===============
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
(Melbourne, Australia; outdoor hard (Plexicushion); Major)
=============== http://www.australianopen.com/
Contents
--------

1. Photos
2. Second-round scoreboard-report: Dokic v Chakvetadze
3. Women's Doubles: First-round result
4. More reports to come!

The mouthwatering all-EF match between Anna Chakvetadze and Jelena
Dokic didn't disappoint me - except that the BBC instead showed
repeats of Đokovic and Federer's matches at the time they had
promised live coverage of the Rod Laver Arena evening-
sessions! :fiery:

---------
1. Photos
---------

Anna Chakvetadze:
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=chakvetadze
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/players/related/wta310623.html
http://www.aapimage.com.au/search.aspx?Search=chakvetadze

Search Getty Images for "chakvetadze"

Anna Chakvetadze and Jelena Dokic:
http://www.tennisgrandstand.com/archives/2763

Various players including Anna:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7841385.stm

------------------------------------------------------
2. Second-round scoreboard-report: Dokic v Chakvetadze
(Wednesday 21st January 2009)
------------------------------------------------------

Very nice winner, very nice loser:
+ Jelena Dokic [WC,EF] d. ANNA CHAKVETADZE [17,EF], 6-4 6-7 (4/7) 6-3

A well-contested and very emotional match: Anna looked close to tears
at 4-6 *1-4, but it was Jelena who cried at the end, as she sat at
her chair after shaking hands.

In the first set, the first seven games were serve-dominated, and it
was Anna who broke first for *4-3 - only for Jelena to break straight
back to love as she won the last three games of the set.

In the second set, Jelena led *4-1, served for the match at *5-3, and
was also one game away from victory at *5-6. Jelena led 3/2* in the
tiebreak, only for Anna to dominate the rest of it and force a third
set.

I expected Jelena to wilt in the third set after missing those
chances, and because I don't think she's as fit as she used to be.
But she's done a lot of hard work in the last year, and Anna was the
one who got tired. Jelena broke at the start of the third set (after
Anna had led 40/15), and again in the last game as Anna served a
quadruple fault.

It was Jelena's first win over a top-twenty player since beating #17
Daniela Hantuchová at Linz 2003 (the week after she upset #1 Kim
Clijsters to reach the final of Zürich). After a long losing-streak
in 2004, she spent much of the intervening years in tennis-
wilderness: either on the ITF circuit or not playing for months at a
time, as she struggled with depression following her well-documented
family-problems.

Anna is already down from #5 to #18 since her traumatic loss in the
US Open 2007 semi-final, and even more traumatic burglary-ordeal in
December 2007, but we must be ready for the big jump deep as she
defends her lone title of 2008 in February: WTA Paris.

The match was first on the Rod Laver Arena evening-session, but since
the BBC made good on their threat to show a repeat of Đokovic v
Chardy instead of live Jelena v Anna on the Red Button (no longer
called BBCi, apparently), I had to make do with live scores at
www.australianopen.com. :fiery:

I can only hope that the match will be available to order on DVD from
Tennis Videos International
<http://www.users.bigpond.com/tennisvideos1/>. I usually wait until
the end of the tennis-season before I order my next batch of matches
from TVI, but I'm seriously considering making an exception for the
Australian Open 2009 now that the BBC has robbed me of watching such
a mouthwatering match! [edit: see Section 4]


First set
---------
DOKIC * * *__@*@ 6
CHAKV _* * *@___ 4

The match started at 19:46 AEDT.

Jelena serving 0-0: 0/15. 15/15. 15/30. 30/30. 40/30. Held.

Already, the signs are that both girls are going to make this
competitive. :)

Anna serving 0-1: 0/15. 40/15 (the score briefly reverted to 30/15 -
did Jelena make an incorrect Hawk-Eye challenge?). Held.

Anna holds more easily than Jelena. That's not unexpected, as Jelena
has often struggled on serve throughout her career, while Anna has an
excellent one-two punch (although it has gone AWOL at times since the
burglary), and usually holds serve reliably - at least until she has
to serve for a set.

Jelena serving 1-1: 40/0. Held.

"Anything you can do, I can do better."

Anna serving 1-2: 0/15. 15/15. 15/30. 30/30. Held.

I feel the momentum shifting more and more towards Jelena, with 0/15
and 15/30 openings on Anna's serve. Just enough to make Jelena
confident, without the baggage of any wasted break-points so far...

Jelena serving 2-2: 40/0. 40/15. Held.
Anna serving 2-3: 0/15. 15/15. 15/30. 30/30. 30/40 (BP #1). 40/40. Ad
Jelena (BP #2). Deuce #2. Ad Jelena (BP #3). Deuce #3. Ad Anna. Held.

Three break-points go begging for Jelena, and a pattern is developing
that suggests Anna is much more comfortable serving in the left court
than in the right court.

Jelena serving 3-3: 0/30. 15/30. 15/40 (BPx2). 40/40. Ad Anna (BP
#3). Deuce #2. Ad Anna (BP #4). Broken.

Typical for a player who squanders break-points to get broken herself
in the next game! Anna is lucky not to be carrying that same baggage
herself, but both the score and the momentum are firmly in her favour
now.

Anna serving 4-3: 0/40 (BPx3). Broken.

Wow - a champion's response from Jelena! In the blink of an eye, she
cancels Anna's break and seizes the momentum.

Jelena serving 4-4: 15/0. 15/15. 40/15. 40/30 (the score briefly
reverted to 40/15, which suggests an incorrect Hawk-Eye challenge for
Jelena). Held.

