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By Adrianna Outlaw
(July 14, 2010) Ana Ivanovic has found tranquility in the land of neutrality.
The Belgrade-born baseliner has adopted Basel, Switzerland, Roger Federer's hometown, as her home away-from-home. When she's not traveling the 2008 French Open champion spends her spare time training and relaxing in Switzerland.
In the latest issue of Swiss publication Coopzeitung, Ivanovic says she appreciates Swiss solitude.
"I’ve really grown to love it in Switzerland. It’s so peaceful and everyone respects each other’s privacy," Ivanovic tells the magazine. "The landscapes are also very beautiful, and I enjoy training here, especially in the summer."
The former World No. 1 says she's found a comfort level in the country her manager and former coaches call home.
"I’ve been living in Switzerland for a long time now," Ivanovic says. "I first came here when I was a kid — I was just 13 or 14. I came here because of tennis: the training facilities in Belgrade, where I was born, were very limited. All of my old coaches live there, and my manager Dan Holzmann is there too."
When it comes to tennis examples, Ivanovic says she admires Federer and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the combination of competitive composure and passion they bring to the game.
"The players I look up to the most are Roger and Rafa," Ivanovic says. "Both of them are such great professionals. What impresses me most about Roger is the way he conducts himself on the court. It’s clear that he’s also a very emotional person but he controls it so well and is always very composed. Rafa also has a great attitude on the court, he’s exciting to watch and, like Roger, he’s a real gentleman."