By MARC BERMAN

September 1, 2007 — THE call came from Serbian basketball star Nenad Krstic, the Nets' standout power forward. Jelena Jankovic had never spoken to him until a day before this year's U.S. Open.

But Serbian pride is swelling - Krstic wanted tickets to watch his countrywomen, Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, play their first-round matches.

"He called me, I gave him the tickets," Jankovic told The Post on a couch in the players' lounge at Flushing Meadows. "He got my number from somebody."

Jankovic laughed. "Basketball was always more popular," she added. "Now tennis has become very popular with three established players in the world. Before, tennis wasn't popular at all."

Jankovic, Ivanovic and the world's No. 3 men's player, Novak Djokovic, are leading a young tennis revolution in the formerly war-torn country. It doesn't hurt that besides being good, they're good-looking, with magnetic personalities.

Djokovic has cracked up his tennis brothers with on-court impersonations of top players such as Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal. He shows levity on the court during a match, often applauding his opponent for making a difficult shot.

Jankovic is a bubbly sort, smiling as she speaks, laughing at her own jokes.

Ivanovic comes off as sweet as molasses, a budding sex symbol who doesn't seem to know it. She seemed stunned and flattered that as she left a Manhattan restaurant the other day, a couple of patrons recognized her, wishing her luck at the Open.

"It was amazing to have that experience," said Ivanovic, who has a sparkling picture-heavy Web site featuring sultry model shots.

In an Italian interview, Ivanovic was asked if she was the new Maria Sharapova. She responded, "It's strange. Sharapova doesn't say a word to anyone, whereas I talk, smile, laugh."

Jankovic is ranked third, Ivanovic fifth, and Djokovic stands as Roger Federer's greatest threat to achieving his fourth straight U.S. Open - eventually, maybe even his place atop tennis. Djokovic is just 20.

"The Serbians are the 'wow' story of the year," CBS's Mary Carillo said.

Surprisingly, Jankovic, 22, and Ivanovic, 19, are not friends, each closer to Djokovic than to each other. Ivanovic and Djokovic are tightest, knowing each since they were 4. Ivanovic's father and Djokovic's went to the same school in Serbia.

Jankovic was relatively a late arrival to the young Serbian tennis scene. When Jankovic arrived at a Serbian tennis club at age 91/2, Ivanovic was already an apt pupil.

Srpska zastava sa De Nirom!

AP

Veza čuvenog glumca Roberta De Nira sa Srbijom često je pominjana prethodnih godina. Prava potvrda da su pretpostavke bile osnovane je činjenica da je legendarni Amerikanac u meču polufinala Ju Es Opena sedeo u loži Novaka Đokovića. Ne samo da je bio u istom redu sa roditeljima srpskog tenisera već je prihvatio ideju da se obuče u belo i tako učestvuje u formiranju boja koje čine srpsku zastavu!

Naime, u gornjem redu svi su nosili crvene majice, u srednjem plave a u donjem, gde je sedeo i De Niro sa suprugom svi su nosili bele majice!

De Nirova ćerka se zove Drina a dobila je ime po reci opisanoj u knjizi Na Drini ćuprija Iva Andrića za koju je dobio Nobelovu nagradu. Dvostruki dobitnik Oskara, za filmove Kum drugi deo i Razjareni bik, je kao mladić i još nepoznat glumac boravio u Srbiji. Postoji još nekoliko urbanih legendi u vezi sa De Nirom od kojih je jedna da je za bejbi siterke uvek angažovao žene iz Srbije.

gettyimages

Popularnost Novaka Đokovića je mnogo veća nego što se zna. Na poziv francuske operske pevačice Natali Desaj 20-ogodišnji Srbin je u petak posetio Metropoliten Operu u Njujorku.

Francuski sopran upoznala je Đokovića prilikom posete Flašing Medouzu. Srpski teniser je dan kasnije sa roditeljima uzvratio posetu. Proveo je čak sat i po u jednoj od najpoznatijih operskih kuća na svetu.

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Đoković je pre izvesnog vremena dobio na poklon dres reprezentacije Argentine sa posvetom i potpisom jednog od najpoznatijih fudbalera ikada, Dijega Armanda Maradone. Legendarni fudbaler, inače veliki ljubitelj tenisa, je preko novinara televizije ESPN na španskom poslao dres i pozdravio srpskog tenisera.