The sequence of scores of the last two games suggest that Jelena has
hit one of her purple patches. For Anna, saving this set could be
like trying to stop a runaway horse...

Anna serving 4-5: 15/0. 15/30. 40/30. 40/40. Ad Jelena (SP #1).
Deuce #2. Ad Jelena (SP #2). Jelena won the first set 6-4 at 20:23
AEDT (37 minutes).

A very well-contested set, with the breaks occurring at exactly the
right times for drama. I really hope I will be able to order it from
Tennis Videos International one day and watch it!

It would be fascinating to see how emotional they both get. Anna is
famous for getting emotional on court - crying and putting her body
through all sorts of contortions - while this is a very emotional
return to the Australian Open for Jelena, who broke down in her first-
round press-conference.


Second set
----------
DOKIC * *@*__@__*__ 6(4)
CHAKV _*___*@ @* *T 7(7)

Jelena serving 0-0: 40/0. 40/15. Held.
Anna serving 0-1: 40/0. 40/15. Held.

That was a very important game for Anna to steady the ship.

Jelena serving 1-1: 40/0. Held.

Jelena continues to hold serve easily after being broken for 3-4* in
the first.

Anna serving 1-2: 0/40 (BPx3). 40/40. Ad Jelena (BP #4). Broken.

I feel just like the Jelena of 1999-2002 is back! :D A set and a
break up, and really threatening to run away with this match unless
her bubble suddenly bursts...

Jelena serving 3-1: 40/0. 40/30. Held.

It feels like a long way back from *1-4, but it's only one break.

Anna serving 1-4: 15/0. 15/15. 40/15. 40/40. Ad Anna. Held.

A vital hold for Anna, because she would have been history if she had
gone 1-5* down. Still in with a fighting chance, albeit a 12.5% one
if we give her a 50% chance of breaking back, 50% to win the second
set from 4-4* and 50% to win the third, although those chances could
greatly improve if Anna were to regain the momentum...

Jelena serving 4-2: 15/0. 15/15. 15/40 (BPx2). Broken.

Good for Anna. I must confess I've been getting very excited for
Jelena, but as an Anna-fan too, it's important for me that she at
least adds more respectability to the scoreline.

Anna serving 3-4: 0/30 (the scoreboard briefly reverted to 0/15 - an
incorrect challenge for Anna?). 0/40 (BPx3). Broken.

The moment of truth for Jelena: serving for the match...

Jelena serving 5-3: 15/0. 15/15. 30/15. 30/40 (BP). Broken.

...but Anna breaks back, and the momentum switches back to her! I now
give Anna a 25% chance of winning this match (50% for the second set
and 50% for the third), as she has the momentum but Jelena still has
the lead (and Anna has been struggling on serve since *2-3 in the
first).

Anna serving 4-5: 15/0. 15/15. 30/15. 30/30. 40/30. Held.

Anna's chances of victory are being boosted with every game now, as
she levels up at 5-5 with two games in a row, and it would be
interesting to see how much Jelena would have left in the tank if
this were to go to a third set... her victory is in great danger
right now.

Jelena serving 5-5: 40/0. 40/30. Held.

Once again, Jelena is one game away from victory...

Anna serving 5-6: 40/0. Held.

A tiebreak is very much about luck, although it could be tougher for
Jelena if she dwells on those leads of *5-3 and 6-5*.

6-6 tiebreak (all scores Jelena/Anna): *0/0. 1/0*. 1/1*. *1/2. *2/2.
3/2*. This point is HUGE... 3/3*. *3/4. *3/5. 3/6* (SP #1).
4/6* (SP #2). Anna won the second set 7-6 (7/4) at 21:16 AEDT
(second set 53m, match so far 1h30m).

The delay between the last scoreboard-update of the first set and the
first of the third was less than two minutes. I'm surprised they
didn't take a bathroom-break - and glad that /I/ didn't! ;-)

Can Jelena put the disappointment of blowing at 6-4 *5-3 lead behind
her, and how much does she have left for the third set? Her chances
feel considerably less than 50% at the moment...


Third set
---------
DOKIC @* * * *@ 6
CHAKV __* * *__ 3

Anna serving 0-0: 15/0. 15/15. 40/15. 40/40. Ad Jelena (BP). Broken.

I thought Anna had the momentum, but a new set is a new story.
It's lucky for Jelena that they're not playing in the day-session,
otherwise I'd be reminded of the 2002 Australian Open final between
Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis, where Hingis was 6-4 4-0 up,
Capriati took the second set, Hingis broke at the start of the third,
but wilted soon after that.

Jelena serving 1-0: 0/15. 15/15. 40/15. Held.
Anna serving 0-2: 40/0. 40/30. Held.

Jelena deserves a medal for her determination after losing that
second set after being on the verge of victory.

Quite a long delay at this changeover - I wonder if someone is taking
a medical time-out? So I checked at
http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=367394&page=42 : it seems
it was for Jelena's right Achilles' tendon - the one that kept her
out of Hobart.

Jelena serving 2-1: 30/0. 30/30. 40/30. 40/40. Ad Jelena. Deuce #2.
Ad Jelena. Deuce #3. Ad Jelena (it only flashed up for a second on
the scoreboard). Deuce #4. Ad Jelena. Deuce #5. Ad Anna (BP).
Deuce #6. Ad Jelena. Held.

What a game! Six game-points needed, one break-point saved, and Anna
will be feeling very bad right now.

Anna serving 1-3: 0/15. 15/15. 30/15. 30/30. 40/30. 40/40. Ad Anna.
Deuce #2. Ad Anna. Held.

Full marks to Anna for hanging in this match. She recovered from *1-4
in the second set, but it will not be necessary to fight back from
1-4* in the third.

