Jelena Jankovic dominates Caroline Wozniacki, wins BNP Paribas Open
Sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic kept her sometimes wandering emotions and her powerful ground-strokes under control while winning her first BNP Paribas title Sunday, 6-2, 6-4 over second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, the 19-year-old Dane who was a U.S. Open runner-up. Jankovic gave her racket a kiss at the end of the dominating performance.
This is Jankovic's 12th WTA Tour title, and she is now 4-0 against rising star Wozniacki. Even with the loss, Wozniacki will be the new No. 2-ranked player on the computer, passing injured Dinara Safina but remaining behind injured Serena Williams. Jankovic will move to No. 8.
Jankovic had finished the 2008 season ranked No. 1 in the world when she made it to her first Grand Slam final (the U.S. Open). But that's as close as the 25-year-old Serbian has come to winning a major championship, and last year, when she was upset in the second round of the U.S. Open, it was her earliest loss at a major since 2006.
She has no official coach right now but is working with an IMG coach, Chip Brooks, and her hitting partner, Darko Madiarowski.
-- Diane Pucin
Photo: Jelena Jankovic gets into a backhand in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday. Credit: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
