By Kamakshi Tandon 

Ana Ivanovic will try to flex her greater muscle against Venus Williams in the Australian Open quarterfinals.                     © Erza Shaw/Getty Images

But Ivanovic thinks things will be different when the two meet again the Australian Open quarterfinals on Wednesday. Their last meeting took place on Venus' turf, literally – the Decoturf courts of the U.S. Open in New York.

Hailing from Serbia, Ivanovic doesn't get to play a Grand Slam in her home country, but Melbourne is the closest substitute. She has relatives in the city and often spends Christmas Down Under. At this time last year, she was also working with Australian coach David Taylor – enough to earn her the nickname of ‘Aussie Ana’ in a country longing for more tennis stars.

The tag may reappear if she can continue her run here. The attractive, sweet-natured Serb has already developed a following among both Australians and Serbs in Melbourne Park, and her guest column in one of the local papers has been adding to her name recognition among fans.

Not only does she feel more comfortable here, Ivanovic also thinks the new Plexicushion surface at Melbourne Park gives her a ‘homecourt’ advantage against Venus. “These courts are a little bit slower than the US Open, so I think that's something that definitely suits me better because she's a big server and she likes to go for the big shots.”

Venus will also be facing a better player across the net, Ivanvoic warns. “I think I'm a little bit different player than I was last time I played her,” said Ivanovic. “I got even fitter and stronger on the court... [and] I improve my serve since then, too, so I really hope it can work well for me tomorrow.”

The 20-year-old has been improving consistently over the last year, going from a talented but raw teen to a well-muscled striker of the ball. She credits many of the improvements to adidas-affiliated coach Sven Groeneveld and fitness trainer Scott Brynes, who joined her in 2007 and 2006, respectively.

Though she’s still not one of the best movers on tour, better strength and stamina has improved Ivanovic’s point construction and stabilized her game, which is built around her powerful forehand.

She identifies the decision to focus on fitness as the start of her steady climb to her current ranking of No. 3. “It’s definitely a big part of my game, because now I feel much stronger out there and I feel I can keep up with these girls for a longer period of time,” she said. “Before I had to go for my shots earlier in the rally because I couldn't keep in the rally.”

Fitness continued to be a big priority during the offseason – part of which was spent training in the climate-controlled British tennis center at Roehampton. “I work, all kinds of exercise: long running, sprints, in a gym we do some weights in off-season,’ she said. “It’s definitely also very interesting, because fitness can get really boring. [Brynes] always has some new games or new exercise to keep it interesting.”

If there is still a question mark around Ivanovic, it’s about her mental toughness. She folded badly during the French Open final against Justine Henin, sometimes hardly able to throw the ball up in the air to serve. She marked that down as a learning experience and followed up with a creditable run to the Wimbledon semifinals, where she was stopped by Venus, who went on to win the title. But facing Venus in the fourth round of the U.S. Open later that summer, Ivanovic again played a tight match, providing little resistance against her in-form opponent.

Win or lose on Wednesday, she must avoid another nervy performance or start facing questions about whether she has enough killer instinct to reach the top.

“It will be just important for me to stay there, stay there with her, and still try to get that first [point-dominating] shot,” said Ivanovic.