Toyota Princess Cup Preview

This week Jelena returns to Tokyo where she defends her title as the champion at the Toyota Princess Cup where she is the number two seed.  The tournament will be played outside on the hard courts, and there is $585,000 worth of prize money.  This week isn't about the money though, this week is about defending some valuable ranking points to ensure her safety in the 'correct' half of the top ten.

       Winning this year's event will prove a little tougher than last year's though.  The roster includes the mighty Serena Williams who appears to have the capability of winning just about anything she wants lately.  Jelena's draw isn't too unfavourable though, and anything other than an a solid performance will certainly be a shock to the system, but this is Jelena we're talking about, so expect nothing. :)

       Here's the draw for the Princess Cup:
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SWilliams(1)
Bye

Obata
Wartusch
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Leon Garcia
Pratt

Asagoe
Sugiyama(5)
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Smashnova(4)
Bye

Frazier
Gagliardi
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Qualifier
Torrens-Valero

Nagyova
Panova(6)

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Sanchez-Vic(8)
Matevzic

Martinez
Likhovtseva
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Pisnik
Qualifier

Bye
Clijsters(3)
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Tanasugarn(7)
Serra-Zanetti

Qualifier
Fernanadez
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Qualifier
Krasnoroutskaya

Bye
Dokic(2)
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       Jelena's first match is a potential stumbling block.  Lina Krasnoroutskaya is a rather dangerous opponent since Jelena has a first round bye and Lina doesn't, it could mean that Lina will get out of the blocks ahead of Jelena.  Jelena isn't the #4 in the world for nothing though, and she is the clear favourite to take this match up without too much worry, even after some rather shocking performances in recent weeks.

       In the quarters Jelena's opponent will most likely be either Clarisa Fernandez or Tamarine Tanasugarn.  Tanasugarn hasn't played since a dismal performance at Flushing Meadows in which she crashed out at the second hurdle to 251 in the world Bea Bielik of USA.  Fernandez played last week at Shangai where she was ousted by Angelique Widjaja in the quarters.  Again, this is a round where Jelena is fully expected to come up with the goods and sail through to the next round.

       Kim Clijsters, the number three seed, should be the one standing in Jelena's way in the semi finals, though Sanchez - Vicario is capable of reaching this stage, especially since she reached the final last year.  Clijsters also hasn't played since the US Open, where she went down Mauresmo in a very close three setter.  Clijsters isn't hitting as well as she was a year or so ago, but she will no doubt prove to be a handful for Dokic, whose only victory over the waffle came at this event last year.  Clijsters however has beaten Jelena on three previous occasions, and after the inconsistency Jelena has shown recently I wouldn't be surprised if the waffle stood victorious at the end of the match.

       It's incredibly difficult to see anyone other than Serena winning the battle in the top half of the draw, though Anna Smashnova, fresh off her victory in Shangai last week, may be able to move the towering American.  Serena's statistics speak for themselves.  She's won every Grand Slam she's entered this year(3), and has been the only one able to stop her big sister Venus on a regular basis.  The only hope is that Jelena, should she reach this stage, can start quickly for a change, and take the first set to make Serena think, but even then, that may not be enough.  The big American stands taller than anyone else in the world at the moment, and it would take something special to stop her this week.

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PREDICTION -
Final - Serena def. Clijsters 7-5 6-1

QF - Clijsters def. Dokic 7-6 2-6 6-4