media at today's round-table interview session at the BNP Paribas Open. "When you say 'still putting a roof on it,' that is the reason it takes time to build that kind of house. It's a dream house. It will have everything — a tennis court and pool — and it's nice to have your own court especially when you are a tennis professional. I will get in there and I won't come out."
When she isn't busy designing her dream home, Jankovic is spending time on the practice court reconstructing her game. Watching her practice on Tuesday, she was moving up to the ball quickly and trying to use some of her strengths — her court coverage, anticipation, athleticism and one of the best two-handed backhands in women's tennis — to play a bit more ambitious tennis.
To that end, she's entered the doubles draw here with partner Tathiana Garbin, who lost in singles today to Patty Schnyder, 6-1, 6-2. In a match of wild cards, the pair will play defending singles champion Vera Zvonareva and left-hander Lucie Safarova in the opening round.
"hat's because I want to work on coming forward. I want to play more aggressive, especially work on my serve and volleys just coming forward," Jankovic said. "That's what I really want to do and doubles is a really good opportunity for me to get more matches too."
It has been a slow start to the season for the 25-year-old from Belgrade, who has looked a bit defensive in failing to reach a quarterfinal in four tournament starts. But Jankovic showed her all-court acumen and her ability to rise to the occasion in beating fourth-ranked Svetlana Kuzentsova and World No. 31 Alisa Kleybanova in last month's Fed Cup World Group tie against Russia in Belgrade. Both the top-seeded Kuznetsova and Kleybanova, who is coming off her first career WTA Tour title, reside in Jankovic's quarter of the draw, along with former champion Kim Clijsters, the No. 14 seed.
The challenge for the ninth-ranked Jankovic is sustaining that aggressive mind-set and preventing herself from falling into the defensive style she sometimes employs in tight matches. Jankovic has a first-round bye and will play either Croatian qualifier Petra Martic or Croatian wild card Alja Tomljanovic in the second round.
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