Jelena serving 3-2: 0/15. 15/15. 30/15. 30/30. 40/30. 40/40.
Ad Jelena. Held.

Anna continues to fight, while Jelena continues to maintain her
break. How she would love to get a second break, rather than go
through what she did in the second.

Anna serving 2-4: 0/30. 40/30. 40/40. Ad Anna. Held.

It's such a shame that they can't both win! I think they should be
allowed to advance to the third round as a doubles-team, playing two
against one!

Jelena serving 4-3: 0/15. 15/15. 40/15. Held.

The moment of truth again for Jelena, albeit at 5-3* rather than *5-3
this time...

Anna serving 3-5: 30/0. 30/40 (MP #1). 40/40. Ad Jelena (MP #2).
Deuce #2. Ad Jelena (MP #3). Jelena won 6-4 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 at 22:04
(third set 48m, match 2h18m).

She really didn't want to have to serve for the match again, did she?

Anna finished the match with a quadruple fault, but it was Jelena who
was in tears after shaking hands.

I don't know what to feel right now. It's tough for Anna to lose in
the second round of a Major - it won't be any consolation to /her/
that she lost to another hottie - and I feel sorry for Anna, but I'm
glad Jelena managed to close it out in the end, because it would have
been a devastating - possibly even career-ending - blow for her to
lose after the leads she had in the second set, and then match-points
in the third.

Anna still has many years ahead of her, while Jelena is thinking of
retiring if she fails to make an impact in 2009. It's strange to
think that Jelena is only four years older at 25, considering that I
inducted Jelena into my Eternal Fanship in June 1999, and Anna in
December 2006.


2.1 Statistics
--------------

Both girls had negative W:UE ratios: Jelena 27:35, Anna 28:50.
Jelena's W:UE ratio deteriorated slightly from set to set, while
Anna's deteriorated dramatically: from 10:14 to 8:15 to 10:21,
implying that she went for her shots more in the third set because
she was tired.

Jelena got 68% of her first serves in, winning 70% of the points when
she did so, and 45% on second serve. Her first-serve winning-
percentage dipped from 77% in the first set to the late 60s in the
next two, while her second-serve winning-percentage improved
dramatically from set to set (33% to 46% to 55%).

Anna got 67% of her first serves in, winning 66% of the points when
she did so, and 33% on second serve. Her second serve was a liability
especially in the first and third sets: 31% and 21%, respectively.

Jelena's first serve was slightly faster than Anna's - fastest 108-
106 mph, average 100-99 mph - but Jelena's second serve was /much/
faster than Anna's: 94-79 mph. Jelena's second serve is exceptionally
fast: sometimes it looks like she just hits two first serves!

Jelena served 3 aces and 9 double faults, which is a bit high. But
Anna served 5 aces and a monstrous 16 double faults (6 in the first
set, 7 in the third) - including a quadruple fault to finish the
match. :-(

Jelena broke 6 times from 15 BPs (2 of 5 in every set), while Anna
broke 3 times from 7 BPs. Jelena won the first set by 2 breaks to 1
(Anna wasted 3 BPs), and the third by 2 breaks to 0 (Anna wasted 1
BP); they had 2 breaks each in the second.

Jelena won 12 of 20 points at the net (5 of 6 in the first set, but
only 3 of 8 in the second), while Anna was more selective, winning 10
of 12 (but she only came in once in the third set).

In points, Jelena won 118-104 (first set 37-29, second set 38-40,
third set 43-35).


2.2 Jelena's on-court interview
-------------------------------

"It's been a long time; last time I was on this court, it was a bit
different.

"Thank you all for supporting me; it's unbelievable. I really just
wanted to put in a good display tonight - she's a top-twenty player -
but the crowd really pulled me through.

"It's been an amazing night, and no matter what happens from here on
in, I will not forget this memory for a long time. This is a great
start to the year, and hopefully this time next year, I'll be a top-
twenty player myself."


2.3 Jelena's second-round press-conference
------------------------------------------

Source: www.australianopen.com


Q. You must be very proud of that.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, I am. Yeah, I just went into the match just
wanting to see how I would go against a top-twenty player. I was very
nervous to be on centre court again. It's been a long time.

Just really wanted to see where I was with my shots and fitness and
movement. I started to play well. I think she had a slow start, but
she started to play really well in that second set. I let her off
that 5-3 game where I had 30/15 and did a few unforced errors and
double faults.

But overall, I think the things went her way in the third set. She
really had the momentum. It's amazing I was able to come out and pull
it out.

Q. Could you imagine six months ago getting a standing ovation on Rod
Laver Arena?

JELENA DOKIC: No, I could not. I said 2008 and 2009 are the years I'm
going to try and come back and do something. I've put in a lot of
hard work last year - especially the end of last year.

You know, I've just been really, really focused and really wanted it
so bad. Things are going really well at the moment. I couldn't
imagine a better start to the year. In Brisbane, I said it was a good
start. I lost to Amélie [Mauresmo] in two tight sets. I had her in
both sets, and I could have won that match.

I just wasn't in that position for a long time, and I didn't know how
to treat the situation and what to play.

You know, I was very proud of that match, even. But, you know, to be
in the third round of a Grand Slam [sic], you know, players lose
match-fitness and their physical shape and their shots in six months
away from the game, let alone the three years. To beat a top-twenty
player is amazing.

Q. How much did that match you were talking about there help you in
the tight situations?

JELENA DOKIC: You know, like I said, she's the one that I think had
the pressure on her. She was supposed to win today. She was the clear
favourite, so that went kind of in my favour. But I think as the
match went on, and as I was up, I was up the whole time until the
tiebreak in the second set.

