Lose the Spanner, Ana

Remember when Ana Ivanovic used to win matches? I certainly can't remember the last time she did. When was the last time she won a match? Honestly, it isn't even an upset any more when she loses matches. Dominika Cibulkova is a good player, sure, but she's not in Ivanovic's league - at least, not in the league of the old Ivanovic, who was winning things and making it to the final of the Australian and winning the French. So whither Ana? I thought not being #1 would take the pressure off, but this clearly hasn't been the case. I mean, the old Ana would never have lost to Dominika Cibulkova, let alone Julie Coin and the ilk.

*

So what is the spanner in the works? What is wrong? I hope to God it's an injury, because if it's all in her head, she is officially the biggest basket case EVER. It must be so upsetting to see Jelena Jankovic winning things all over the place while Ana can't even win a single match. She needs to take time off, even if it means missing Doha and the Australian and hell, all of next season. She needs to get better - to either rehabilitate whatever injury she has, or to move in with her sports psychologist and rehabiliate her mind. She needs to lose the spanner.

*

Meanwhile, how 'bout my Stars? Ernests Gulbis lost to Fernando Gonzalez, but he had five match points - I wish he had hung on, but the game is clearly there. Thomaz Bellucci lost a tight three-setter with Jarkko Nieminen, but today's best performer was Jeremy Chardy, who upset Igor Andreev. Allez Jeremy!

*

And nice work to my Russian girls, Dinara and Nadia, who both had great wins in Moscow. Davai!

*

*

Today's Results

*

Kremlin Cup (Moscow)

*

Men's Draw

*

Fabrice Santoro def. Denis Istomin, 6-2 6-4

Jeremy Chardy def. Igor Andreev, 3-6 7-5 6-4

Teimuraz Gabashvili def. Mikhail Youzhny, 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-1)

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-3 6-2

Mischa Zverev def. Denis Gremelmayr, 6-3 7-6 (9-7)

Igor Kunitsyn def. Mikhail Kukushkin, 6-1 4-6 6-1

*

*

Women's Draw

*

Dinara Safina def. Amélie Mauresmo, 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4

Elena Dementieva def. Katarina Srebotnik, 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-2)

Dominika Cibulkova def. Ana Ivanovic, 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4)

Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Sara Errani, 7-6 (7-0) 6-1

Caroline Wozniacki def. Anna Chakvetadze, 2-6 6-1 6-4

Nadia Petrova def. Anna Lapushchenkova, 6-2 6-1

*

*

If Stockholm Open (Stockholm)

*

Rainer Schuettler def. Nicolas Lapentti, 7-6 (8-6) 6-3

Oscar Hernandez def. Jose Acasuso, 2-6 6-3 6-4

Jarkko Nieminen def. Thomaz Bellucci, 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5

Robin Soderling def. Benjamin Becker, 7-5 6-3

Albert Montanes def. Thomas Johansson, 6-3 4-6 6-3

George Bastl def. Frederik Nielsen, 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 7-6 (7-4)

Arnaud Clement def. Bjorn Rehnquist, 6-2 6-1

*

*

Bank Austria Tennis Trophy (Vienna)

*

Fernando Gonzalez def. Ernests Gulbis, 4-6 7-6 (13-11) 6-1

Fernando Verdasco def. Guillermo Canas, 6-1 6-2

Philipp Petzschner def. Jan Hernych, 6-3 6-4

Carlos Moya def. Eduardo Schwank, 6-2 6-3

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Martin Fischer, 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-5)

Gael Monfils def. Alexander Peya, 3-6 6-1 6-3