Worlds no 65, Tina Pisnik beat Jennifer Hopkins in three dramatic sets today to advance to round 2, and to gain the honour to play Jelena for the fourth time in her career! All those matches happened at early stages of tournaments, and Jelena won 3-6, 7-6 and 6-4 at Roland Garros 2000,  6-4 and 6-2 at Strasbourg last year, and also last year at Los Angeles 6-3 and 6-2.

Having to play Tina Pisnik should rather been a surprise to Jelena, as Tina has lost the opening rounds of the last 4 tournaments she entered and has only one decent result to show in 2003. That happened at Antwerp, where she reached the quarters, but failed to Venus Williams.

Actually thats all for today!

May i now let Tina Pisnik describe herself! She runs a website about herself in three languages and i have to admit: Thats some of the cutest and most passionate works i have ever discovered on the internet and is well worth to visit www.tinapisnik.com before the match starts!

Tina Pisnik about Tina Pisnik:

My life, as usually, started with birth. I was born on 19. february 1981 in hospital in Maribor. Mother Sas�a and father Boris were very happy. I'm their first, and still only, daughter. They told me, that back in 1981 Maribor was happy and healthy town, but I don't recall these days so good, and I believe them. The most popular tennis star in that time was Mima Jaus�ovec, later my tennis guide and friend.

Already as a child, I loved sport. I was training gymnastics in gymnastic club Studenci. In first class I went to invitation for tennis school TK Z�eleznic�ar. I made it, and they accept me in my first tennis club. Then we were training forehand, backhand and we had plenty of practise for stamina. Then they made a test and I was among 6 chosen girls. I was faced with a chance for great advance in my tennis play. So I chose to quit gymnastics.

Sometimes I wonder, what would I achieve in gymnastics, but then, ... I was already in love with tennis and tennis play itself. I spent hours and hours just in play with ball and my friends. I love that game. And when, through years, trainings became more intense and stiff, I conform myself. I had no problems. Today, I'm more in love with tennis than ever.  But I also understand tennis much better now.

Along with more serious trainings I started to play on tennis tournaments for young tennis players. Tennis court became more scene of the fight, than play. Today I'm aware, that these are crucial happenings for shaping the tehnique and a character of the tennis player. When I was eight, I participate at tournament TK Z�eleznic�ar. I was third and this was one of the happiest moments of my life. Really! Then everything went spontaneously. I was attending on tournaments in Slovenia, former Yugoslavia, even Europe. I was in class till 14 years. As my first really big success I count my triumph in Genova 1995. In year 1995 I also got my world champion title. That was in Japan and we played team game.
Top spot of my youth career was definitely conquering of the Orange bowl in year 1997. The sweetest oranges in my life, 100%. Orange bowl was my second big decision in life. Oranges took me from the world of youth tennis and put me in relentless world of professional tennis. And that meant more trainings, more focus on tehnique, also more active playing on tennis tournaments worldwide. In these times my view and feeling about world changed. The world of professional tennis in really relentless and hard. It's about money, that dictate hasty tempo of tournaments, trainings, travelings, press conferences...
Year 1998 was full of happenings, good and bad. First I injured an ankle in Wimbledon. It was so bad, that I took pause in my tournament play. Almost 9 months! But then again, I was lucky. Rick Macci sent me an invitation to visit him at his tennis campus in Florida. Rick Macci is one of the best tennis trainers on world and I was very happy about his invitation. But I was little anxious about movement to USA, long away from home. Luckily my father Boris accompanied me and he was always giving me a lot of love and care trough my whole tennis career. He gave me the strength for beginning of trainings that were stiff and intensive. After almost a year of absence from WTA tournaments I began to play again. In first year of my professional career I jumped from 428. place to 84.  In year 1999 I was really good at two tournaments. In Warszawa and  Tashkent I came to semi final. But I'm especially proud because of 1st place on Bol ladies open 2000 tournament. I really wanted victory... and I took it! I was injured (at dinner, already at 1st day, I injured myself with crayfish) and had a bandage. But I went right through the tournament to the final and I won over Amelie Mauresmo, one of the best woman tennis players in the world. We had a fight. And I showed myself that I am a really hard warrior on court.

Well, we are already in 'near ­ present' time in this little autobiography. So I would like to tell few things about me. About me outside tennis court. I don't have much free time. In fact, too few. I'm at home one month in whole year. When home, I like to go to cinema or Lent (that's the old part of my hometown, really beautyfull). I like to spend my time among friend, on which I can be really proud of. I love good conversation on 'simulated' caffe and I'm very happy person and I live my life. Sometimes I wake up, very early in the morning, I go to Pohorje  and watch the rising of new sun. Those are unforgettable moments.
Tennis made me think in all these years. Today I'm happy and free person. And I know what I want. In my free time I like to show real me, that shows itself trough my image and communication. My tennis ambitions in year 2001 are realistic. I would like to be among top 40 woman players in the world. In year or two, I would like to be among first 10 on WTA. I love to play tennis. Always! Therefore I think I will succeed. Because I believe in game. And myself...
--

Gerhard
www.jelena-dokic.com