Ivanovic upset in Italian Open, defending champ Jelena Jankovic advances to quarterfinals

Ivanova upset, Jankovic advances to Rome quarters

ROME — French Open champion Ana Ivanovic was upset by Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 on Wednesday in the third round of the Italian Open, while defending champion Jelena Jankovic reached the quarterfinals when Kateryna Bondarenko retired.

The fifth-seeded Ivanovic couldn’t hold serve in the first set, but began dictating play with precise groundstrokes in the second.

The Serb appeared headed toward victory when she jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the decisive set, but the 10th-seeded Radwanska staged a comeback and won the last six games, ending the match with one of her 19 winners.

The third-seeded Jankovic took the first set 6-1, and was leading 1-0 in the second when Bondarenko of Ukraine called for the trainer and then pulled out after 35 minutes, citing illness.

Jankovic played aggressively throughout the first set, firing winners from both sides of the court and often rushing the net.

The 24-year-old Serb has won the past two Italian Opens and is looking to regain her form after starting the year in a slump. She next plays Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova, who ousted crowd favorite Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.