Article written by Nikola Radovic

The Dynamic Duo Is Out


After Wednesday's easy match win against Silvia Farina Elia and Elena Dementieva in the first round of the Tokyo tournament, Jelena Dokic and Nadia Petrova went on the court today to play against Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik from Slovenia.

This doubles team didn't have many good results in the past. Eventhough they have been playing together since ages, the only important result from them came in 2001 in Wikoloa Open, where they won the title. What was good to be heard is that even they had to play their singles matches the same day, Dokic and Petrova tried their best on the court, and the audience really respected that and enjoyed in every minute out there.

Dokic and Petrova came on the court knowing that they can win only if they give their best and only if they don't underestimate their opponents. Even if Krizan and Srebotnik didn't have many good results in the past, you always have these tricky opponents, that can surprise sometimes, that are playing together for such a long period, and that can read each- other pretty well. Sadly for Jelena's and Nadia's fans, that was the case today. Dokic and Petrova started the match with some hard serving. From the first point, they started moving fast, were sharp enough. But even so, somehow Krizan and Srebotnik were just hanging in, mostly due to some unbelievable missing from Dokic and Petrova. It has to be said, Dokic and Petrova made lots of running and working for every point, but somehow they kept errors on the last shot of every point. Like their mind was somewhere else. Few important rallies, few missed points and strange line calls made the difference.
Dokic and Petrova played a very strange game today, not that strong physically nor mentally. It looked like their game plan was to take every opportunity that they had today, which was good, but they failed to do it.

Jelena was able to garner some well- earned points, and also beautifully covered the net on Petrova's low hit shots, but Krizan and Srebotnik had the determination to win the set, and somehow they adjusted themselves to the force of Dokic's and Petrova's strokes. Mostly because Dokic and Petrova gave them lots of cheap points. It was their mental toughness that gave them first set victory. In the second set, the story was pretty usual. While Jelena and Nadia struggled with their service game, Krizan and Srebotnik didn't struggle with their mind game and some great court coverage game. They continued to apply pressure on every point, and very soon, the plan was paid off, even to tell the truth there wasn't that much pressure. Mixing up their shots, along with plenty of slice and top spin, Krizan and Srebotnik won the second set as well. Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik defeated Jelena Dokic and Nadia Petrova 7-6, 7-6.