Jelena Jankovic wins first title of 2009

Serbian player Jelena Jankovic just got a needed boost in the upcoming major claycourt tournaments after winning the inaugural Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, Spain.The current world number four defeated Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in three tight sets (6-3, 3-6, 6-3).

Jankovic started this season as the world number one but her dismal performance during the past few months saw her ranking fall to number four.

“I know I have not been playing well the last three months
but this win has given me back the confidence I need,” Jankovic
said after the match.

The tournament saw a stunning upset in the first round after Czech player Klara Zakopalova ousted top-seed and world number one Serena Williams in three sets. Williams, who revealed that she incurred a leg injury during the finals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, announced that she will be pulling out of this week’s Charleston Open where she’s the defending champion.

As for Navarro, this served as her first WTA Tour final. At 20, she already achieved two Grand Slam quarterfinal finishes – in last year’s French Open and this year’s Australian Open – wherein she dispatched Venus Williams in the second round.