LEIPZIG PREVIEW

This week Jelena plays in the Tier II tournament 'The Sparkassen Cup' in Leipzig.  There is $585,000 available as prize money, but more importantly it is a great chance to gain some valuable ranking points before the all important defences in Moscow, Zurich and Linz.  Jelena has only 26 points to defend this week as she was on the receiving end of an upset from a certain qualifier named Daniela Hantuchova in the second round.

         The tournament will be played on the supreme indoor court in the 'Arena Leipzig.'  The indoor surface usually tends to favour the better players since the weather plays no part at all, and many argue that indoors is the best place to play tennis since it prevents rain delays and so on...but what do they know? :-)


The draw for the tournament is as follows:

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SWilliams(1)
Bye

Qualifier
E.Clijsters

Stevenson
Qualifier

Husarova
Maleeva(8)

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Henin(3)
Bye

Qualifier
Suarez

Majoli
Grande

Srebotnik
Hantuchova(5)

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Farina-Elia(7)
Schiavone

Daniilidou
Rittner

Muller
Petrova

Bye
KClijsters(4)

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Myskina
Dechy

Bedanova
Qualifier

Likhovtseva
Shaughnessy

Bye
Dokic(2)

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         As the second seed you would never have expected Jelena to get a draw as tough as this.  Seeds 3 and 4 (Henin and Clijsters) have a very smoother ride, but no-one can help the way luck goes, and Jelena will get on with it one match at a time.   After a first round bye, Jelena faces either Likhovtseva or Shaughnessy.  Shaughnessy seems to be slumping after looking extremely likely to break into the top ten this time last year, and I think she'll slip up again against the experienced Elena Likhovtseva.  Likhovtseva is a decent enough player but is past her best, and given Jelena's impressive record against the Russians, it shouldn't be such a tough match.


         The QF offers a slight chance of revenge for Jelena.  Should her opponent be Anastasia Myskina, then revenge for the SF loss in Bahia two weeks ago.  Should her opponent be Daja Bedanova, then there would be a chance for revenge for THAT infamous match in Eastbourne in which Jelena lossed and made her feelings of not playing on the centre court despite being the number one seed known to everyone.  I would have to favour Daja over Nastya.  Not only does Daja enjoy the indoor courts more, but she is fresh from her US open campaign in which she beat Myskina in the 3rd (after beating two other Russians, Jidkova and Likhovtseva in the previous rounds).  If Jelena can start quickly then she shouldn't have too many problems overcoming Daja.  Daja tends to struggle with power players, and if Jelena can stamp her authority on the game early on then she has it cracked.


         It's hard to see anyone other than Kim Clijsters reaching the SF from the quarter above.  After an impressive final appearance in Tokyo last week she seems to have found her game again.  Once again it will be another chance for Jelena to remove the taste of last week's defeat to the waffle and put her mind at rest, if need be.  Maybe having a tough draw can inspire Jelena to play better in the later stages.  Jelena must keep her concentration.  If she does then she should prevail, but after last week's impressive form from Kim, it will still be a tough match, even if Jelena is playing near the top of her game.


          I think I can stick my neck out here and say that Serena will be the finalist from the top half of the draw.  As good as Hantuchova and Henin are, and as annoying as some people may find it, Serena looks unstoppable.  Seems she's completely overtaken her bigger sister now, and is most definitely the player to beat at the moment.  Unless something special happens, Serena will go all the way again.

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PREDICTION -

1rd - bye
2rd - Jelena def. Likhovtseva in straight sets.
QF - Jelena def. Bedanova in three.
SF - Jelena def. Clijsters in three. (Pleeeeeeeease!!)
F - Serena def. Jelena in straight sets.