Tennis: Ivanovic ousted from Sydney event

Safarova ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic.

SYDNEY: Lucie Safarova, the last direct entrant into the $637,000 Sydney International tennis tournament, ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic in straight sets in a first-round matchup yesterday. Thanks to a number 25 world ranking, Safarova, a member of the triumphant Czech Fed Cup team in 2011, barely got into this final tuneup for the Australian Open. She earned a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion. Wildcard Jelena Dokic stormed to victory over fellow Australian Isabella Holland, 6-0, 6-0, while Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova was leading Peng Shuai of China 6-2, 4-6, 4-3 when their match was suspended due to rain. It will be completed today. French Open champion Li Na won the event in 2011.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2012.