DUBAI // A finalist on her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships debut in 2005, Jelena Jankovic is hoping to down rising young star Belinda Bencic in their opening round clash and make another deep run at her "home" tournament.
A former world No 1, Jankovic is making her 11th appearance in Dubai, a tournament she considers her home event since she is a Dubai resident, and hopes the crowd support she enjoys here will help her get through what is undoubtedly the match up of the first round.
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Bencic is currently ahead 2-1 in their head-to-head with victories over Jankovic in the 2014 US Open fourth round and the semis of the Topshelf Open in the Netherlands last year, but the Serb does remember her win over the Swiss teenager last year.
“I have played against her a few times,” said Jankovic, who is No 19 in the world at the moment. “Last time she beat me on grass, but I beat her on hard court in Indian Wells last year. So I know her game very well and she knows mine.
“It is going to be a difficult match, but I will try my best to win. I feel I have some crowd support here, so I will try my best and we will see.”
Jankovic, 30, has been a favourite in Dubai since her debut here, when she first beat Sania Mirza in quarter-finals and then shocked Serena Williams in the semis, before losing to Lindsay Davenport in the final.
“This morning a saw the picture of Davenport holding the trophy,” said Jankovic. “I looked at the year and it was 2005. It’s unbelievable. I was 19 years old at the time and I have been coming back for so many years.
“I love it here in Dubai. It’s one of my favourite places to play and to spend time.”
Jankovic will be hoping the Dubai magic works for her again for her form in 2016 has been patchy.
She lost in the first round in Brisbane and could go no further than the second round at Sydney and the Australian Open. Last week, she lost both her Fed Cup singles matches.
Bencic, meanwhile, won her Fed Cup singles last week, including the match against Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, and made the fourth round at the Australian Open before losing to Maria Sharapova.
Jankovic, however, has the advantage of arriving here earlier than Bencic, who is playing indoors in Saint Petersburg this week.
“She is playing indoors in the cold in Saint Petersburg and I have been here for a few days now,” Jankovic said. “So I am getting used to playing outside with the wind, with the sun, with these conditions.
“But you know, every match is a new match. I really look at it that way. I just have to go onto the court and focus on my tennis, on my game and give my maximum.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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