Moscow, Oct 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Former World No.1 Ana Ivanovic's career has struggled at times since she won her only Grand Slam title in Paris in 2008.

Participating in the Kremlin Cup here, she said that her own nerves have been a tough opponent before matches. Ivanovic also spoke about her problems with confidence and consistency.

"Before every match you are nervous a little bit but it's good in a way because sometimes when you lack those nerves you don't perform well. You're quite flat. Sometimes it's overwhelming. You have to find the balance to breathe through it but it comes with confidence. Once you're confident, it's easier to deal with everything," said Ivanovic.

After the Serbian won the Roland Garros in 2008, she did not reach the quarterfinals of another Grand Slam until the US Open last month.

"It was like a monkey off my shoulder. It was a huge step for me to get to the quarterfinals and just to prove to myself that I actually belong there when I do things the way it should be done. It gives me confidence and it's the incentive for next year."

Commenting on her performance in the Kremlin Cup she said: "I still have a few days to adjust but it's actually just hard to get time on a court [for practice]. Once you get it, it's good. It's a tough draw here.

"Especially in these tournaments, it's always small draws and you run into good players very, very early in the rounds. I just want to try and enjoy it. It's the last tournament of the year and just take it easy and try to relax and have fun," she added.