those JJ bags: for now, only in serbia

(Off to enjoy my middle Sunday by taking in the Buena Vista Social Club and Goldfrapp at the Hollywood Bowl. Get some rest for that action-packed Monday!)

Jelena Jankovic is quietly through to the fourth round of this year’s Wimbledon. She had to face Robson, Wozniak, and only gave up three games against Alona Bondarenko. Jelena’s next opponent is Zvonareva and potentially a Belgian (it’s Henin vs. Clijsters) in the quarters. Draw: Women’s singles [pdf]

ANTA‘s been doing a good job outfitting their ladies (Janks and Zheng Jie) with some cute warm-ups, include this one with the cropped sleeve and oversized collar (it’s been done, but we’ll never tire of it). And like the rest of the top ladies, the ruffles on Jelena’s dress look wonderful and perform well during match play. They even look great when she’s sitting idle during a medical timeout.

For your eyes only: Jelena’s racquet and gym bags are from her line. We got to see another set — bedecked with bows — from earlier this year, at Indian Wells. (Check out the close-ups we took in the gallery below.) During one of Jelena’s matches, we spoke with Snezana, who was carrying a purse from the JJ line, and she mentioned that the bags are currently just available in Serbia (Marija, have you seen these around?). Oh wells, I’m sure the Floridians will eat this up when the Jankovics are ready to expand stateside.

(images via Getty Images; photos of bag close-up by TSF)

tennis' reception line for queen elizabeth II

…And ‘Best Dressed’ goes to: Perhaps it’s the American in us, but we were all about Andy Roddick and his wearing a white blazer to meet Queen Elizabeth II at Day 4 of the 2010 Wimbledon tournament. (The tailored Federer suit is so predictable!) QEII attended the day’s session to watch Andy Murray play his second-round match against Jarrko Nieminen.

Roddick and his jacket (we can only assume it’s Lacoste) was part of a reception line which included Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Elena Baltacha, Anne Keothavong, Laura Robson, Jelena Jankovic, Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki Kai-Chen Chang, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams (who’d been practicing her moves in anticipation of this meeting!).

As Nick said earlier, Her Majesty wore the perfect color to complement the bright green grass of the AELTC. It’s a boost to the sport to see her around these parts.

(images via AP)

short balls: mac does the times, djoko the big screen and serena is no justine (!)

John McEnroe might not act like one any more, but he still knows how to dress like a teenager. The tennis legend got front-page billing on NYTimes.com with a story about his new New York-based academy. (Screengrab via NYTimes.com)

Action! No Djoking Around. Serbian star Novak Djokovic has struggled in the last couple of years with his on-court stamina (will this be the issue that haunts his career?). He hasn’t struggled, meanwhile, with the ability to garner big-time acting roles in his home country. Djoko is starring in a documentary about the 1923 Serbian World Cup team, and fellow tennis buff Nenad Zimonjic is putting his footwork on display, too.

I’m no Justine. There were plenty of moments in Rome last weeks (Rome-ments?!). But one of our faves was Serena making sure that Jelena Jankovic know that she wasn’t pulling a Justine on the Serb. After the match, Serena assured Jankovic that she didn’t intentionally try to distract her opponent by putting her hand up while Janky was serving in the third-set tie-break, an exchange Serena knows plenty about.

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sunday survey: your rome-ment

There were plenty of moments in Rome. Let us break them down for you:

–Maria Kirilenko takes out French defending champ Svetlana Kuznetsova, sending Kuzzie’s clay court record this season to almost equal that of fellow ’09 champ Roger Federer in the “Dismal” category.

–Ana Ivanovic marches to the semifinals with wins over Victoria Azarenka and Elena Dementieva.

–Jelena Jankovic creams Venus Williams, losing just one game in their quarterfinal encounter.

–JJ prevails over Serena in a dramatic three-set win, giving her back-to-back wins over the Williams sisters.

–Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez beats Caroline Wozniacki, Ivanovic and Jankovic to take the Italian title as an unseeded player.

Which was your Rome-ment? Was one most surprising to you? Did you take pleasure in Ana’s run? Could you believe Sveta exited early again? What do you make of JJ’s wins over the Williams sisters? Is she a threat for the French? Are the Williams sisters a threat themselves? Let us know in the comment section.

