Former French Open winner Ana Ivanovic will draw on lessons from her last Wimbledon clash with Venus Williams when she plays the five-time champion on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old Serbian, who marched past Australia's Samantha Stosur 7-5 6-2 on Saturday to secure a meeting with Williams, said she had learnt a lot from playing the world number three in the semi-finals two years ago.
"I'm very excited. I can take a lot from that match," she said referring to her 6-2 6-4 defeat by Williams in 2007. "She (Venus) likes to go for her first shot. She likes to dominate the points. I just think I have to try to make a lot of returns."
"Obviously, it's going to be important for me to serve well in that match because she has great first serves," added the 13th seed. "So if I can hold on to my serve and then put pressure on her, that would be a key."
But Ivanovic, who has slipped from the world number one spot she held last year, is not the only one who will be drawing on her memories of the 2007 match in preparation for Monday. Williams, who recorded her 17th successive win at the grasscourt major on Saturday with a 6-0 6-4 triumph over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, also remembers her fourth round opponent's strengths.
"We had a lot of great exchanges," the American said of that semi-final two years ago. "I just remember playing aggressively." "She is talented," added Williams. "This is a good surface for her... she does everything well."