*** Jelena-Dokic.com was
visited by Jelena and her agent ***
Article sent by Gerhard Grundhammer
.::GOOD VIBES PIC OF THE
WEEK::.
...(Rome 2001) Bright red flowers, a brilliantly white
outfit, and a smiling and happy Jelena. Alas, we once
knew that Fair One, Horatio. Per chance to dream that,
one day, we will again.
JELENA-DOKIC.com
May 23, 2004
JELENA CORNER
by Todd Spiker
SHOCK
THERAPY
Unfortunately, looking back at that pristine moment
from the past (above) is about all the good cheer that
can be mustered as Jelena now returns to the site where
Great Mandula's Ghost first haunted her in 2001, less
than a month after that trophy-winning captured moment
from Rome.
Back then, Jelena was the #15 seed. This time, she
enters Paris as seed #24. Meanwhile, Petra Mandula is
#29 and, with a win over Capriati (not to mention two
over Jelena) under her belt this season, might be a good
bet to outlast the Fair One at Roland Garros once
again. Little did we know that that shocking result
would become almost commonplace three years later.
As a result, while in slams past it might be easy to
examine the RG draw and say that Ukranian 1st Round
opponent Tatiana Perebiynis (ranked outside the Top 100)
would be a good momentum-building opener, setting up a
possible 2nd Round matchup with an injury-riddled Ashley
Harkleroad and even a potential 4th Rounder against what
could be a very rusty Justine Henin-Hardenne (who hasn't
played in six weeks)... but the slams have produced
diminishing returns for the Fair One of late, with the
last five ending with defeats at the hands of
lesser-ranked players.
*LAST FIVE SLAMS*
.....................OPP#..JD
02 Wimb 4r/Hantuchova..12...7
02 US 2r/Bovina........61...4
03 RG 2r/Pisnik........54..11
03 Wimb 3r/Sharapova...91..12
03 US 2r/Pierce........64..23
In 2004, Jelena's had a few "good" losses (like, say
against Davenport in Tokyo), but most of the rest
(Camerin, Zheng, Leon Garcia, and twice to Mandula)
haven't necessarily come against a line of players that
could be dubbed a "murderer's row." Perebiynis would
fit snugly into that mix, albeit as the first #100+
defeat of this season (Jelena had 3 in 2003).
If you're looking for an optimistic stat for Jelena's
opening match, you're in luck -- there actually IS one!
Here it is:
*JELENA vs. players...*
.........#80+....#100+
2003......5-6......2-3
2004......5-1......5-0
Still, though, Jelena has just one WTA victory this
quarter (she's 1-4, but WAS 2-0 in Fed Cup). To say the
least, EuroJelena is operating in the red... and not
just as in the color of the clay, either. At this
point, one just hopes she doesn't raise another specter
in Paris that can linger inside her head the rest of the
season.
The grass is calling the Fair One, maybe offering a
softer place to land or, at the very least, an area
where she can lay down and not have to send her clothes
off to the cleaners immediately afterward. (Psst...
don't worry if you have no idea what that last sentence
means. I'm not sure, either... but, with so little to
talk about these days, I figure it's best to throw
everything against the wall to see if it sticks or adds
a little color to the decor.)
In past years, the Corner would be sneaking a peek
ahead to see how far the Fair One might be able to go in
Paris. But it's 2004, and now we just wish that she
won't lose in the 1st Round. And even with that minimal
goal, it's appropriate to close your eyes and hope for
the best.
All for now.
This page was created in january 1999 by myself
Pierre Cantin and is still maintained by myself with the tremendous help of many
staff
members. Read the history of
Jelena-dokic.com here. Everything contained here may not be reproduced without our written consent. View our Privacy Policy
here.
