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Djokovic and Ivanovic

Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic delivered a sparkling Serbian double on Sunday, their convincing victories at the Pacific Life Open reaffirming their nation's arrival on the tennis map.

Djokovic, the third-ranked player in the world, had already become a national hero with his triumph at the Australian Open, where Ivanovic finished runner-up in her second Grand Slam final.

On Sunday, third-seeded Djokovic downed unseeded American Mardy Fish 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to win the first of the prestigious ATP Masters Series events of the year.

Ivanovic, the top seed in the WTA portion of the US$5.7 million tournament, defeated second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3 to lift the women's trophy.

For good measure, third-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic made it to the women's semi-finals and Nenad Zimonjic was a doubles finalist.

"This is something I think that we absolutely deserve," Djokovic said.

He said he hoped his success and that of his compatriots on the tennis courts would buoy a country that is now in some turmoil.

"Considering the fact that our country is in a very difficult position, they are struggling economically and in politics as well, I just try to help my country as much as I can," said Djokovic, who said he did not want to comment on the "Kosovo is Serbia" banner displayed by some fans in an upper deck of the stadium seats.

The black banner was on view during Ivanovic's match but had been taken down for Djokovic's -- at the request of tournament organizers.

It was the same slogan that Serbian swimmer Milorad Cavic wore on a T-shirt while collecting a gold medal at the European Championships on Wednesday -- a political comment that got him suspended from the event.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian-dominated parliament unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. Most Serbs consider the southern territory the cradle of their nation's history, culture and religion.

Ivanovic, 20, said Cavic's story saddened her, but she, too, was reluctant to be drawn into any divisive debate.

"I don't know much about politics and I don't get involved in that area," she said.

Djokovic, who has been the biggest sports star in Serbia since his Australian Open triumph in January, has spoken previously about his heartache over the separation of Kosovo from Serbia.

His family has cross-border loyalties, his father Srdjan is Serbian, while his mother Dijana is Montenegran.
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