Ivanovic blames emotions as her tennis woes continue

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Two years ago, Ana Ivanovic''s squeaky shoes carried her all the way to a women''s final against Maria Sharapova at the Australia Open.

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old Serb''s form has melted away since, and Thursday she was beaten 6-7 7-5 6-4 by the unseeded Gisela Dulko in the Australian Open second round.

The Argentine had never advanced past the second round at Melbourne Park in six previous attempts.

Ivanovic has won just one tournament since her breakthrough grand slam victory in Paris, a Tier II event at Linz in 2008, and has failed to make it past the fourth round at any of the grand slams.

Ivanovic admitted she felt her brain was getting in the way of her game and she was overthinking situations when she was playing well, instead of allowing her instincts to take over.

"I start well and I play good, and then, because I have no expectation, I just go out there to enjoy," she told reporters.

"Then I think ''I can play like this all the time'' (and) then I get tense and I start making mistakes because I want to play like that (consistently).

"I just have to get rid of that a little bit and just try to play consistent all the time. It might not be at the highest level, but (I have to) just build on it.

"I think when I actually let go of (my) emotions ... that''s when I play my best."

LION HEARTED

Against Dulko, Ivanovic appeared to have given the match away in the final set. An attempted drop shot at 0-15 in the sixth game hit the tape and her shoulders slumped.