She kind of just went on with it. I really had to finish it off.
She is a fighter. She always hangs in there. But this is a huge
confidence-boost for me.

You know, no matter what happens from here on, I'm really happy with
such a good start to the year. I want to be top 50 by the end of the
year, and I think if I continue playing like I have been playing,
this should be achievable.

Q. What was the reason you went quite a few times to play in Italy?
It was because you won Rome and you performed well there? Some
psychological reason?

JELENA DOKIC: Well, I feel good in Italy. I played really well there.
It was my first title, so there's no question about that. Clay is not
my favourite surface, so I wanted to play on clay and really build my
game a little.

That surface doesn't suit me. You have to play long matches and
points. I think that went in my favour. It was just comfortable. It
felt like the most natural thing to do. It was in Europe, and that's
where I was training at the time. I think that really helped me.

You have some wins and you have some losses, but you really have to
grind it out. It's tough, no matter what people think. The ITF
circuit is, you know, we're all trying to win out there.

Q. Are you getting used to using your emotions and using the crowd
and using the way you're feeling?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, I came back I think two or three years ago to
Australia, and obviously the crowd, I didn't expect them to be on my
side and to understand what happened seven years ago. You know, each
year it's gotten better and better.

But, you know, I will regret the decision that I made. I can say that
I made it under the influence of my dad, but I will regret leaving
for the rest of my life. It will always be the mistake that I made.

But, you know, it's really amazing. The crowd has just gotten better
and better every year in Brisbane already.

But I think tonight was an amazing experience. It's been the best
that I've ever had. I don't expect everybody to understand, of
course. But, look, I'm trying my best. I'm fighting and playing for
this country. You know, I'm proud to play for this country again.

So, you know, I think by the reaction tonight, people have really -
things have swung my way, and I'm really happy about that. I was
really glad to make the decision three years ago to come back.

Q. Does it play on your mind? Do you wonder what if you hadn't had
those years in the wilderness?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, it always does. But, look, I cannot go back and
change things. What's done is done. I can only look forward. I think
we all can. Hopefully the crowd can do that as well.

Q. Can you talk about the role that your boyfriend and his brother
have played in your career?

JELENA DOKIC: Like I said the other day, it's been really tough to
deal with some personal issues. My boyfriend has always been there
for me. It's actually our five-and-a-half years' anniversary today.
We always give each other something, and this is my present to him
today.

Yeah, he's played a huge part in everything. When you have emotional
breakdowns and everything I had to deal with, you really get weak
mentally. It's not easy to come back and be strong, and able to
compete and play. It's really tough. So I really had to work on and
build that.

You go crazy basically, and you react the way you shouldn't.
He's dealt with all that and stuck by my side, so...

Q. Do you still dream of maybe winning a Grand Slam? Getting back to
the top 10?

JELENA DOKIC: I think that's a little bit too much to ask right now.
Like I said, players after six months out of the game really struggle
coming back. It takes a long time. I actually think I react well and
I improve quickly and my confidence goes up quickly, which plays a
huge part in my game.

Of course I don't expect to win here - not this year. After what I've
been through, like I said, my goal is to be in the top 20 by the end
of my career. If I do that, I'll be satisfied.

You know, I will try as hard as I can to even do better if it's
possible. We'll see how I go. It's a good start. It's a great start
to have third week of the year and have a top-twenty win in a Grand
Slam [sic]. Hopefully I can keep it going.

Q. Your next opponent will be Wozniacki. What do you know about her,
and how do you see your chances?

JELENA DOKIC: I watched a little bit. I don't know her that well.
I don't know a lot of the players that have come up. I haven't
watched tennis that much in the last couple [of] years. Of course it
will be a tough match.

After today and getting these two wins here, I really don't care what
happens in the next match. I really want to put a good performance
in. Again, she's a favourite. She'll be a tougher match. She has all
the pressure on her.

Q. Did you read anything in these days that you would have not liked
to read?

JELENA DOKIC: I don't read the papers that much, honestly. You know,
you always expect to get positive press and negative, and it's
something that comes with this line of work. It's normal.

But, yeah, like I said, I just try to do my best on the court and,
yeah, I will try not to read the papers too much.

Q. How is your injury, and is it going to affect your next round?

JELENA DOKIC: It's been here for a while. I'm trying to treat it and
keep it as good as possible, but I pulled up well after my first
match. Wasn't sore at all. We'll see how I go tomorrow.

It's something that's not so serious. It's something that I just have
to keep an eye on.


2.4 Articles
------------

Aussie hope Dokic beats Chakvetadze [Teletext 495->498]
>>>
Dokic shocks Chakvetadze [Teletext 498]

Jelena Dokic scored her first win over a top-twenty player for five
years to book her third-round place in Melbourne.

The 25-year-old former world No.4 took the first set 6-4 against 17th-
seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze, but let slip a 4-1 lead in the
second before going down in the tiebreak 7/4.

Dokic raced into a 3-1 lead in the decider, and sealed a
6-4 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 win when Chakvetadze double-faulted.
<<<

Determined Dokic drops Chakvetadze
By Vanessa Skendaris (www.australianopen.com)
>>>
Australian Jelena Dokic has beaten 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze of
Russia in front of a packed Rod Laver Arena crowd on Wednesday night:
6-4 6-7(4) 6-3.

In a competitive first set, both players held their serve in the
first six games. Chakvetadze was the first to win a break for the
match, but Dokic broke back straight away, levelling the opening set
at four games apiece.

Dokic - a former world No.4 - went on to win the next two games,
breaking Chakvetadze again and pinching the set 6-4.

