No luck for Ana... Just when she started to play good again and when she was hoping to reach her first final in almost 18 months, Ana was forced to retire from the semi-final match of the Cincinnati Open after just 12 minutes of play. Ana was trailing 2-1 when she injured her left foot while playing a forehand. She received on-court medical treatment but was unable to continue for more than two points.

"All of a sudden on that one shot I felt like something crack a little bit. I was very scared.

"I'm obviously disappointed the way it finished, because I felt like I had a really good run and it was a good start to the match for both of us, I think.

"And just on that one forehand when I went to step around it, I just felt like pain all of a sudden, so much pain in my foot and I couldn't step on it anymore.

"I tried a bit of tape, but I could not put any weight on it, and there was no point in me continuing."

Asked to comment on the tournament overall, Ana said:

"It's been a great week for me. I still played some really great tennis.

"All the support I had here was great, and the facilities are really good. I did enjoy my week, and I look forward to next year."

Right after the match, Ana headed to a local hospital to have an MRI scan. The results show that Ana suffered strained ankle ligaments.

Her next scheduled tournament is the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, which begins on 22 August.


(source: Ana Ivanovic)

Ana Ivanovic Retires in Cincinnati With Left Foot Injury