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Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez Drops Upset On Jelena Jankovic To Win Rome
Photo Credit: Costantini/Internazionali BNL D'Italia.com
(May 8, 2010) Jelena Jankovic diffused the power of the Williams sisters, but found herself bamboozled by the panache of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
The unseeded Spanish serve-and-volleyer used her can-opener southpaw serve, a delicate touch and a drop shot for nearly every occasion to deliver a dose of misery to Jankovic and capture the Rome title with today's 7-6(5), 7-5 triumph in a final that lasted two hours, 20 minutes.
The 26th-ranked Spaniard took out World No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, left-hander Lucie Safarova and former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic in straight-sets en route to the final and surrender only one set, in her opening match, in winning her third career championship.
Though she grew up playing on the red clay of Spain, Martinez Sanchez's style was most influenced by one of the game's greatest grass-court champions, Martina Navratilova. Watching Navratilova inspired Martinez Sanchez to get off the baseline, attack the net, and develop her slashing style that features finesse, angles, volleys and a full diet of drop shots.
"I have a different game, it's not typical," Martinez Sanchez said. "That's the idea of my game, do lots of different things. Maybe it's because I used to watch Martina Navratilova on TV when I was seven, eight. When I was little I always shoved the ball and went to the net."
That style befuddled Ivanovic in the semifinals and today Martinez Sanchez took the air out of the ball at times in racing out to a 4-1 lead over Jankovic.
"It was really difficult," Jankovic said. "She plays very differently to most girls, lots of drop shots, serve and volley and she's left-handed. She mixes up her game, she doesn't have one weapon. She's tricky with all these things she does."
Jankovic became only the eighth woman to beat both Venus Williams and Serena Williams in the same tournament. The 2007 and 2008 champion saved a match point and fought back from a 2-5 deficit in the third-set tie breaker to upset top-seeded Serena.
The seventh-seeded Serbian said battling both sisters took a physical toll, but Jankovic will rise to No. 4 when the new WTA Tour rankings are released on Monday.
"Unfortunately I had to (beat the Williams sisters) earlier in the tournament and that takes a lot of energy out of you," Jankovic said. "Last year I wasn't doing so well. I'm glad I'm back doing well. I'm still happy with (reaching) the final, I have to stay positive and keep working hard."
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