Like Porsche?  You'll love them after this tournament!
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This week, Jelena plays on the hard indoor courts at the PORSCHE Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt.  It is a Tier II tournament, and has $625,000 at stake.  Not only is the tournament sponsored by PORSCHE, but it is actually run by the company since the previous tournament organizer, Dieter Fischer, resigned due to 'age reasons.'  As a consequence to the take-over, PORSCHE have taken every opportunity to advertise their company to a rather hilarious extent (they even have their name on the tennis balls).  As a prize for winning the tournament, the players have a choice of taking the money, or taking a Boxster S (let me guess, with its smooth cornering and relaxing leather seats?).

The company even put in a little statement explaining their plans.  It reads, "In this new function, Porsche will take on the role of organizer with a clear concept. The aim is to keep the informal atmosphere for players as well as for spectators. At the same time, Porsche is underlining in this way its attachment to ladies' tennis, the attributes of which are still well suited to the brand."
And the million dollar question is, does that mean they're actually going to do anything?  I doubt it.

On to tennis, and far away from sports cars.  The tournament boasts a strong reputation as the oldest international European ladies' tournament, and it has been voted several times, by the players themselves, as the most popular tournament on the calendar.  This year's tournament has proved to be no exception, and it has attracted players such as Capriati, Davenport, Henin, Mauresmo, and Jelena herself.

Martina Navratilova has the greatest record at this tournament, winning it seven times.  Out of the current players on the tour, Martina Hingis holds the most successful record here.  She has won it on four occasions, and has won the tournament every time she has reached the final.  It is also the only tournament in which Navratilova and Hingis could have met.  They were scheduled to meet in the QF of 1994's event, but unfortunately neither player made this stage of the tournament as they were both knocked out of the tournament in their 2rd matches.  Incidentally, neither Chris Evert or Steffi Graf have ever won this tournament, despite both reaching the finals.

Regarding Jelena, this is a great opportunity to get some points on the board.  Since she didn't play here last year, she will have nothing to defend, and after the rather heavy battering that her points tally took last week after the disappointment in the Kremlin Cup, this is a much needed points booster.  More important still is that Jelena gets a couple of easy victories under her belt before the big showdowns in Zurich and Linz.  Jelena's confidence, much like her points, could do with a bit of a turn around at the moment, and even though it is believed that Jelena is in some form of rapid decline, I believe it's simply a case of needing to re-focus and find some more inspiration.  One thing Jelena will be happy about will be the appearance of her father/coach Damir, who has vowed to spend more time at Jelena's side during tournaments.

The main fear at present time is burn-out.  Though Jelena crashed out early in the Kremlin Cup, she was still putting in the work in the doubles, and she has reached the final along with long-time doubles partner Nadia Petrova.  During her singles matches she seems all out of energy, and seems to give up far too easilly.  This is especially worrying considering that she is renowned for her fighting spirit.  Perhaps it's mental burnout that Jelena is suffering from.  Though Jelena has become accustomed to life on the tour, it must take its toll travelling around the world alone, and perhaps she's looking forward a bit too much to her extended break after the season finish?  The news that Jelena's father will be with her before long could be that little bit extra inspiration she needs to pull her through the last few tournaments of the year.

Expect a strong performance this week.

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PREDICTION -

Well, the draw hasn't been released yet, so a detailed prediction isn't available, however, I'm going out on a limb here and say that Jelena WILL reach the semi finals.