Is Ana Ivanovic preoccupied by her wedding plans? Or is this simply the natural continuation of her slump? Whatever the case, the former world number one lost on the first day of Wimbledon 2016 to world No.223 Ekaterina Alexandrova, who had entered the match with already 108 games played in qualifying.
Russia’s Alexandrova defeated the 23rd-seeded Ivanovic in straight sets. The first set was over in just 24 minutes, while in the second set Ivanovic recovered from 2-4 to 5-4, but Alexandrova then won three straight games of her own and recorded a 6-2 7-5 victory, saving three break points in the final game.
The 21-year-old Alexandrova has just one other Top 100 win this season, a victory over then world No.70 Carina Witthoeft at an ITF tournament in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, in February.
I read it somewhere that out of Ivanovic’s 12 career losses to players outside the Top 100, as many as half happened in 2015 and 2016. Ouch! (photo: Jimmie48)
She had a wrist injury but I think it’s confidence issues again. I think she really needs to regroup and make a shuffle on her team. Keeping the right people in her team and making some adjustments really suit her game plan. I hope she recovers soon.
It would have been a surprise had she not lost. Girl needs to seriously rethink about her career, her coaching team….