Article written by Todd Spiker

JELENA-DOKIC.com - March 4, 2003

 

   What's that voice I hear?  It sounds strikingly familiar.


 

   Yes, the lady has spoken.  Jelena isn't worried... at least not yet.
   Meanwhile, she's still rooting around on the hardcourts looking for some matches to finally allow her game to get into some kind of rhythym.  So far, it's been an elusive quest.  It now moves to Indian Wells.
   Only time will tell whether or not the Road to Nowhere will soon present a sunny detour down the Boulevard of Better Days.  Maybe they're not as far off as things may have made them appear.  After all, Ai Sugiyama's Scottsdale title on Sunday means that all four of Jelena's 2003's conqueror's have already won singles titles this season (that's nearly a third of the 15 women who've won crowns so far).  Quite the odd, perplexing stat, huh?  What is to be made of it?
   Is Jelena playing the role of second banana more because of her game's own problems, or the sterling condition of those of her opponents?  Is she just back-to-back, confidence-boosting wins from resembling something closer to the Jelena who rose to #4 in the WTA rankings last year?  Might her near comeback win against the white-hot Sugiyama mean she's closer than anyone imagined to regaining her form?

 

   Hmmm, could it be that she knows more than she's telling?  Could we be about to find out in Indian Wells?  Stay tuned... the waiting game has officially begun.


--WONDER GIRL WITHIN SIGHT?--

 

   Due to her 3r exit last year, Jelena is defending nothing at Indian Wells.  In order to add to her 2353 points, she'll need to garner 58-or-more points in this two-week event.  And with a draw that seems to finally be conducive to making some headway, she might just do it.
   Meanwhile, as Myskina and Rubin charge up from behind, at least one player ahead of Jelena could soon move to within striking distance if Jelena can soon regain her form.  Yes, Wonder Girl is now being called upon to defend her breakthrough Indian Wells title of last season.
   Hantuchova leads Jelena by 544, and must now defend her 481-point haul.  2473 points is the low total W-Girl could end the week with, if she were to uncharacteristically stumble in her first match (unlikely for her on the big stage -- per usual she was 4-1 in Oz, but is just 5-5 in other events this season).  2473 would leave her only 120 points ahead of Jelena's current 2353.  Hantuchova will surely do better than a 2r exit, but anything short of a repeat title will only bring Jelena closer... and the still-teenaged Wonder Girl has never faced this sort of big-time pressure before.


--A QUICK PEEK AHEAD...TO SARASOTA & ROME--

   Barring one huge run in March, Jelena will likely only match about half (or less) of her 2002 1st Quarter points this season, so it's proper to begin to take an early peek ahead.
   For now, she'll continue the process of revving her engine on the American hardcourts in March, getting ready for the needed burst from the gate on the clay.  At least making some progress in Indian Wells and Miami in vital.  A great result isn't necessary, but she needs to accomplish something that she can use as a foundation on which to build the confidence she'll need in the coming months.
   In those months, she'll face seven 130-plus point defenses from her most successful 2002 Quarter.  When you factor in a few weeks off (she can't repeat the 13 of 14 weeks schedule of action from last season), including the pre-RG 134-point total in Strasbourg that she would decide not to defend if she keeps her promise to avoid play the week preceding any grand slam, and it's apparent that Jelena is going to have to make the most of each tournament she plays to avoid suffering some real damage to her ranking.  And, remember, no Top 10 player has more opening match losses in the past year than Jelena.
   I'll be going into the 2nd quarter possibilities more in the coming weeks, but I will make a quick parting mention here of what might be the two most important non-slam tournaments that will be coming up.  Take out your yellow highlighters and underline Sarasota and Rome on your WTA schedule right now.  They are two places where Jelena is going to need to make a stand.
   Sarasota opens the Quarter as Jelena defends a title (she won the doubles there, too, in 2002) and seeks to kickstart her season at the precise moment she did so a year ago.  An early round loss could be emotionally devastating.  Rome comes two weeks before Roland Garros (and should be her final tournament before she makes her '03 slam debt in Paris) and could be crucial as far as setting the tone for her play in this summer's slams.  Rome, you remember, was where Jelena won her first singles title in 2001, but where she stumbled badly in trying to defend it last season.  A great run there could wake the echoes of all that success of two years ago.
   Sarasota and Rome.  They might be the moments on which Jelena's 2nd Quarter -- and maybe entire season -- turn... for the better, or the worse.


 

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**JELENA IN TIER I'S**
1999...............1-1
2000...............9-7
2001..............20-5
.....Rome W, Moscow W, Zurich RU
2002...............8-9
2003...............1-1