(photo by getty images via wta web site)

monday's sunday survey

What do you think of Jelena Jankovic and Ivan Ljubicic winning at Indian Wells? How does it bode for the rest of their year? Can Jankovic finally win a Major? And will Ljubicic ever re-enter the Top 10? Become a threat again? Tell us what you think.

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jelena jankovic's fed cup garb

Our hats are off to Jelena Jankovic and the folks at ANTA for producing one of the better Fed Cup outfits of 2010 so far. (I know Nick wasn’t really a fan, but I will stick to my guns!) She and the rest of the Serbian gals couldn’t fight off the hard-hitting Russians in this first round tie of the World Group I bracket.

Especially with all the talk of Venus‘ skin-colored undies at the Australian Open, it’s refreshing to see someone take a step back and go with sheer instead. (See the panels on the chest and the side of her dress.) We could have lived without those awkward slits that made Jelena’s dress look like it got caught in an escalator, though.

FYI, she wore a white version during her doubles match with Ana Ivanovic.

Again, the details: We love the red nails, the red and gold in her bracelet and necklace, and the same color motif in her shoes. See ‘em all after the cut…

fed cup 2010 – first round

That’s Bojana Jovanovski, Ana Jovanovic, captain Dejan Vranes, Jelena Jankovic, and Ana Ivanovic at the official Fed Cup dinner on the eve of the tie between Serbia and Russia. As you can see from the schedule below, the headcase Ivanovic will go up against Svetlana Kuznetsova first, and then Jelena, whose back injury could hamper her performance, will then face the hard-hitting Alisa Kleybanova.

Russian team: Captain Shamil Tarpischev, Vera Dushevina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Alisa Kleybanova.

If the tie was based solely on footwear, the Serbians win. What is up with Anastasia’s red bra??

Who’s playing whom + TV: Here’s the line-up for all four World Group ties (plus TC’s coverage of the US/France tie) — after the cut…

fashion focus: alona bondarenko's fruity dress, not quite ripe

Alona Bondarenko bagged the first upset during Day 5 of play at the 2010 Australian Open with her defeat of eighth seed Jelena Jankovic in the third round.

The rusty (and “clogged-up”) Serbian never round her rythm, and the Ukranian took advantage, running away with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Up next for Alona is a match with Zheng Jie, who took out 11th seed Marion Bartoli. After that, it’s either Safina or Kirilenko. (Draw: Women’s Singles)

Pretty in pink: The “Raspberry Rose” halter dress has that faux layering at the chest (which everyone’s doing), chunky pleating, and grey and white stripes at the high waist to give the dress some extra shape (not that Alona needs the help). One of the cutest dresses of the tournament. Note that her shoes also have grey/pink detail.

Buy: K-Swiss Halter Dress, $75, in rose and white colorways; available February 3rd at kswiss.com. At some point I wish they’d figure out that this should go on sale the same day the tournament starts.

More: More pics of Alona after the cut…

gallery perusing

There is always plenty of interesting (and sometimes questionable) photos to peruse on the WTA’s photo gallery from each tournament each week. This last week, the folks at the tour put together a couple of gems from Hobart and Sydney. We picked out a few of our faves.

Alicia Molik and Sania Mirza try on some cricket gear with a couple of beefies.

We really do believe that Daniela Hantuchova belongs in the ’70s. According to her tee, so does she.

Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic on the red carpet at Sydney. Which outfit do you like better?

(photos via WTA.com/getty images)

jankovic earned her fashion stripes

Not over yet: Serbian Jelena Jankovic could end her year on a high note — the rest of it hasn’t been the best (titles in Andalucia and Cincinnati; a finals appearance in Tokyo) — since she’s still jankovic earned her fashion stripesin the running for the 2009 Sony Ericsson Tour Championships, happening this week in Doha.

The tour’s final outing of 2009 brings out another outfit from the partnership between JJ and ANTA. This time, she let the fabric do the talking, staying away from complicated details and instead placing a monogram on the back of the pink wrap dress.

Scores: Jelena got shut down by Victoria Azarenka in their opening round robin, but rebounded with a win over Safina (well, Dinara withdrew with a back injury) and Caroline Wozniacki. In case you’re actually following the results…

(image via Getty)