Beijing: Ana Finding Form

Ana Ivanovic has made it to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Beijing; a statement every fan of hers was waiting to hear for some time. Not only is she finally winning matches, but she is playing some of the best tennis we've seen from her all season.

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Ivanovic defeated world no.3, Vera Zvonareva, 6-2 6-1 in only 68 minutes. The score reflects the rhythm of the match: all Ana. The two competitors are now tied in their head-to-head series 5 a piece.

This was not the only big win the Serbian had this week, however, as her aggressive play lifted her past two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Ivanovic overwhelmed the Russian with an impressive 6-2 6-3 triumph.

The match-up between no.11 seed Agnieszka Radwanska (this year's Tokyo champion) and Sofia Arvidsson will determine Ana’s opponent on Friday. Either way, if she plays the game we've seen in her previous matches, we are all in for another great battle and possibly another flawless performance.

Earlier today, Ana posted the following on Facebook: “That felt really good! I’ve said for a while that I feel that I’m moving in the right direction and this was an important step.”  It has been a while since we've seen Ana perform so dominantly on court (it was her first top 5 win since June 2008) but it might just be the confidence boost the Serbian needed. Could this be the start of something great? It sure gives us hope for the end of the season.

There is only one thing left to say: Welcome back Ana.

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-Romina Castagnino, Contributing Writer