It looked like Dokic had the second set under control as she dashed
to a 4-1 lead, running all over the 21-year-old Russian.

But Chakvetadze worked the Australian hard, winning the next two
games and bringing herself back into the match.

The set then became an exchange of breaks as Chakvetadze found her
range and levelled the set 5-5, eventually forcing it to a tiebreak.

Dokic - a 2000 Wimbledon semi-finalist - made numerous errors in the
tiebreak, which gave Chakvetadze a mini-break, the Russian ultimately
snatching it 7/4 in a set that lasted 52 minutes.

In the deciding set, the 25-year-old Australian raced to a 3-1 lead,
moving well around the court despite calling for a trainer for
treatment on her ankle in the first exchange of ends.

Serving to stay in the match at 3-5 down, Chakvetadze saved two match-
points, but failed to survive another, handing the match to Dokic by
serving a double fault.

Dokic, who received a standing ovation after her win, has set up a
tantalising clash with 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki in the next round.

Quick facts:

* Chakvetadze served five aces to Dokic's three, but paid the price
for 16 double faults.

* The Russian had 50 unforced errors to Dokic's 35.

* Chakvetadze had more winners: 28-27.

* Dokic only capitalised on 6 of 15 break-point opportunities, while
Chakvetadze converted 3 of her 7 break-point chances.
<<<

Making up for lost time
By Eleanor Preston (www.australianopen.com)
>>>
Jelena Dokic is fast becoming one of the most compelling stories of
this tournament, and she created another intriguing chapter by
beating 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze in a sizzler of a night-session
match on Wednesday.

Dokic's resurgence has given the public – both in her adopted country
and around the world – the chance to get to know this complex and
characterful young woman a little more than they did when she first
burst onto the scene as a teenager.

In those days, Dokic hit the ball fiercely, and proved, by reaching
as high as No.4 in the world, that she had talent in abundance - but
the controversy surrounding her father Damir rather eclipsed her
personality. Perhaps as a consequence of what must have been an
immensely difficult personal life, Dokic was guarded in public. Now,
estranged from her father and back under Australian colours after a
short-lived return to Serbia – a move encouraged by Damir - she has
opened her heart.

"You know, I will regret the decision that I made. I can say that I
made it under the influence of my dad, but I will regret leaving for
the rest of my life. It will always be the mistake that I made," said
Dokic, when asked about the crowd's reaction to her against
Chakvetadze. "It's really amazing. The crowd has just gotten better
and better every year. But I think tonight was an amazing experience.
It's been the best that I've ever had. I don't expect everybody to
understand, of course. But, look, I'm trying my best. I'm fighting
and playing for this country. I'm proud to play for this country
again. So, you know, I think by the reaction tonight, people have
really... things have swung my way, and I'm really happy about that.
I was really glad to make the decision three years ago to come back."

Many of those in the crowd at Rod Laver Arena must have read her
compelling but rather sad story in the local newspapers, and it is
one of the reasons why her arrival on court was greeted with a
throaty roar. Granted, the Melbourne Park faithful like to get behind
their home-players, but their reaction to Dokic was about more than
that; it was a warm rush of empathy which welcomed her back onto one
of the sport's biggest stages.

Dokic does not give much away on court, but the television-pictures
of her waiting for announcer Craig Willis to say her name told their
own story about what it meant for her to be back on centre court. In
the doorway and just out of the public's view, her eyes shone and she
allowed herself a brief smile before Willis's trademark tone beckoned
her onto court. Her demeanour changed instantly as the game-face came
down and she walked out, ready to do battle against Chakvetadze.

Together, they produced a match of enduring quality and drama, and
arguably the pick of the women's matches so far at this tournament.
There were times when they were so closely matched in their standards
and styles of play that it was hard to distinguish between them,
dressed as they were in green and white and sporting almost matching
ponytails.

Dokic's game is a tad less crafty than Chakvetadze's, for the Russian
has a remarkable knack for surprise and disguise in her shots.
But she could not match Dokic for purity of ball-striking.

The only threat to Dokic's chances of winning seemed to be the sheer
importance of the match to the Australian, and there was a distinct
wobble when she first came to serve for it at 5-3 up in the second
set. The crowd willed her to finish Chakvetadze off, but the
Russian's obstinacy and some frazzled nerves from the home-player saw
to it that there would be a third set.

Dokic, to her credit, regrouped quickly after losing the tiebreak,
and was soon up a break and set fair on her journey back to the big
time.

"Thank you all for supporting me," Dokic told the crowd afterwards,
her voice cracking with emotion. "It's great. I really wanted to put
in a good performance in tonight. This crowd really pulled me
through, and they were unbelievable. No matter what happens from
here, this has been an amazing experience, and a memory I will not
forget for a long time."

She even got a laugh out of them when she was asked about how she
thought she might fare against talented young Dane Caroline Wozniacki
in the third round. "Honestly? I don't care," she said, before that
smile of hers returned. After all that Dokic has been through, you
could not blame her for wanting to enjoy her moment to the full.
<<<

Dokic Win Over No.17 Seed Augurs Well For Comeback
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2906
>>>
Jelena Dokic's comeback from tennis-oblivion converted from dream to
reality on Wednesday night, when the former world No.4 beat No.17
seed Anna Chakvetadze in their second-round match at the Australian
Open: 6-4 6-7(4) 6-3.

Playing on Rod Laver Arena for the first time in eight long years,
the 25-year-old not only outplayed her more fancied opponent stroke-
for-stroke, she never let the tension of the occasion get the better
of her. It was as if she'd never been away.

