Post by radovic on Feb 6, 2008 9:56:32 GMT -5
Ana and Jelena to visit Croatia
Author: T. Dragojevic | 06.02.2008 - 06:00
Serbian Fed Cup tennis team will play Croatia in the World Group II play-offs – this is the outcome of the draw procedure made in the ITF headquarters in London. The finest national tennis women Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic can be content with the draw fate, but will dread the fact they need to play away once more.
- “We’d wished for Croatia, and we got them, although I don’t like the fact we play away again. Croatia will most definitely do their best to make an upset – especially with their choice of playing surface and a home crowd atmosphere. We’ll be watching the games Croatian women play at tournaments and we’re starting our preparations for the tie immediately. We’re not leaving anything to chance,” said Serbia coach Dejan Vranes.
The choice of ground for the matches played on 26 and 27 April was decided by lot in Croatia’s favour, while the tie is expected to be played in Zagreb.
- “Jelena Kostanic, Nika Ozegovic are primarily clay-court players. As the play-off is played at the start of the clay-court season – after Charleston and before Berlin – maybe they’ll try and surprise us with a hard surface, although I really can’t see how Croatia would gain from that. Both Jelena and Nika are fine players but we’re a far better team at the moment, I even think we could be considerable opposition with our third-best player,” says Vranes.
In the first round of World Group II Croatia lost to Japan 4-1, although Ai Sugiyama did not appear for her country’s Fed Cup team. Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic both played against Kostanic – ranked 35th in the world at the time – in 2004, when both Serbian stars won their respective matches 2-0. The young talent Nika Ozegovic (ranked 149th) is the second-best player of Croatia Fed Cup team, while the team’s coach is Goran Prpic, former Yugoslavia Davis Cup player. Other players that have gone through Croatia team are Ivana Lisjak (232), Ana Vrljic (264), Petra Martic (327), as well as Sanja Ancic (765), once the number two juniors player in the world and the sister of a more famous Croatian men’s tennis player – Mario Ancic. Croatia’s third-ranked WTA player, Karolina Sprem, has not played for the team for a considerable time.
Serbia and Croatia have met only once – at the Europe/Africa Zone first group tournament in Murcia, Spain in 1996. Croatia defeated Serbia 3-0.
Author: T. Dragojevic | 06.02.2008 - 06:00
Serbian Fed Cup tennis team will play Croatia in the World Group II play-offs – this is the outcome of the draw procedure made in the ITF headquarters in London. The finest national tennis women Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic can be content with the draw fate, but will dread the fact they need to play away once more.
- “We’d wished for Croatia, and we got them, although I don’t like the fact we play away again. Croatia will most definitely do their best to make an upset – especially with their choice of playing surface and a home crowd atmosphere. We’ll be watching the games Croatian women play at tournaments and we’re starting our preparations for the tie immediately. We’re not leaving anything to chance,” said Serbia coach Dejan Vranes.
The choice of ground for the matches played on 26 and 27 April was decided by lot in Croatia’s favour, while the tie is expected to be played in Zagreb.
- “Jelena Kostanic, Nika Ozegovic are primarily clay-court players. As the play-off is played at the start of the clay-court season – after Charleston and before Berlin – maybe they’ll try and surprise us with a hard surface, although I really can’t see how Croatia would gain from that. Both Jelena and Nika are fine players but we’re a far better team at the moment, I even think we could be considerable opposition with our third-best player,” says Vranes.
In the first round of World Group II Croatia lost to Japan 4-1, although Ai Sugiyama did not appear for her country’s Fed Cup team. Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic both played against Kostanic – ranked 35th in the world at the time – in 2004, when both Serbian stars won their respective matches 2-0. The young talent Nika Ozegovic (ranked 149th) is the second-best player of Croatia Fed Cup team, while the team’s coach is Goran Prpic, former Yugoslavia Davis Cup player. Other players that have gone through Croatia team are Ivana Lisjak (232), Ana Vrljic (264), Petra Martic (327), as well as Sanja Ancic (765), once the number two juniors player in the world and the sister of a more famous Croatian men’s tennis player – Mario Ancic. Croatia’s third-ranked WTA player, Karolina Sprem, has not played for the team for a considerable time.
Serbia and Croatia have met only once – at the Europe/Africa Zone first group tournament in Murcia, Spain in 1996. Croatia defeated Serbia 3-0.