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JPMORGAN CHASE OPEN (Los Angeles, California, hard, WTA Tier II)
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Photos of Daniela (and recent opponents):
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=hantuchova

The Daniela photos at higher quality / More Daniela photos:
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=183807

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Semi-finals
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+ DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9] d. ELENA DEMENTIEVA [3], 6-3 6-4

Wow, what an amazing win for Daniela! She didn't lose her serve all
match, won 85% of the points when she got her first serve in, mixed
aggressive play with dropshots, and hit 20 clean winners.

I didn't get to see the match myself, but from the descriptions I've
read, it was as good a performance as Daniela has ever played in her
career - not just technically but also mentally. As I followed the
scores, there were several times when I expected her to choke (based
on my previous score-following experiences), but she came through
all the important games with flying colours.

It was Daniela's third win in nine meetings with Dementieva - the
other two came just five days apart, in SF Filderstadt 2002
(6-3 6-2) and 2r Zurich 2002 (3-6 7-6 7-6). It's a sweet revenge for
Daniela's 7-5 5-7 6-4 loss to Dementieva in 3r Australian Open 2005.

The last time Daniela had such a big win was in the semi-finals of
Eastbourne 2004, where she beat world #4 Amélie Mauresmo 4-6 6-4 6-4
(Dementieva is #6 - the highest-ranked player Daniela has beaten
since then). It's Daniela's 10th ever win over a top-ten player.


My sources for this report:

Scores-thread:
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=185043&page=2

WTA Tour article (with Daniela photo):
http://www.wtatour.com/newsroom/stories/NewsArticle_7787_rx.asp

Articles from Yahoo! Sports: Tennis:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/


First Set
---------
HANTUCHOVÁ * *@* * * 6
DEMENTIEVA _*___* *_ 3

The match started at 13:10 PDT.

Daniela serving 0-0: held to love with an ace on the third point.
Dementieva serving 0-1: held to 15.
Daniela serving 1-1: held to 30. Serving well so far.
Dementieva serving 1-2: broken to 15 after Daniela hit a powerful
error-forcing backhand, a backhand winner and a forehand return-
winner.

Daniela serving 3-1: held to 15. Daniela playing really well.
Dementieva serving 1-4: held to 30.
Daniela serving 4-2: Ace at 0/15, and held to 15.

Dementieva serving to stay in the first set at 2-5: Daniela missed a
forehand return. 15/0. Dementieva backhand pass-winner. 30/0.
Daniela punished Dementieva's slow serve with an "AMAZING" forehand
return-winner. 30/15. Daniela backhand very long. 40/15. Dementieva
held.

Daniela serving for the first set at 5-3: Daniela forced Dementieva
to net a backhand. 15/0. Return long. 30/0. Dementieva crosscourt
backhand winner. 30/15. Dementieva backhand winner down the line.
30/30. Dementieva dominated the rally but netted a forehand. 40/30
(SP). Service-winner. Daniela won the first set 6-3 at 13:43.
No "Hantu-choke-ová" so far! :-)

Eurosport: "The Slovak is back at a great level and the most
impressive thing in her game is her serve."


Second Set
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HANTUCHOVÁ _* *@* * * 6
DEMENTIEVA * *___* *_ 4

Dementieva serving 0-0: 40/15 -> 40/40. Dementieva forehand winner
on the sideline - Daniela argued with the umpire. Advantage
Dementieva. Daniela netted a forehand.

Daniela serving 0-1: Daniela forehand winner down the line. 15/0.
15/15. 30/15. Daniela forehand just long - argued with the umpire
again. 30/30. Another bad call against Daniela. 30/40 (BP).
Daniela "amazing defensive lob". 40/40. "Awful backhand down the
line by Dementieva with enormous shriek". Advantage Daniela. Service-
winner. Daniela asked for the offending lineswoman to be replaced,
and she was.

Eurosport: "Hantuchová has improved a lot in the last few weeks,
especially on the mental aspect."

Dementieva serving 1-1: held to 15.
Daniela serving 1-2: Daniela backhand winner down the line, but
40/15 -> 40/40. Service-winner. Advantage Daniela. Backhand winner
down the line. Daniela missing too many first serves, and serving
too much to the backhand.