Years of family-breakdown, depression and disenchantment with tennis
were quickly forgotten as Dokic made an aggressive start, breaking
Chakvetadze - who is struggling with her own loss-of-form issues -
and holding on to take the first set with surprising ease.

As the Russian's double-fault and unforced-error count mounted in the
second set, Dokic served for the match at 5-3. However, Chakvetadze
regained her composure, capitalising on a momentary loss of
concentration on Dokic's part. With some crafty play of her own, the
21-year-old took the set in a tiebreak.

But Dokic shrugged off that disappointment by breaking her opponent
in the first game of the decider, and although Chakvetadze would draw
level and then seize a break of her own for 4-3, Dokic married
patience and power to win three games in a row. Chakvetadze
capitulated on Dokic's third match-point, scooping a backhand long.

"I think she had a slow start, but she's a fighter, and she began to
play really well in that second set," observed Dokic, who reached the
semis at Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, and has five Tour-titles to her
name. "I let her off that 5-3 game where I had 30/15 and did a few
unforced errors and double faults.

"She was the one with all the pressure, and I think that helped me.
I just wanted to put on a good performance, and then things started
going my way. This is a big confidence-boost."

If one casualty of the Dokic family's dramas was the player's
relationship with the Australian public, it was clear after the 2-
hour, 16-minute contest that the world No.187 appreciated the
heartfelt homecoming.

"Thank you all for supporting me: it's unbelievable," said Dokic, her
voice cracking as the sell-out crowd stood in ovation. "It's been an
amazing night, and no matter what happens from here on in, I will not
forget this for a long time."

Dokic, who secured her place in the draw by winning a wild-card play-
off event run by Tennis Australia in December, faces No.11 seed
Caroline Wozniacki in the third round. At least tonight, the intense
competitor professed to be pretty sanguine about the prospect.

"You know, no matter what happens from here on, I'm really happy with
such a good start to the year," Dokic said. "I want to be top 50 by
the end of the year, and I think if I continue playing like I have
been playing, this should be achievable.

"My goal is to be top 20 [again] by the end of my career," she
smiled. "If I do that, I'll be satisfied."
<<<

Safin-family surges through Open with Federer
By Ossian Shine (editing by Pritha Sarkar)
>>>
Former world number-four Jelena Dokic thrilled a seething mass of
green and gold local fans by beating Russian 17th seed Anna
Chakvetadze 6-4 6-7 6-3.

"I've just been really, really focused and really wanted it so bad,"
the on-again-off-again-on-again Australian said.

"Things are going really well at the moment."
<<<

Triumphant Dokic wins back support of Australians (Reuters)
By Julian Linden (editing by Pritha Sarkar)
>>>
Jelena Dokic, riding high on a wave of public sympathy and support,
upset Russian 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze 6-4 6-7 6-3 on Wednesday to
reach the third round of the Australian Open.

The Serbian-born Australian registered her first win over a player
ranked in the top-twenty for five years, and her first victory on
Melbourne Park's centre court for a decade.

Dokic's brave win was charged with a combination of raw emotion and
pain.

Facing an opponent ranked 169 places above her, Dokic tried to keep
her feelings under control as she tried to mend her fractured
relationship with the Australian public.

"I was very nervous to be on centre court again. It's been a long
time," said the 25-year-old, who struggled with an Achilles' injury
during the match.

"She had a slow start, but she started to play really well in that
second set.

"She really had the momentum. It's amazing I was able to come out and
pull it out."

Although she began her playing-career in Australia, Dokic's
relationship with her adopted country turned sour when her family
returned to Serbia in 2001 after her now-estranged father Damir
accused Australian Open organisers of rigging the draw to ensure his
daughter lost in the first round.

Two years later, Dokic walked out on her family and returned to
Australia. Her relationship with her family has never been the same,
and she is trying to patch things up with Australia.

Earlier this week, Dokic broke down and revealed the extent of the
pain and torment she endured since breaking up with her own family.

The former world number-four pleaded for understanding.

"I made it under the influence of my dad, but I will regret leaving
for the rest of my life. It will always be the mistake that I made,"
she told a news-conference on Wednesday.

"I don't expect everybody to understand, of course, but I'm trying my
best."

Dokic was wildly cheered by the crowd at Melbourne Park and
appreciated the backing.

"I'm fighting and playing for this country. I'm proud to play for
this country again, and I think by the reaction tonight... things
have swung my way," she said.

"I cannot go back and change things. What's done is done. I can only
look forward. I think we all can. Hopefully the crowd can do that as
well."
<<<

Jelena Dokic shows emotion after 'amazing win' at Australian Open
(The Daily Telegraph - UK)
>>>
An emotional Jelena Dokic scored her first win over a top-twenty
player in five years when she downed 17th seed Anne Chakvetadze
6-4 6-7 (7/4) 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open.

The 25-year-old, who is known as much for her estranged father
Damir's antics during the early part of her career as she is for her
tennis, described the crowd's reaction during the thrilling three-
setter as "amazing".

Dokic only picked up her racquet again at the end of 2007 after
battling depression and other personal issues in the two years prior.

"I came back two or three years ago to Australia, and obviously the
crowd, I didn't expect them to be on my side, and to understand what
happened seven years ago," Dokic said.

"I will regret that decision that I made. I can say that I made it
under the influence of my dad, but I will regret leaving for the rest
of my life. It will always be the mistake that I made.

"But I think tonight was an amazing experience. It's been the best
that I've ever had."

In a match that lasted over two hours, Dokic looked composed
throughout, and used her powerful groundstrokes to run her Russian
opponent around the court.

