Long gone are the days when Jelena Jankovic played the final of the US Open and today the 32-year-old Serb, who is on the verge of retirement, lost to seed No.13 Petra Kvitova 7-5 7-5 at Flushing Meadows, despite having chances to edge both sets.
In the first set, Jankovic handed Kvitova a crucial 4-2 lead by serving two double faults in a row, but later she neutralized it by dominantly earning a break break at love, thanks to Kvitova’s string of unforced errors. However, the Czech took charge once again and won three consecutive games to take the set. JJ wasted a 2-0 lead and then a 5-3 lead in the second set, allowing Kvitova to advance to the US Open second round by winning four straight games.
Kvitova’s victory was expected, she’s seeded afterall, but it’s hard to watch JJ struggle so much and give away the leads she manages to earn. On the bright side, despite leaving the match unhappy, Jankovic looked youthful and vibrant in the pastel colors of the Fila Fall Heritage Print Dress and visor from the brand’s US Open collection. Kvitova also looked stunning, but in a powerful way, wearing the new NikeCourt collection, in particular the Nike Fall Slam NYC Tank and its matching metallic skirt featuring extra long compression shorts.
I love JJ’s dress. Too bad she’s not playing so well lately. I guess she really needs some time off.
Emman Damian, maybe she doesn’t even need to retire. Taking a long time off would not diminish her chances of coming back, as players now achieve great results even in their mid 30s. It’s better that she rests and heals, than that she forces herself and frustrates her body.
I was glad to see the scoreline close, I was unable to watch the match because I was working, but I do like the dress JJ had on. Maybe she should take the rest of the season off to let her body heal and decide if retiring is really the right choice. I believe JJ still has it in her to defeat the top players but she needs luck on her side.