Article by Gerhard Grundhammer

Jelena Dokic def. Anastasia Myskina 6-3 and 6-4

Jelena began the match as her last matches ended: She has just been not on court! Only one point in the opening two games allowed Myskina a comfortable 2-0 lead but then Jelena woke up, and played as "red hot" as her new outfit.

Both girls served like mad in set 1. Myskinas first serve was many times well above 105mph, and Jelenas seemed to have improved, too, as she broke the 100mph border more times, as i have ever seen that happening before.

It was not a good match to watch for fans, but coaches or other top-players must have been very much impressed by the power those two beauties created. Myskina played very well, and Jelena needed two things to beat her: First a very good day, which she had. And secondly a shot, where she could simply take advantage from. And she had that shot, too! It was her second
serve.

Whilst Myskinas second serve let her down completely (average speed at set 1, disgusting 72mph and 4 double faults at decisive moments) Dokic served as good as never before. Having had the second fastest second serve at Wimbledon (85mph) just behind Capriati (88mph), she managed to blast the balls with more than 90mph over the net, and only produced one single double fault as she was 40-0 up! And that was the difference she needed! Dokic won 67% of the points where she had to use her second serve, Myskina captured only 4 points at the complete first set, on her second serve.

So after that poor beginning Jelena won comfortably 6-3, and at set two things did not change much. Both players slowed down their service speeds a little bit, and as Jelena captured a break, she concentrated on her own serve, which seemed to be right until she was serving for a 5-3 lead. Myskina had her first breakpoint there, since the opening game of the match(!), but Jelena hold.

A few minutes later Jelena served for the match, being 5-4 up, and the eurosport commentary predicted for the viewers: "Now you will see a completely different Dokic". And he was right! Opening her service game with a double fault, Jelena began to struggle. After wasting her first match point (eurosport: "a dokic-match is not over as she is having match-points") a myskina who was fighting and running for her life, captured some more break points, but Jelena produced a few fantastic winners to save them, and even more double faults and unforced errors, to give myskina break chances again...... (eurosport: "its not over, i told you").

But after Jelena saved about 500 break points, she captued her third match point, got her nerves together, and won the match by hitting her 28th winner, to prove eurosport wrong!

To see detailed match statistics of that match, read the preview for Jelenas quarterfinal vs. Serena Williams on www.jelena-dokic.com, as they are posted at that article.

Finally some more interesting quotes of eurosport germany: "Typical start for the 19 year old. I have never seen a top player who gets broken as many times at her opening game, as Dokic!" "What a winner! A volley shot from the t-line to save a break point! Where does that girl have so much convidence from?" "Dokic really doesnt like to serve a match out. She likes it more to break her opponents at decisive games to win a match!" and later: "Serena did what she had to do to beat Smashnova, but that will be far to less against Dokic!"