Article by Todd Spiker

by Todd Spiker

DRAW: http://www.tennisrulz.com/draws/la.htm


As Jelena moves back up the Cali coast to the City of Angels, once again the plotline seems to center around numbers.  Lot and lots of numbers.

More than anything else, this stop off in Los Angeles offers Jelena a golden opportunity to make a shocking ranking leap at the expense of Monica Seles' continuing foot problems.  As it's turned out the ex-Yugoslavian American's health is about to benefit a certain ex-Yugoslavian ex-Australian Yugoslavian's ranking position at an unbelievably swift pace.  #5... Miss Dokic hardly knew ye.  #4 has become Jelena's latest suiter, following on the heels of a certain racecar driver (whom a certain teenager thanked during her post-match address to the crowd in San Diego, by the way).

With Seles's L.A. withdrawal, she's about to lose the 310 points she collected there last year.  Jelena opens the week 358 points behind her, and is defending just 36 of her own.  What it means is that Jelena needs to accumulate approximately 100 points to move into the #4 slot... something she can do with a SF result.  But what are the chances of that happening?

Well, she's positioned in the top half of the draw, safely away from the Davenport/Capriati/Hantuchova troika in the bottom.  As the #4 seed, she can't play a Williams family memeber (this week, the ball on the spinning roulette wheel has landed on Serena) until the SF, and the path to the QF seems about as open as any Jelena's seen in quite some time (only Meghannn Shaughnessy really warrents a second glance on hardcourts).  But it's in the QF that the test will come, in the form of Kim Clijsters.

Let in be known that the Waffle is in good form again.  After being troubled by arm problems all year, she's burst back onto the scene this hardcourt season with a win over Davenport in Stanford and a three-set battle with Venus in San Diego.  It could prove to be quite the landmark match for Jelena and Kim, again doubles partners this week in L.A.

The two have yet to put together a truly great match as pros, but with the games of both hitting early-Summer strides, and with Jelena riding the emotional punch of her dual come-from-behind wins last week, this could certainly be a match that turns out to be "Victory Stand" worthy (speaking of which, see my ranking of Jelena's biggest wins at www.jelena-dokic.com/jelena/articles/august02/03.htm).

At the start of this pre-US Open hardcourt circuit, I theorized a goal of a 5-tournament run that included 2 QF, 1 SF, 1 RU and a "wild card" result (either an early round loss, or a title).  So far, Jelena's chalked up 1 QF and 1 RU in two events... so, obviously, the goal this week would again have to at least be the QF.  As the #4 seed, though, she's slated to go farther (and grab the #4 ranking in the process).  QF is the realistic belief, but SF is the goal.  The bar has been set.  Let's see if Jelena can vault over it once again.

DOKIC PREDICTION:

Thankfully for Jelena, she'll get to rest a few days before undertaking yet another tournament in what is already becoming quite a pre-US Open grind.  Two long, gruelling three-setters, and the probably-related onset of a stomach virus immediatey afterward, should be a thing of the past by the time she takes the court in L.A.  Or, at least, you'd hope so.  One might have wished for an absence from the doubles draw for this one week, but Jelena isn't taking such a precaution against exhaustion.  If exhaustion and/or illness DO become an ooponent this week, to be honest, she may very well be upset early on by Shaughnessy (there'd be that "wild card" result... and it could prove to be a blessing in disguise considering Jelena has no rest scheduled between now and Flushing Meadows) before even having a chance to play Clijsters.  With luck, it won't be a problem, for Jelena's going to need all her energy to take out the Waffle in their expected QF matchup.  A win will mean a #4 ranking... and, barring an early round fade, I'm going to go with Jelena's momentum and confidence pulling her through to the SF.  What's next?  A win over Serena?  Sorry, can't quite see that one in the ol' crystal ball.  Not yet.