But she interspersed that by coming to the net on occasions to force
the error from Chakvetadze, and with the Russian battling fatigue in
the final set, Dokic was able to hold her nerve to claim her
confidence-boosting win.

Her efforts have earned her a match with 11th seed Caroline
Wozniacki, who beat Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-3 6-3.
<<<

Dokic's dream continues (Linda Pearce, The Age)
>>>
Jelena Dokic has taken the most important step in her improbable
comeback, beating her first top-twenty opponent in more than five
years to reach the third round of the Australian Open for the first
time in a decade. She was reduced to tears, but rewarded with a
standing ovation. At 25, Dokic's career has begun again.

Still carrying some extra kilograms, but no longer the burden of the
paternal tyranny that ruled her life for so long, Dokic upset 17th
seed Anna Chakvetadze 6-4 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 in 137 minutes before a
capacity-crowd that contributed to a record one-day attendance at any
Major of 63,557.

This time last year, Dokic had fallen off the computer, having
battled depression that affected her so badly that some days her
victory lay in simply getting out of bed. Now she is back to 187th,
and will tomorrow face Danish sensation Caroline Wozniacki - the 11th
seed - for a place in the fourth round. Not so long ago, how
unthinkable that would have been, for not since 2006 had she even
played a Major match, much less won one.

"It's been a long time," Dokic said before leaving the court.
"The last time I played on this court, the story was a bit different,
but thank you all for supporting me; it feels really unbelievable.
It's been an amazing night, and no matter what happens from here on,
this is an amazing experience and a memory I will not forget for a
long time."

And how would she recover ahead of her match against Wozniacki, Dokic
professed not to care. This had been achievement enough. "She's a
great player. I have nothing to lose, and I'll just try to play good
tennis."

Later, she spoke of her regrets at following her father's
instructions to return to represent her birth-nation: Serbia; of her
top-fifty ambitions by the end of the year, and top twenty
eventually. Dokic also dedicated the win to her boyfriend, Tin Bikic,
as a present to celebrate the couple's five-and-a-half-year-
anniversary.

The Serbian-born Australian's first-round defeat of Austrian teenager
Tamira Paszek was her first in a decade at the Australian Open, but
she had not won on Rod Laver Arena in her two previous attempts -
against Martina Hingis in the third round of 1999, and Lindsay
Davenport in the opening round two years later.

Chakvetadze is not in the class of either former No.1, although once
ranked as high as fifth, and now 18th. Last night, indeed, she was
well below it for much of the early stages, playing so limply that
she appeared close to tears at 1-4 in the second set.

In contrast to a tense final practice-session in which she ordered a
replacement hitting-partner and left coach Borna Bikic in no doubt
about her displeasure, Dokic appeared composed and calm. She also
appeared utterly intent, while tightening considerably in the latter
stages of a second set she failed to serve out at 5-3. The tiebreak,
too, was disappointing, and the danger was that, knowing the match
should already be over, she would fall away in the third.

But, in fact, Dokic gained the early service-break, and managed to
hang on through the final six games of an extremely tense decider in
which she called a trainer to inspect a sore right foot while leading
2-1. Of immense help was the shaky Chakvetadze serve - the Russian
finishing with consecutive double faults: her 15th and 16th of the
match.

Dokic won the wild-card play-off last month, and was named for a Fed
Cup recall after pushing Amélie Mauresmo in the first round of the
Brisbane International, but then withdrew from the Hobart qualifying-
event with an Achilles' injury that did nothing to endear her to the
locals anticipating the return of one of the few local drawcards in
the women's game.

But there was no question about the crowd's support last night, which
Dokic discovered to her surprise and delight. Her great mistake and
regret, she said, had been to renounce her Australian status -
however much it had been forced upon her. "I don't expect everybody
to understand, of course, but I'm trying my best, and I'm proud to
play for this country," she said.

Much of her career prize-money is gone - lining the pockets of Damir -
but Dokic told The Age recently that the financial price was one she
was prepared to pay to gain the independence that was at once
liberating and terrifying. She needed to escape a dire situation, but
was left alone and, often, bereft. She was depressed, and struggled
with her mind and body.

But now she is competing again - for what she admits is the last time.

"I said that 2008 and 2009 are the years I'm just trying to come back
and play again, and do something, and I have put in a lot of hard
work last year - especially at the end of the year - and I have been
really, really focused, and just wanted it so badly," she
said. "Things are going well at the moment. I couldn't dream a better
start to the year."
<<<

Brave Jelena Dokic scores vintage Australian Open win
By Nikki Tugwell (The Daily Telegraph - Australia)
>>>
Jelena Dokic dedicated her win last night to the most important man
in her life.

Estranged from her father Damir, her boyfriend Tin Bikic has been her
rock for the past five-and-a-half years, and after securing a third-
round berth with victory against Russian Anna Chakvetadze, she said
it was a gift to him.

"It's been really tough to deal with some personal issues," Dokic
said.

"My boyfriend has always been there for me.

"It's our five-and-a-half years anniversary today... this is my
present to him today."

After being in the tennis-wilderness for the past five years, the
former world No.4 certainly won back the hearts of her adopted
country with an inspirational performance, fighting off an Achilles'
injury-scare to prevail 6-4 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 in a 2h17m epic.

Her boyfriend's brother Borna is Dokic's coach, and after her three-
set win, the siblings embraced emotionally.

"When you have emotional breakdowns and everything I had to deal
with, you really get weak mentally," Dokic said.

"It's not easy to come back and be strong and able to compete and
play.

"It's really tough. You go crazy, basically, and you react the way
you shouldn't.

