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Article sent by Glyn James
Bank of the West Classic:Welcome to Stanford: After a couple of week's hard training, Jelena returns to action to begin the second half of the season, and Jelena has, as expected, chosen to play the Bank of the West Classic, in Stanford to kick start her hard court season. It is a Tier II event with $635,000 worth of prize money up for grabs. The tournament was originally the first women-only event and it is in its 33rd year. It is a great chance for players to get to grips with the change of pace between the grass and the hardcourts, though most for most of the top players the harcourts are already so familiar, so it won't take long to get back into the swing of things. If you're intending to go there, you can visit http://www.bankofthewestclassic.com/tournament/location.asp for all the information you need. The tournament's official partner is the Bank of the West (who are indeed bankers of the highest order), whilst other infamous companies such as Porsche, Penn and Mercury News make up some of the other partners. Time to move on: Jelena is certainly not the type to dwell on missed opportunities. With the exception of some British tabloid reporters, it is common knowledge that Jelena's Wimbledon experience was cut short due to a few mis-hit shots, a barrel load of wasted break points, and some dreadful double faults. But with this aside, Jelena will undoubtedly take some positive vibes away from Wimbledon. Not only does she not have to return to Britain for a whole year, but Jelena's game was re-introduced with some bite and passion. Jelena seems to be in a much more relaxed state and is playing more sensibly than she has ever done. Things are shaping up rather nicely for a successful hardcourt season. Jelena will be determined and hungry this week. She will step on to court as a woman on a mission, and will do everything within her power to succeed. I'm not going to blow out of proportion and suggest that she'll pick up her first title of 2003, the field of players is a little too strong for that, but Jelena will almost certainly get through the first two rounds relatively comfortable. Anything else would be an absolute nightmare for both player, coach and fans. The time is ripe for a strong performance this week, and with the help of a kind draw, Jelena should manage that. The Draw: Following Serena Williams' withdrawal from the event, Jelena has been given the No. 4 seed and now has a first round bye.
Conclusion: The new draw has presented Jelena with a better chance of reaching the semi final stage, but less of a chance of reaching the quarter final stage. Of course it's always good news when you find out that you don't have to play the world No. 1, and having a first round bye holds many advantages but a tricky second round match with Alexandra Stevenson lurks around the corner for Jelena, and to be honest, Jelena had a better chance of reaching the quarters when the original draw was made. Still, Jelena will of course not be phased by the re-organisation of the draw, and has ample time to prepare for the challenge that she faces for whomever her second round opponent will be. Jelena then would have to face her doubles partner Nadja Petrova in the quarter final, and should she pass that stage a meeting with Jennifer Capriati looks likely. Jelena's goal for the week has suddenly shot from reaching the quarters to a potential final should things go well for her. With Jelena's positive temparament, Serena's withdrawal is an absolute blessing, and should Jelena make real ground in this tournament, an early Christmas card may be sent to Serena's mailbox. Who could have thought that Serena Williams would be so helpful to our starlet? ----------------------------------------------------- PREDICTION - 1rd - Bye 2rd - Jelena def. Stevenson in straight sets QF - Jelena def Petrova in three SF - Capriati def. Jelena in three ----------------------------------------------------- comments: glyn_james@jelena-dokic.com |
