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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Tennis: Jankovic knocked out at Eastbourne


Associated Press

EASTBOURNE, England — Jelena Jankovic was knocked out of the Eastbourne Championships Tuesday, joining top-seeded Igor Andreev on the sideline.

The third-seeded Serb fell 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 to Anna Chakvetadze, while Andreev lost 7-6 (6), 6-2 to qualifier Frank Dancevic.

Chakvetadze swept to a 5-1 lead in the first set but then lost the next five games before Jankovic won the tiebreaker.

Jankovic held the upper hand for most of the second set. But she failed to convert one break point at 1-1 and four more at 3-3, before netting a forehand to give Chakvetadze a break for 5-4.

Chakvetadze built a 4-0 lead in the final set before closing out her first win over a top 10 opponent since beating Marion Bartoli at the Paris Indoor event in February 2008.

"I am pleased with every win right now because it's very important to me to get back my confidence," said Chakvetadze, a former No. 5 who has fallen to No. 31. "I lost a huge opportunity in the first set, but I'm glad I came back in the second and third."

The sixth-ranked Jankovic blamed her defeat on adjusting to the grass.

"It was obviously my first match on grass and it took me a while to get the rhythm out there. Getting those low balls, my legs got so tight and so tired, and especially in the third set I didn't have the energy in my legs anymore to bend down."

Fifth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus withdrew with a hip injury and was replaced by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain.