AFP, Birmingham :
Ana Ivanovic, a Grand Slam winner and seven times a season-end top 20 player reached the first grass court final of her career on Saturday at the Birmingham Open.
The 26-year-old former world number one from Serbia did that with a thumping 6-2, 6-2 win over Zhang Shuai, a steadily improving Chinese player contesting her first Premier level event in only her second grass court tournament.
By contrast Ivanovic has been trying to overcome the uncertainties of this surface for most of her career, and claimed she is finally achieving that at the Wimbledon buildup event.
She certainly hit the ball with unstoppable force off the ground, especially from the forehand, and grew conspicuously in confidence as the match went on.