"He's dealt with all that and stuck by my side."
<<<

^As have I! There have been times in the last five years when I've
felt disappointed in Jelena (now that I know the extent to which she
was affected by her family-problems, I am more understanding of what
I perceived at the time as a loss of motivation), and I've had to
endure numerous false dawns of a comeback, but I never for a moment
regretted inducting her into my Eternal Fanship.

Emotional Jelena Dokic turns back time (Courtney Walsh, The
Australian)
>>>
A decade after announcing her arrival as a tennis-prodigy at
Melbourne Park, Jelena Dokic stands a win away from her finest
Australian Open performance after last night upsetting talented
Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

Despite a second-set wobble and third-set injury scare, Dokic made
the third round of her home Major for only the second time with the
6-4 6-7 (7/4) 6-3 win over the 17th seed.

Dokic was just 15 when she recorded her best Australian Open
appearance, though she was thrashed by then world No.1 Martina Hingis
in that third-round encounter in 1999.

More than a generation has passed since, with her next opponent
rising Danish star Caroline Wozniacki - among the hottest players on
the Tour now - aged only eight at the time.

But asked how she felt about playing the world No.12, the message was
simple, given the personal enormity of last night's achievement.

"Honestly, right now I don't care," Dokic said, close to tears.

"No matter what happens, I hope to play well."

The three-set victory over Chakvetadze is important for several
reasons. From a tennis-perspective, it proves Dokic still has the
game to match it with the sport's elite, for Chakvetadze is a
significant talent who reached a career-high ranking of five in 2007:
the year she reached her maiden Major semi-final in the US.

By reaching the third round, Dokic will receive a significant
rankings-boost from her position of #187, which will further her
chances of gaining entry into the year's remaining Majors.

It will also boost her chances of landing sponsorships to ease the
financial burden.

Following Dokic's opening-round win over Austrian Tamira Paszek, she
was coy when asked about wearing Fila-clothing a fortnight after
appearing in Adidas-apparel in Brisbane, describing it as a "work in
progress".

The quality of the 25-year-old's strokeplay from the baseline, and
her ability to overcome problems in the second and third sets, should
further her cause when pushing for new deals.

Dokic proved early on that she had benefited from her three-set
opening-round win over Paszek - her first Major match in three years -
with her powerful groundstrokes finding their mark early.

But it was Chakvetadze who made the initial move, establishing an
advantage when breaking Dokic in the seventh game of the first set.

Dokic, who steadily improved her ranking on the ITF circuit last
year - after controversially missing out on a wild card into the 2008
Australian Open - showed she was ready for the occasion by breaking
immediately.

She continued that momentum to claim the first set, her groundstrokes
carrying the power and accuracy that once saw her labelled a
legitimate contender to win a Major.

While Chakvetadze is an élite talent, a weakness is her renowned
volatility, and it appeared this could hinder her chances of fighting
back.

Dokic was outstanding early in the second set, achieving her second
break to reach a 4-1 lead, but a lack of match-play at the upper
echelon told as she struggled to put her 21-year-old opponent away.

Twice the Australian moved to within two points of claiming the match
in straight sets, with only inches defying her on the second try, as
attempts at outright winners narrowly missed the line.

The lack of match-craft was pivotal with Dokic trailing at 3/4 in the
second set tiebreak. After opening up the court, the Australian
overplayed a simple forehand to gift the world No.18 the advantage
she needed to level the match.

Dokic refused to lament the missed opportunity, breaking immediately
in the third.

However, an Achilles' problem that caused Dokic to withdraw from an
event in Hobart last week seemed a concern as the former world No.4
led 2-0, with a trainer called to the court at the next change of
ends.

But it proved little hindrance, with Dokic's court-coverage a feature
as she maintained the pressure on her younger opponent by
successfully chasing balls from one side to the other.

While Dokic squandered two match-points at 5-3, it was the Russian
that faltered, serving successive double faults to hand the
Australian a memorable victory.

"It was unbelievable," she said.

"No matter what happens from here, it is an amazing experience, and a
moment I will not forget for a long time.

"I really wanted to put in a good performance... and things started
going my way, and then I got nervous, but this crowd really pulled me
through."
<<<

--------------------------------------
3. Women's Doubles: First-round result (Thursday 22nd January 2009)
--------------------------------------

- Anna Chakvetadze [EF]/Alisa Kleybanova
lt. CARA BLACK/LIEZEL HUBER [1], 2-6 3-6

------------------------
4. More reports to come!
------------------------

This completes Phase 1 of my Australian Open 2009 reports - the daily
reports while the tournament was running, and then tending to the
fallen.

Phase 2 is to finish the full BBC TV-reports for my Eternal Fanship
over the coming weekends. This includes Anna's first-round match
against Anne Keothavong (ETA 8th February 2009).

Phase 3 is to order other matches involving my Eternal Fanship from
Tennis Videos International
<http://www.users.bigpond.com/tennisvideos1/> when the 2009 tennis-
season is over, and to write up full TV-reports over the Christmas-
holidays. This includes Anna's second-round match with Jelena Dokic
(ETA 27th December 2009).

The above dates are pessimistic estimates, and are subject to change
in either direction. I am bound by my vows of Eternal Fanship to
complete Phase 2, but Phase 3 is an optional extra, as I have not
actually vowed to order any matches from Tennis Videos international,
nor vowed to write them up if I do.

I did consider ordering the Phase 3 matches immediately after the
Australian Open, but due to the large number of matches versus the
limited time I'll have to write them up, and me having a significant
backlog coming out of the Australian Open, that plan is scratched...
probably (my Passion says "order them now", but my Reason says "wait
until the off-season").

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://tinyurl.com/andrewbroad-chakv