JELENA-DOKIC.com -
August 23, 2003
JELENA CORNER by Todd Spiker
*NEW HAVEN (unseeded) BREAKDOWN*
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1315..August 18 points (#23)
25....2r
23....1r: Shaughnessy (#18) - 6-2,6-4
0.....2r: Davenport (#4) - 2-6,1-6
-40...Best-17 points off
48....NEW HAVEN TOTAL (GRADE: C+)
+8....TOTAL FOR WEEK
1323..August 25 points (#23)
--UNFINISHED BUSINESS--
Jelena entered New Haven with her confidence
crashing, but with a budding realization that there were
some recent signs of light at the end of her 2003 Tunnel
of Doubt. The final US Open tuneup was hardly a rousing
success, but it at least allowed her a small bit of
prosperous time in the sun. Enough that it should prove
helpful when she steps onto the court at Flushing
Meadow.
In the 1st Round, Jelena did finally manage to get
her first victory over a Top 20 player this season, an
easy straight sets win over #18 Meghannn Shaughnessy.
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"I
played well. Surprisingly well." - Jelena,
after defeating Shaughnessy
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Maybe it's just me, but those words tumbling from
Jelena's mouth elicit a slight chuckle on this end of
the Corner. I'm not sure why. I GUESS it's a good
thing when Jelena "surprises" herself by playing well...
it's better than what's been happening most of this
season.
Of course, there was no elation after the 2nd Round
match against career nemesis Lindsay Davenport. After
being tied 2-2 in the 1st, Jelena lost 10 of the last 11
games and the match clocked in at just 40 minutes. But
whether this debacle will hurt Jelena's Open confidence
is debatable, considering she'd have to have had some
confidence going into the match for losing to take any
of it away. Even when she was playing her best tennis
in past seasons, Jelena seemed to go weak in the knees
at the sight of Davenport looming on the other side of
the net -- she'd be 60% to defeat before the first ball
was struck, and it didn't take much for the final 40% to
follow. This time, all it took was a break in the 1st
set.
On the bright side, this loss might be the one in
2003 that doesn't send her confidence tailing off
again. Who knows, maybe Jelena's dreams will be
answered as the rumors of Davenport's season-concluding
retirement will come true and she'll never again have to
face the prospect of the American as an opponent. 0-8
against her is quite bad enough (though turning that "0"
into a "1" would surely be a sweet moment in the fair
Dokic's career).
U.S. OPEN
Flushing Meadow, New York
Weeks of August 25/31
Hardcourt; Grand Slam
#22 seed; 1r vs. Gagliardi
2002: 2r-Elena Bovina (40 pts.)
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--JELENA AT THE US OPEN--
97 Jr.-1r (lost to Matevzic)
98 Jr.-CHAMPION (defeated Srebotnik)
99 1r - lost to Sanchez Vicario
00 4r - lost to S.Williams
01 4r - lost to Hingis
02 2r - lost to Bovina
Two months ago, Jelena said, "I'm not expecting much
for the rest of the year."
Three weeks ago, it was, "My head just went off."
Two weeks ago, the tone had begun to change. "I
think I'm starting to get my form back a little bit.
It's normal... I haven't played the best tennis I can,
but I think I'm improving," Jelena announced to the
world.
Last week, she actually admitted she had "played
well. Surprisingly well."
At the very least, Jelena's words are heading in the
right direction. In small intervals, her actions on the
court seem to be, as well. As she enters the US Open as
the #22 seed, her worst slam seeding since she was
unseeded at the 2001 Australian (before there were 32
seeded woman at the four majors), could New York be the
place that real progress is finally made? Despite her
recent track record at the slams over the past year, the
answer just might be "yes."
**FOUR STRAIGHT LOSSES TO LOWER-RANKED PLAYERS AT THE
GRAND SLAMS**
....................OPP #..JD #
02 Wimb-Hantuchova..12.......7
02 US-Bovina........61.......4
02 RG-Pisnik........54......11
02 Wimb-Sharapova...91......12
Jelena isn't looking for a title run in New York, or
even a trip extending into the second week (though it
could come). She's just looking for something to help
her turn the tide, and gain some momentum and
confidence.
She's had opportunities presented to her recently
(vs. Rubin in San Diego, for example), but was unable to
take advantage of them. Her draw in the year's final
grand slam has provided her with another.
Her potential opponents do NOT include a hot
hardcourter in the 1st Round. Instead, she gets
Emmanuelle Gagliardi, against whom Jelena is 5-0 (2-0 in
slams, including at this year's Wimbledon). She could
face a big obstacle in the form of Mary Pierce in the
2nd Round, but Pierce's health makes her a huge question
mark (of note, Venus Williams' late withdrawl means
Pierce will play qualifier Stephanie Gehrlein in the 1st
Round now instead of the potentially tougher Katarina
Srebotnik).
Jelena could have pulled a "biggie" in the 3rd, just
as #27 Kuznetsova (vs. Clijsters) and #26
Krasnoroutskaya (vs Mauresmo) did, but instead sees
Maggie Maleeva in her path. Maleeva just lost to Magui
Serna in New Haven (the same Serna that Jelena is 2-0
against in 2003). Even the 4th throws out one of the
lesser of potential evils, as Anastasia Myskina is the
highest-seeded potential opponent. Much like Jelena,
Myskina is dangerous but oft-inconsistent (she lost in
the 1r at New Haven). Looking any farther than that
would seem to be fool's gold, but there's little
question that Jelena's US Open early-round draw as the
#22 seed is decidedly more encouraging than the one she
had as the #5 seed there a year ago. Amazing, but true.
The potential of facing an in-form Pierce scares me a
little, but I'll put it aside for the sake of looking at
the bright side for once. I'm going to theorize that
the win over Shaughnessy in New Haven will provide
enough good memories for Jelena to make her way through
the early rounds. I'd love to go for broke and predict
a QF, but 2003 has taught the lesson to take things
match-by-match. I'll play it a little "safer" and go
with a 4r, which would still be a huge step up in
results for Jelena for this season (and would tie her
best-ever US Open results in 2000 & 2001). It would be
about as good a time at Flushing Meadow as she could
have hoped for a short time ago... and it might just
turn around her season.
At the moment, she seems slightly better equipped to
rise above her problems than she has been at any other
time since she pulled off the wins over both Molik &
Kuznetsova in Miami last March (her best tournament in
2003 when it comes to quality wins, putting it just
ahead of her season's sole SF at Warsaw).
The opportunity is there (again)... let's see if this
time Jelena can seize it.
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ON THE NEW TENNISRULZ BACKSPIN: US Open preview - And
the new Queen of Belgium is...
ALSO: Backspin Quiz for August
