Ana Ivanovic predicted a tough opening to her Australian summer, and she got it with Czech Petra Kvitova causing worries for tennis’s glamour girl and Brisbane International organisers.
Ivanovic eventually prevailed 6-4 6-2 on Monday night but was forced to get down and dirty to overcome the 18-year-old left-hander who pushed her all the way for more than 90 minutes.
The top-seeded Serbian took an hour to win the first set, which included four straight deuces, as big-serving Kvitova played a powerful baseline game that suggested an improvement on her world No.44 ranking wasn’t far away.
In the end, it was a patchy Ivanovic who took the most of her chances and pulled away after saving two break points at 3-2 up in the second.
Playing in a glistening magenta dress, she blew kisses to a jubilant pro-Serb crowd after nailing a forehand winner.
“It is always tough, the first match and it was just a matter of hanging in and waiting for opportunities,” the 21-year-old said.
“I’m very happy to get this victory.”
So too were tournament organisers who have marketed the inaugural women’s event around the darling of the tennis world.
Rising six-footer Kvitova unleashed a string of forehand winners throughout and appeared set to take the world No.5 and tournament drawcard to an opening tie-breaker.
She showed from the outset it would be a difficult night for Ivanovic, blasting a forehand down the line past her in the second point of the match.
The teenager, who grew up idolising another Czech left-hander in Martina Navratilova, then had two break point opportunities on the Serb’s next service game.
Ivanovic broke to 3-1 but Kvitova immediately broke back in a tense arm-wrestle as four straight games went to deuce.
They were locked at 4-4 but an overruling by the chair umpire in Ivanovic’s favour seemed to unnerve the youngster who failed to hold her serve at 4-5.
Ivanovic won’t be unhappy by the early scare as she is looking to get as much court time into her legs as possibly before the start of the Australian Open on January 19.
Showing the rust of a lengthy off-season, which included a fortnight of preparation on the Sunshine Coast, Ivanovic had trouble with her ball toss throughout.
After enjoying a pre-match chat with Pat Rafter, she admitted afterwards she considered yelling out “Sorry mate” Rafter-style several times to Kvitovic but roused at herself to focus.
“I had to fight for each point (but) it was good in the first match of the year. You want to get into your rhythm,” Ivanovic said.
“It could have gone either way (late in the first set) but I thought stay tough and make her hit as many balls as possible.”
Sam Stosur remains the only Australian woman to progress to the second round of the Brisbane International after a third female wildcard, Isabella Holland, fell in the first round tonight.
Teenager Holland lost 6-4 6-4 to Czech player Lucie Safarova.
She follows fellow Australian wildcards Jelena Dokic and Monika Wejnert in recording early losses at the tournament.
Stosur beat seeded Ai Sugiyama 6-2 6-3.
Also, Australian Joseph Sirianni has qualified for the men’s main draw after winning his final qualifying match Gilles Muller 7-6(5) 7-5.