6 Reasons Why Jelena Jankovic Lost Birmingham Title to Melanie Oudin

When American comeback kid Melanie Oudin was set to play Jelena Jankovic in the 2012 final of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, tennis fans were reminded of the Serb’s unusual remarks following the pair’s only previous clash. After a 3rd round exit in Wimbledon 2009 to Oudin, Jankovic gave a lengthy list of ailments that contributed to her loss, including being a woman. (Apparently Oudin, like Sam Stosur, does not have this same gender burden.)

Now that Oudin has won her first WTA title, beating Jankovic once again, we imagine the veteran player offering us at least six logical explanations for this second loss:

1. Our monthly cycles weren’t in synch so my timing was completely off.

2. My ponytail was so tight it cut off the circulation to my brain.

3. The pollen count must have been high because my allergies were out of control.

4. I have a system where I lose and then two years later I come back and win it all.

5. What Nalbandian did was still haunting me.

6. I thought that the “Q” in front of her name was for “Quit” not “Qualifier.”

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PHOTOS: Jelena Jankovic, Wimbledon 2009 post-match interview, 2009 changeover screencaps. Fair use.