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Ivanovic Learns From Loss

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By STEVEN WINE

The Associated Press

Published: June 8, 2008

PARIS - This time Ana Ivanovic was ready for the French Open final.

Showing no sign of the nerves that afflicted her a year ago, Ivanovic won her first Grand Slam title Saturday by beating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3.

By reaching the final, Ivanovic had already assured herself of being ranked No. 1 for the first time this week. And the Serb's performance was No. 1-caliber against Safina.

"I'm just so happy I kept my composure until the end," Ivanovic said during the trophy ceremony. "Last year's final was a great learning experience."

A shaky Ivanovic played in her first major at Roland Garros in 2007 and won only three games from Justine Henin. But against Safina she was as cool as the 65-degree weather, showing hardly a bead of perspiration even as she sprinted from corner to corner retrieving shots.

The 20-year-old Ivanovic slugged winners from both sides, feasted on Safina's sometimes shaky serve and scurried to extend points, which led to plenty of entertaining rallies. Ivanovic won most of them, including one frantic exchange that she finished off with a delicate drop shot and ferocious fist pump.

Ivanovic won match point with a backhand up the line, then dropped her racket, collapsed into a crouch and covered her face. After blowing kisses to the crowd, she used a chair to climb into the stands and share hugs with family and friends.

"I tried to call them to help me to come up, but they were hugging each other," Ivanovic said with a laugh. "I was like, 'Hey, what about me?' ...

"I feel so happy. I have no words to describe that. Winning a Grand Slam is something I dreamed since I was a little kid, so achieving that goal is very thrilling."

Henin, a four-time French Open champion who retired last month while ranked No. 1, watched the final from the front row and presented Ivanovic with the trophy. Ivanovic said she noticed Henin before the match.

"Seeing her today in the crowd, it made me feel really, really good," Ivanovic said. "I thought, 'Maybe I can be like her - I can win a title.'"

Ivanovic's worst moment came serving at 4-3 in the first set, when she squandered a 40-love lead by losing the next five points. She quickly regrouped and won five of the next six games to take command.

First-time Grand Slam finalist Safina fended off a match point in consecutive rounds during the week, rallying each time after she lost the first set and trailed 5-2 in the second. But the Russian ran out of comebacks.

"I tried, but I didn't have any more of that fire that I had those matches," Safina said. "I was just tired mentally and physically. My heart and my body couldn't do it anymore."

The 13th-seeded Safina needed 20 points to hold for 3-4 in the second set, and the grueling game left her spent. From 15-all in the next game, the second-seeded Ivanovic swept the last seven points.

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