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© Tony Chang/Chang Photography

(August 18, 2010) Iveta Benesova was in the zone and Jelena Jankovic was in the hole. The 75th-ranked qualifier toppled the top-seeded Jankovic, 7-6(3), 6-3, at the Rogers Cup in Montreal sending Jankovic to her fourth loss in her last six matches. The third-ranked Serbian struggled with an ankle injury last month and said she's feeling displaced now.

 "I didn't really feel like a top-five player out there," said Jankovic. "My game hasn't been at the top level for the last couple of tournaments."



Since her run to the Roland Garros semifinals, Jankovic has registered a 5-6 record with four of her losses coming to players ranked outside the top 25, including a 7-6(3), 6-4 setback to 114th-ranked Akgul Amanmuradova in Cincinnati last week.

Jankovic did not permit a point in her first two service games and broke Benesova for a 5-3 first-set lead, but Benesova broke back and held to level at 5-all. She won the final three points of the tie breaker to close the opening set. Benesova broke for 5-3 in the second set and served out the 97-minute match in the next game to raise her record to 17-18 this season.

Benesova, who has suffered 12 opening-round exits on the year, earned five of her 17 wins en route to the Fes title in April.

"This is definitely the biggest victory of my career, I'm just very excited," Benesova said. "It was a great match for me."

The US Open begins on August 30th and the 2008 US Open finalist, who is not scheduled to play in New Haven next week, said she will try to refine her game and rebuild her confidence before she arrives in New York.

"I really wanted to play matches here, and at the last tournament, but I didn't do that and now I haven't played many matches before the US Open," Jankovic said. "So I'll just try my best over there, and hopefully I'll be better."

Benesova has never beaten a top 5 player in her 12-year career. Her previous best was an upset of 10th-ranked Vera Zvonareva five years ago.

"It was an almost perfect match for me," Benesova said. "I was in the zone and focused on my game."

The 27-year-old from Most, Czech Republic has made the most of her time in Canada winning six matches — one doubles, three qualifying arounds and two main-draw singles matches — in the last five days.

"I think it was good for me because I haven't had a very good season this year," said Benesova. "It was good for my confidence."

Benesova, who beat Sara Errani, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round, will play either 17th-seeded Marion Bartoli or 39-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm for a place in the quarterfinals. Benesova beat Bartoli, 6-3, 6-1, in their only prior meeting on clay in Acapulco six years ago.