JELENA-DOKIC.com
May 9, 2004
JELENA CORNER
by Todd Spiker
Turns out, the "official" WTA start of EuroJelena VI
was about as generous to the Fair One as the majority of
the rest of the 2004 season has been. In other words,
the dark clouds are still hovering and waiting for a
stiff wind to blow them out to sea.
Sure, Jelena's draw didn't do her any favors. But
when she opens up the match by losing the 1st set at
love to the world #40, a player against whom she'd
previously sported a 4-2 career record, you know Jelena
just wasn't either mentally or physically (or both,
considering the injury that forced her out of that
decisive Fed Cup match) ready to play. It's almost as
if she looked at her draw and threw up her hands in
exasperation, knowing her chances of accomplishing
anything of real substance in Berlin were over before
the campaign had even begun.
Still, the final 0-6/3-6 scoreline couldn't help but
be somewhat on the embarrassing side for a player of
Jelena's ability, especially when it's considered that
Meghannn Shaughnessy entered Berlin on a three-match
losing streak, having not raised her racket after a
singles victory in nearly two months (at Indian Wells in
early March). But even with past and recent history on
her side, Jelena was never really in the match after
losing some close games in the early going.
There, that concludes the requisite look back at the
week that was. Not much more can be said about what
happened in Germany... as I warned last week, if you
blinked you might miss the Fair One's cameo appearance
there. I hope none of you did. Well, actually, maybe
that would have been the preferred way to experience
Berlin. Too bad Jelena couldn't have done that (or
maybe she DID?).
So, what does this lack of any absorbing (good) news
mean for the Corner? You guessed it -- it's an excuse
for another version of "Classic" Corner. In this case,
it's presented as an ode to one of Jelena's best tennis
memories.
(don't be alarmed by your computer screen as it now
wildly spins in one of those back-in-time movie trips)
On the occasion of the Fair One's annual return to
Rome, this is a good time to recall when she was still
climbing her way up the tennis mountain. It was an
evolutionary moment when Jelena was seeing her dreams
come true, rather than having to re-live different
versions of the same on-court nightmare over and over
again.
Yes, this "CC" is an oldie but a goodie. We now go
back to Rome 2001, when Jelena's serve and in-game
decision making process were actually improving... and
the results were beginning to show it:
READ ALL
ABOUT IT HERE
Back then, three years ago this week, Jelena needed
to don shades because her future not only SEEMED so
bright... it WAS. She won her first career title at the
very site of this week's stop on the EuroJelena Tour:
Rome. She won two more titles that season as she rose
to a career-high #4 ranking, then two more the following
year. Twenty-three months after her last trophy
presentation in Birmingham in June 2002, she's still
looking for that sixth singles crown (hmmm, I smell
another "Classic Corner" edition come SW19 eve).
The lack of patience and confidence that's plagued
her game ever since only serve to make what happened
before all the recent setbacks seem all the more
magnificent, but also quite foreign. Even back in 2001,
Jelena was no stranger to adversity. But most of it had
come off the court. She'd mastered the skill of shoving
it all aside, though, and making an oasis all her own ON
the court.
Somewhere along the way, through familial discord, a
broken heart and a fractured coaching relationship the
strife has encroached onto the court, as well, soaking
up the life-supporting "water" there that formerly
sustained her. Thus far, she's yet to find a way to
conquer this new variety of adversity.
She's still digging, though, and one of these days
everyone is hopeful that she'll strike gold... err, I
mean, H2O.
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Will it
happen... THIS WEEK?
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ROME, ITALY
Telecom Italia Masters
Tier I; Red Clay
unseeded; 1r vs. Maria Elena Camerin
Well, to answer that question: probably not. Jelena
has quite a few good remembrances of Rome in her memory
bank, but none of them have come since she won her first
career title there in 2001 (except maybe for the doubles
RU there last year with Nadia Petrova, who's recently
been putting up great results with her parter Meghannn
Shaughnessy... the good news never ends, does it?).
Speaking of which, here's an update of this year's
running "does-it-mean-anything-at-all?" stat:
*JELENA IN '04 WTA SINGLES*
--When She Plays Doubles--
[4-2]
Tokyo SF/Miami 4r
======================
--When She Doesn't--
[2-7]
3 1r exits/4 2r exits
The last two years in Rome singles, Jelena's advanced
to just the 3rd and 1st Rounds before losing to
Anastasia Myskina and Conchita Martinez, respectively,
so suffice to say the positive aftereffect of Rome 2001
is fairly well null and void.
Still, this year's trip back might -- I stress, MIGHT
-- hold some potential for picking up at least a little
momentum as Roland Garros nears. Jelena opens up
against Maria Elena Camerin. The Italian has had some
decent upset wins this season (over Bartoli & Cohen
Aloro), but she's certainly beatable... especially if
she's "distracted" by the upcoming release of "Troy"
(she says Brad Pitt is her favorite actor). If a win
comes there, Anna Pistolesi could be waiting... the same
Pistolesi who sometimes stumbles early in big events
(such as, say, a Tier I like Rome).
**JELENA IN WTA EVENTS**
SEEDED....135-85
UNSEEDED...43-33
If Jelena makes it to the 3rd Round, the highest seed
she could face would be aforementioned former doubles
partner Petrova. The two haven't met on the court since
their doubles partnership ended after last year's
Wimbledon, a time span which has seen Jelena twice fall
out of the Top 20 in singles while Petrova has risen to
a career-high #6 (to go along with her Top 10 doubles
rank). If Jelena can build up something of a head of
steam in Rounds 1 and 2, maybe she could make a good run
at the world's second-ranked Russian female. As I said,
though, that's a very big MAYBE... VERY big.
All for now.
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CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S "WTA BACKSPIN" ON TENNISRULZ...
and see if anyone was actually healthy enough to win the
title in Berlin
