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JELENA-DOKIC.com - November 2003

JELENA CORNER: SPECIAL EDITION by Todd Spiker

JELENA CLICKS HER HEELS

"Borna, I don't think we're in Serbia-Montenegro anymore."

We all knew this moment would come one day. It was just a matter of time. No one will be melting (we hope) this January. No Munchkins will be representing the Lollipop Guild. There won't be any flying monkeys (unless you count the Aussie press, that is). And there'll be no need to pay any attention to the man behind the curtain, either. What WILL soon be happening, though, is an event three years in the making. 1081 days, 213 matches, 134 wins, 84 tournaments, 79 losses, 36 months, 5 singles and 4 doubles titles after it was abruptly cancelled (on January 15, 2001), the word is out that the Dorothy Tour will officially be back in business. Yes, Jelena Dokic has finally set her inner Dorothy free. After two Januarys of captivity, she'll be a hostage no longer. The resurrection begins January 5, just under 50 days from now, as Jelena, aka "Dorothy," takes a quick yellow-bricked detour to New Zealand to drop in on some Kiwis and get her footing before she's off to see the Wizard in her former stomping grounds in the merry old land of Oz.

"DOROTHY TOUR" HISTORY ====================== 1999...............5-2 2000...............3-5 2001...............0-1

Birds have been flying over (or is it down under?) the rainbow ever since that hot night in 2001 when Jelena walked away amid a tornado of turmoil, saying her self-imposed exile would be for good (well, at least someone was saying it would be for good... and it most definitely wasn't the Wicked Witch of the West, but that's another story altogether). Ever since then, the cry at the end of the last two WTA seasons has been, "why, then, oh why" can't Jelena return, too? Now, finally, it will happen. After so long, it's time to break into a full-throated rendition of "Ding Dong, the Fair One's Back." The Return won't be easy, so congratulations to Jelena for having the heart, brains and courage to finally make the first step toward setting things right. In order for the Fair One to rise to her intended heights, some of the most important steps could only be made Down Under. Maybe it took the trials and tribulations of 2003 to get her to realize the time was right to surrender Dorothy's extended offseason. If so, then the experience has already begun to spin gold before the calendar has turned over to 2004. This time around, the Oz courts will be filled by Williams and Russians and Belgians... and Jelena. Oh, my. What a glorious, long-overdue sight it will be. Tickets are now on sale for the "EuroJelena!" Tour's long-lost cousin. So queue up, everyone. This'll likely be a pretty hot ticket. (okay, I'm all referenced-out... well, almost) In 2004, when Jelena slips on her ruby slippers and clicks her heels two times, for the first time in ages she won't have to say she wants to go "home." She'll already be there. Look out, Emerald City. Here she comes. ========================== **JELENA as "Dorothy"** --THROUGH THE YEARS-- 1999 Hopman Cup RR- Coetzer 1-6,0-6 Hopman Cup RR- Sanchez V. 6-3,6-2 Hopman Cup RR- Testud 6-1,6-3 Hopman Cup F- Carlssen 6-2,7-6 Aust.1r- Makarova 6-3,5-7,6-4 Aust.2r- Brandi 6-4,7-5 Aust.3r- Hingis 1-6,2-6 2000 Hopman Cup RR- Tanasugarn 1-6,4-6 Hopman Cup RR- Schett 1-6,6-2,7-5 Hopman Cup RR- Sugiyama 4-6,3-6 Sydney 1r- Dominikovic 6-7,6-4,6-2 Sydney 2r- Sanchez V. 4-6,1-6 Aust.1r- Kuti Kis 1-6,6-2,3-6 Auckland Ex.- Graf 3-6,2-6 Auckland Ex.- Graf 6-2,3-6,7-6 2001 Aust.1r- Davenport 6-4,4-6,3-6 (...and I'll see you all here again next month on the Corner)