No more fitness experiments for me, says Jankovic

By Karolos Grohmann

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Former world number one Jelena Jankovic is preparing to climb back up the rankings after a change in her fitness regime cost her the top spot, the Serbian world number four said on Tuesday.

Playing in Stuttgart in her first tournament since winning her first title of the season at the Andalucia Tennis Championships this month, Jankovic said she was on her way back after making early exits at Indian Wells and Miami.

She also lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open as she failed in yet another bid to win her first grand slam tournament.

"I feel I am coming back into form," the 24-year-old told reporters. "For a while I could not find myself on the court. I did a lot of fitness work in the off-season and that was the problem.

"I was one of the fastest players on the tour but (after the fitness work) I started feeling very heavy. I felt so slow, my whole game broke down. Then the confidence falls."

Jankovic said she had taken the advice to boost her strength from her entourage.

"You listen to your team and you think it will bring results. But my body just did not accept it," said Jankovic, winner in Stuttgart last year.

"I am not doing any more experiments. My goal now is finding my game again and winning grand slams. This is what I said to myself."

Jankovic, seeded third at the Stuttgart Grand Prix, plays Slovak Dominika Cibulkova in the first round.