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 5.7 million-dollar tournament, defeated second-seeded 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.
One wag quipped that Indian Wells should be renamed Serbian Wells.
"This is something I think that we absolutely deserve," Djokovic said. "We've been working very hard to throughout all of our lives, and this is just a crown for our work, and it's paying off."
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 didn't 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 February 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. "You know, when I'm out here playing, I just want to represent my country in the best possible way.
"Whatever's happening, you know, it's tough, but still, it's very hard for me to say anything about it."
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 being Serbian, and his mother Dijana Montenegran.
He said then that his belief was that Kosovo was part of Serbia, and always would be.
Djokovic said he hadn't encountered any repercussions from that video speech.
"I haven't got any negative comments on that," he said. "Of course, my life is my tennis, my life is sport. This is what I try to keep focused on.
"I know that people obviously look at me as a very successful athlete and the man who can bring a lot of positive energy to their country ... but as I said before, I'm not trying to get involved in politics."
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Novak Djokovic & Ivanovic won Indian Wells 2008 - Serbian stars shine
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