BELGRADE: Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, playing together for the first time in a Fed Cup match on home soil this weekend, can propel Serbia into the world's elite, Jankovic said on Thursday.

World number three and team captain Jankovic said the World Group II tie against Japan, which is expected to attract crowds bigger than any of the top-tier matches, was an important stepping stone.

"We are a small country with a very young tennis tradition but now that we are at full strength, our objective is to reach the top level of the Fed Cup and win it," she told a news conference on Thursday.

"I will be honored to lead the team in our first Fed Cup match in Serbia and I am very excited about it.

"This time, we are playing for neither the lucrative prize money nor WTA points, we are going out there to perform for our country and the fans, who wake up in the middle of the night to watch us in grand slam events across the world."

"This really means a great deal to me, I was a very young girl the last time I played here," said 23-year old Jankovic.

World number eight Ivanovic, who has struggled on the WTA tour since winning last year's French Open, said she might have stage fright in front of what the organizers expect to be a packed Belgrade Arena with 18,000 seats.

"It is a strange feeling because I've never played a competitive match in my hometown and I am a bit nervous, but I will be more relaxed once the tie is underway," she said.

"I am overjoyed that we finally have the opportunity to play in front of our friends, families and supporters, who I expect to turn up in droves to create an electrifying atmosphere."

"Now, I need a good night's sleep to get the butterflies out of my stomach and when the tie is over, I will visit my grandparents as I haven't seen them for a long time."

Serbia has struggled in the Fed Cup with either Jankovic or Ivanovic unavailable due to injuries, fatigue or preparations for WTA tournaments.

Last year, they joined forces for the first time when Serbia advanced to World Group II from the Europe/Africa zone.