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Article written by Glyn James
US Open,Flushing Meadows.To kick off Jelena's return to action I donate to you, dear reader, a quote from Barbara Hall - "The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark." Those words will undoubtedly not be echoing in Jelena's mind this coming week, but the message it seems is a fitting one. If Jelena is able to reach her destination, she will need to accept her dreadful 2004 season as yet another chapter to the book of Jelena (and what a book it could be!). Both on and off the court, it has been arguably Jelena's worst year to date, with a record breaking losing streak hanging over her head like ... well ... a record breaking losing streak. By taking time off the tour, Jelena is acknowledging a fairly obvious problematic situation. She was not winning, she was not looking like winning, she was having troubles off the court, and again, she was not winning. So, she took time out. Time to get her head in gear, her game in gear, and most importantly, time to get the fire back in the belly. It would be hard to imagine her taking time off and coming back in semi-tank mode. To pick oneself up after falling can be the most difficult of tasks, one that requires patience, desire and inspiration. We sit and hope for those traits to return to the fair one, but acknowledge it could still be a fairly long drawn out affair. At best, we can hope for a couple of good wins, and then look forward to the real comeback in the indoor season. US Open stats. The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year. It is held in Flushing Meadows in New York. It is played outdoors on hardcourt, and like the other Grand Slams, offers a hefty $3million plus as prize money. The event is in its 122nd year and continues to pull in spectators from around the globe. Originally an exclusively men's singles event, the Open has transformed into one of tennis' prize assets. Sponsors for the event include CBS Sports, USA Network, IBM, Heineken and a range of other products. For more information on sponsors, travel, or if you just want to see a strange looking guy in a security jacket, visit the US Open's official website at www.usopen.org. Jelena US Open stats. With the exception of the Australian Open (where Jelena has not played since the controversy in 2001), the US Open has been her least successful event. In her five outings at the event, Jelena has never succeeded in reaching the QF stage. Her best performances came in 2000 and 2001, where she reached the 4th round on both occasions, before suffering losses against Serena Williams and Martina Hingis (no shame there then). Since then, she has fallen to Elena Bovina in the 2nd round (2002) and was last year ousted by Mary Pierce in a third set tie breaker in the 2nd round once more. Her US Open results may fall well short of her achievements in rainy old Wimbledon, but this forthcoming week(s) is not about records, it is about re-capturing some things in her game that have been missing for a long while. She will face a stern test both mentally and physically, and if she isn't up for it, she could be facing some more pessimism. The Draw.
If you've managed to spot Jelena in that monster of a draw, then congratulations, you win a prize. More hours of related fun at http://www.funnyjunk.com/pages/waldo.htm (Jelen-dokic.com is not responsible for the content on external web pages, we merely post them here because we're stupid.) Anyway, Jelena is located in the bottom half of the draw. Interestingly enough, Jelena has only ever been drawn against a seed in the first round of a grand slam three times in her career. This is the first time since her 2001 opening round Australian Open loss to Lindsay Davenport. On the bright side, Jelena's draw does not look too bad. An opening round match up against France's Nathalie Dechy could be just what the doctor ordered. Jelena has beaten her on all three occasions that the pair have met. On the flipside, Dechy is coming off a great run of form, where she has beaten Jennifer Capriati in New Haven and has made the final. The French woman will not lay down and lose. Jelena will have to take the match to her opponent if she is to have any chance of making progress. Next up would be either Jamea Jackson or Cara Black, both of whom could expect to be taught a lesson if Jelena is fired up. Then comes the tricky part. Dementieva, followed by Zvonareva, then Mauresmo, Serena Williams, and Justine Henin-Hardenne. If Jelena is to beat her personal best at the Open, she will need to play some of her best tennis ever. At the moment, that is a lot to ask. What's important this week is that we see signs of improvement, signs of the quality player we know she is. Signs of her fight and determination. ---------------------------------------- Prediction - 1rd - Jelena def. Dechy in 3 2rd - Jelena def. Black in 2 3rd - Jelena def. Dementieva in 2 4rd - Zvonareva def. Jelena in 3 ---------------------------------- contact: g_l_james@hotmail.com |
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