Jovanovski puts out Rodionova’s fire
AAP Sunday 2 January 2011
Commonwealth Games tennis champion Anastasia Rodionova has endured a disappointing start to 2011 with a first-round loss at the Brisbane International, falling to Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski.
Russian-born Rodionova was left seething after falling 2-6 6-2 6-3 in a tough baseline battle against the rising Jovanovski at Pat Rafter Arena.
The defeat left Australia’s women with a 1-1 record after the first two centre-court matches at the Queensland Tennis Centre following wildcard Sally Peers’s three-set upset of seventh-seeded Russian Alisa Kleybanova.
Rodionova, who won both singles and doubles gold medals at the Delhi Games in October, started impressively by swiftly taking the first set.
But the match turned around as the world No.64 lost her serve twice early in the second set as 80th-ranked Jovanovski, the youngest player in the top-100, built in confidence.
Following her loss, Rodionova was philosophical in defeat.
“I think overall the match was pretty good. I think I played ok. I definitely didn’t play great. But overall I felt OK on the court,” she told reporters.
“I made a lot of unforced errors. It definitely wasn’t my best tennis today.”


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