Dementieva serving 2-2: Daniela attacked Dementieva's slow serve
with a forehand and volley-winner. 15/15... Lovely sliced volley-
winner by Daniela. 30/30. 40/30. 40/40. Daniela "AMAzing" angled
forehand return-winner. Advantage Daniela (BP). Dementieva saved it
with a forehand winner. Deuce #2. Weird sliced serve. Advantage
Dementieva. Double fault. Deuce #3. Advantage Daniela (BP #2).
"Worse serve EVER and Daniela puts it wide." Deuce #4. Dementieva
forehand winner. Advantage Dementieva. Daniela error-forcing
backhand down the line. Deuce #5. Advantage Daniela (BP #3).
Dementieva saved it with a backhand winner. Deuce #6. Dementieva
netted a forehand and shrieked. Advantage Daniela (BP #4). Daniela
broke with an off-forehand winner! :-) A very important game for her
to win.

Daniela serving 3-2: "amazing" service-game to hold to love.
Dementieva serving 2-4: held to 15.

Daniela serving 4-3: Daniela forehand long. 0/15. Dementieva
dropshot-winner. 0/30. Dementieva backhand just wide. 15/30. Daniela
whacked a crosscourt forehand winner into the corner. 30/30. Daniela
netted a forehand. 30/40 (BP). "Dani holds her nerve". 40/40.
Service-winner out wide. Advantage Daniela. Ace out wide. A very
important hold for Daniela, given her tendency to choke! ;-)

Dementieva serving to stay in the match at 3-5: "Awful forehand off
an awful serve". 15/0. Dementieva forehand winner down the line.
30/0. Double fault. 30/15. Dementieva error-forcing backhand. 40/15.
Daniela backhand long.

Daniela serving for the match at 5-4: Please don't choke now! "Nice
Swinging FH volley forces Elena long". 15/0. Daniela good dropshot.
30/0. Dementieva forehand wide. 40/0 (3 MPs). Daniela won 6-3 6-4 at
14:39 (1h 29m).


Daniela quotes
--------------

"This was probably the best I've played against her. I was expecting
a tough one so I'm very happy with my result. I'm trying to make
sure I do the right things and not go for stupid shots and most of
all, have fun.

"It feels great, it's very exciting to be in the finals again. I
feel like I had a great summer so far. I hope to keep the momentum
going. Everything feels good at the moment. I hope to keep enjoying
it.

"We always have great matches. I was expecting another one today.
She's a great player and makes you work really hard. But I was
really glad the way I hung in there and played the important points
well.

"This was one of the best I've played against her. I've played some
tough matches against her in the past, and have felt close to
beating her. I just tried to step it up a little bit today. I went
for my shots, was aggressive and at the same time be a little more
smarter. I'm just really, really happy to be through this one."


On her personal trainer:
"I don't waste any more of my time. I've really been working on my
movement. It makes such a difference knowing I can hit that one
extra shot. That makes life much more easier. When I was under
pressure, I managed to hang in the points and it gave me a lot of
confidence, because I didn't need to go for my shots so quickly."


Dementieva quotes
-----------------

"She mixed it up with her serve very well and I couldn't break her.
She has a great serve, a very solid game, all she needs is to move
like she did today. She could be in the top five.

"I didn't play my best. She was playing very deep, she was
aggressive from the first point. She was hitting the ball deep and
didn't let me play my game. She moved me around very well, mixed it
up, mixed up her serve and I couldn't break her.

"I was playing kind of defensive all the time and that's what I
don't like to do. I think I started to play my game towards the end
of the match, but I think it was too late. I think this was the best
match I ever played against her."


The other semi-final:
* KIM CLIJSTERS [5] d. FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE [13], 6-2 6-4


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The Final (starts 14:00 PDT = 21:00 GMT = 22:00 BST)
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* DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [9] v KIM CLIJSTERS [5]

This is Daniela's first singles final on the WTA Tour since
Eastbourne 2004 (she lost 2-6 7-6 6-4 to Svetlana Kuznetsova), and
will be the fourth such final of her career.

Daniela lost to Kim Clijsters 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the Filderstadt 2002
final, but scored a spectacular 6-3 6-4 victory over world #4
Martina Hingis in the Indian Wells 2002 final - a victory that
seemed as improbable as it would be for her to beat Clijsters (the
form-player of American hard courts this year) today.


Daniela: "We've had some great matches. I just have to do what I did
today - be aggressive, go for my shots - and enjoy myself. I have to
stay tough mentally, try to do my best, and see what happens."


Clijsters: "I don't really think like that [being the heavy
favourite]. She's been playing some good tennis. I'll have to make
sure I'm playing aggressive, I have to make sure I'm moving her
around and don't let her go for her shots. She hits the ball very
powerful and flat.

"Even when she is playing her best tennis, I just have to hang in
there and be patient and wear her out. I played her a couple of
weeks ago in Stanford, and the first set was tough, so I have to
make sure that I hang in there. She is a good player, and I just
have to wait, be patient, and move her around."


Pod'me Daniela!

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danielahantuchova/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/