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 Jelena
Dokic's next tournament is to be the Nasdaq-100 open, Miami
(Tier I). It will take place from Wednesday, March 20 to
Sunday, March 31 and will be played on outdoor hardcourts -
a surface in which Jelena has not played a lot on this
season. This is one of the most prestigious titles in
professional tennis, and it attracts all the top players
from the WTA and the ATP tours. The venue address is:
Tennis Center at Crandon Park, 7300 Crandon Blvd. Miami,
Florida 33149. The tournament was established in 1985 by Butch Buchholz, and it was the first ever newly created two-week tennis event where men and women compete simultaneously. Its record attendance is a staggering 270,139 (in 2001) and the women's and men's finals reached ratings of 2.1 (6 share) and 1.5 (4 share) respectively. The women will battle it out with $2,860,000 up for grabs. Last year, Venus Williams was the winner of a very close three setter final against Jennifer Capriati, winning 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4). This is, without a doubt, Jelena's biggest tournament so far this season. Many fans question the wisdom of Jelena's entry into this tournament, fearing that if she doesn't rest and let her injuries heel she may be forced to miss the second Grand Slam of the year, aswell as her first title defence in Rome. Again, we all have to sit tight and hope that Jelena's decision will be the correct one, not knowing whether Jelena has overcome her injuries. This has been a nightmare start to Jelena's 2002 campaign, and the sparkle in her tennis seems to be somewhat lost. However, what's done is done, and we can only look to the future now. A string of good performances in the next few tournaments would be an absolutely perfect build up to the French Open, a Gand Slam where Jelena has nothing to defend, and despite the frustration of the last few weeks, Jelena still isn't far off the top 5. Even though there's not a lot gained this season, there's not as much lossed as there could have been. Some wise advise and some good medical treatment is the key to a fresh start for 2002 that's already 1/4 of the way through. PREDICTION - Jelena to reach the quarter finals, and a strong title defence for Venus Williams! Come on Jelena!! Everyone's right behind you!! |
