Jelena Jankovic will play today, Thursday April 03, against Vera Zvonareva in the Semifinals. Vera won against Dinara Safina in a way she explains: 'It's always tough to play against Dinara, she's a great player. She's quite tall, you know. She has a good serve. So I had to hang in there, had to fight for every point, and I think I did it well and I was able to win key points. I'm really happy about that'.
Vera is World #20 but also World #8 in Race, her career high was World #9 place in 2004, she played Round 1 of Australian Open 2008 against Ai Suguyama when she retired in 2nd set.
Vera's this year's high-lights include Hobart (VS, IV, $175.000) Final in January where she retired before the match against Eleni Danilidou, Final in Doha (VS, I, $2.500.000) and Quarterfinals in Bangalore and Indian Wells so Vera is in a great form.
This is what Jelena thought about possible opponent from Vera-Dinara match: 'I think both of the players Zvonareva and Safina are tough players, solid players. I really have to go out there and play my game. I don't really have to worry too much about them. I have to see what I can do in order to win'.
Jelena's thoughts on the next few days in Miami: 'Win two more matches. I think that's all I need to do. It's so easy to say, but it's always very hard to do. I want to focus one match at a time. I have tough opponent in my next round, and tomorrow night I play at 9:00 again, which is something that I don't really, you know, like. But that's just the way it has to be'.
Jelena: 'Just go out there and try to play aggressive tennis. I've been working quite hard. I feel like I'm getting stronger. I'm getting more defined. My legs are getting a little more stronger and my arms as well'.
Jelena: 'I feel like I'm doing a lot of progress, which is the most important thing. Winning or losing, you know, maybe at the moment it's important, but also to keep improving, to work on some certain segments of your game, it's important as well. I think I'm doing that, and I'm on the right track'.
Oh, and the inevitable theme, the dress she played in, Jelena: 'That dress was quite unique. That dress was especially designed for me. It was made out of approximately 700 Z750 Sony Ericsson phones, which was quite amazing. It was quite delicate and quite a work of art really'.
Jelena: 'The back was open. It was made out of phone covers and like camera lenses and I buttons here and as well as on my shoes. They were with Swarovski crystals and the whole look was quite nice. Beautiful dress. It was very uncomfortable because I couldn't sit with all that plastic all over. It was interesting. First ever dress ever to be made out of phones, so I had a cool experience from it'.
Vera's thoughts on the upcoming match against Jelena: 'We had tough matches. I remember the final. It was ‑‑ it was a good final. Good fight. She's obviously a great player. She's always fights. She stays in the matches'.
Vera: 'You know, it's very difficult to play against her, but it's another day tomorrow, and we'll see. You know, I'm going to go out there and going to try my best, gonna find a way to, you know, to try to win that match tomorrow'.
Jelena is a favorite to win against Vera and make it to the Miami Open Final (tournament many refer to as the 5th Grand Slam). Jelena continues tramendeous consistency of good results this season, this time Jelena had some luck in the draws, she was not in the same part of the draw tree with Justine Henan, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Williams Sisters, Maria Sharapova missed the tournament due to injury and Ana (Ivanovic) lost early.
After losing in Semifinals of first Grand Slam of the season, Jelena will now play for a place in the Final of so-called '5th Grand Slam' of the seasons Miami Open, and possible match against Justine Henan or Serena Williams.
