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Proximus Diamond Games, Antwerp

Grab as many points as you can:

This week, Jelena travels to Antwerp from the Proximus Diamond Games.  Like last week in Paris, the tournament is on the greenset indoors surface, and like Paris it is a Tier II tournament with $585,000 of prize money at stake.  The Belgian crowd will naturally be rooting for their own home heroes Justine Henin-Hardenne, and Kim Clijsters, despite speculation of Clijster's fleeing to Australia ... but that's none of my business.  More importantly, this week is a week of grabbing some much needed confidence and perhaps some priceless ranking points to keep Jelena safely in the top ten in the world. 

Jelena and the Proximus Diamond Games:

Jelena dropped an uncomfortable 173 ranking points following last week's emotional exit in Paris in the QF.  This week however, she has only a 2rd to defend, since she crashed out at this stage last year to the Swiss Miss Patty Schnyder following a withdrawal at 1-1 in the final set.  This was her first and only appearance at this tournament so there's not much to gauge from the actual location.  What we do know however is that Jelena isn't particularly fond of the indoor courts, results alone tell us that, but this week she will have to put her indoor demons, so to speak, behind her.  Jelena most definitely has the game to be a consistent top five player, but recent performances have put her attitude towards the game under some doubt in the tennis world, and it's getting to the stage where the frequently used "She's just settling in to the new year" argument is losing it's weight.  Jelena simply must pull the goods out of the bag this week, otherwise she could be in for a nasty looking scrap with the likes of Myskina, Rubin and even Schnyder for position.

The Draw:

Jelena is the number six seed this week, and for the first time this year she does not receive a first round bye.  Here's how the draw looks:

1st  round	2nd round	QF	SF	Final	Winner
VWilliams	VWilliams
Bye
Bedanova
Matevzic
Pisnik
Grande
Stevenson
Mauresmo
Hantuchova
Bye
Callens
Qualifier
Qualifier
Husarova
Qualifier
Dechy
Dokic
Sugiyama
Serna
Roesch
Qualifier
Loit
Bye
Henin
Schnyder
E.Clijsters
Chladkova
Benesova
Flipkens
Casanova
Bye	K Clijsters
K Clijsters

With Jelena as the number six seed, she was always going to come up against a player ranked above her come the Quarter Final stage, and thus the draw was never going to be a breeze.  The first round match is certainly not one to take for granted.  Sugiyama, a doubles specialist, doesn't give up easilly and keeps fighting until the end ... not really the type of player that Jelena would have liked to come up against.  Magui Serna lies waiting in the 2rd for Jelena, which, with no disrespect, isn't the most daunting of prospects.  Then comes the big challenge.  In order for Jelena to capture the gold, she will then have to defeat the two home favourites, as well as the world number two Venus Williams ... assuming results go the way of the seedings. 

Conclusion:

This week is a big week for Jelena, and she will be doing everything she can to put her slightly disappointing last few weeks behind her.  Okay, Jelena is not in any real crisis at the moment, but it's important for her to put her foot down and start beating the lower ranked players before this slight decline in form develops into something more serious.  As for this week though, it's difficult seeing Jelena surpassing the Quarter Finals.

Prediction:

1rd - Jelena def. Sugiyama in three;

2rd - Jelena def. Serna in straights;

QF - Henin-Hardenne def. Jelena in straights;

SF I - Venus def. Hantuchova in straights;

SF II - Clijsters def. Henin in three;

F - Venus def. Clijsters in three.