Cibulkova Shocks Seven Seed Ivanovic in Flushing Meadows

August 31, 2015 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff

It’s still early on Day One of the U.S. Open, but two of the top seven women are already out of contention for the Women’s Singles Title.

First on Sunday, Russia’s Maria Sharapova withdrew with a leg injury, and now, the seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic is heading home from New York after her opening round match. Ivanovic lost her first round match Monday morning to Dominika Cibulkova, a former top-10 player and Australian Open runner-up whose ranking had fallen to 50th due to injury, in three sets 6-3 3-6, 6-3 in a two-hour back and forth matchup.

Cibulkova who had surgery on her left ankle, missed more than four months earlier this year, but played great tennis today. After winning the first set she led 3-1 and had 3 break points in the second set but couldn't capitalize on the 0-40 advantage. Ivanovic came back to hold serve and then ran off another four straight games in a row to even the match.

In the third set, Cibulkova broke early in the set and never looked back. At 5-3, she held serve to close out the upset win.

"Finally in New Haven, I started to get my game back together and started to feel much better on the court," Cibulkova said. "Today, I knew my game was there and I just had to go out here and play. You have many thoughts during the match and I just had to stay tough and I knew I'd have to do it—she wouldn't give me one ball."

Cibulkova was upset in the first round of the past two U.S. Opens as a seeded player, including a loss to 15-year-old American CiCi Bellis last year.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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