Ana Ivanovic has cited a broken toe as one of the reasons for her uneven Australian Open performance, saying it interfered with her preparation. The No. 5 seed lost in the first round, despite reaching the final of Brisbane two weeks before the tournament.
The former No. 1's high expectations collided with her injury problems, leaving her feeling a lot of pressure. "I broke my toe and wasn’t able to practice as much," she told the *Gulf News*. "I felt quite stressed and these things combined meant that I wasn’t able to play my best tennis. But my opponent, Lucie Hradecka, played a great match and she deserved to win."
While recording some good victories and winning four smaller events last season, Ivanovic noted that she did not produce a deep run at a major. "Maybe should try something different, so I can relax more when I’m playing these big events," she said.
Ivanovic next plays the WTA event in Dubai, which will feature eight of the Top 10 players.