Dokic shines between showers
Tennis: Jelena Dokic conquered a four-hour mid-match rain delay, a lapse in concentration, and a heavy serving bombardment from the surprising Eleni Danillidou, before reaching the semi-finals of the DFS Classic yesterday.
Jelena Dokic conquered a four-hour mid-match rain delay, a lapse in concentration, and a heavy serving bombardment from the surprising Eleni Danillidou before reaching the semi-finals of the DFS Classic yesterday.
The top-seeded Yugoslav also had to survive a tight finish before overcoming the effective Greek 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Dokic was within a point of going two breaks down in the first set and squeezed out the result with just one break of serve, achieved in the last game.
"I lost concentration in the second set which was bad, but I held serve comfortably in the third so I was pleased with that," Dokic said.
However, that crucial break in the final set owed something to a low bounce and a net cord, while the outcome, which could easily have gone the other way, illustrated how different grass-court tennis is from other forms of the game.
Almost as big a battle however had been in coping with the delay.
"It was difficult to know whether to eat or not and everyone was feeling sleepy," Dokic said.
She now meets America's Lisa Raymond, who progressed when Clarisa Fernandez retired at 2-4 with a strained left knee.
ˇ You've read the piece, now have your say. Email your comments, as sharp or as stupid as you like, to the sport.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk.
The top-seeded Yugoslav also had to survive a tight finish before overcoming the effective Greek 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Dokic was within a point of going two breaks down in the first set and squeezed out the result with just one break of serve, achieved in the last game.
"I lost concentration in the second set which was bad, but I held serve comfortably in the third so I was pleased with that," Dokic said.
However, that crucial break in the final set owed something to a low bounce and a net cord, while the outcome, which could easily have gone the other way, illustrated how different grass-court tennis is from other forms of the game.
Almost as big a battle however had been in coping with the delay.
"It was difficult to know whether to eat or not and everyone was feeling sleepy," Dokic said.
She now meets America's Lisa Raymond, who progressed when Clarisa Fernandez retired at 2-4 with a strained left knee.
ˇ You've read the piece, now have your say. Email your comments, as sharp or as stupid as you like, to the sport.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk.
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- Damir may disappear but Jelena suffers still
- Dokic banishes her mother and father
- Nervy Dokic Through to Last 16
- Dokic Fails to Throw Down the Gauntlet
- Dokic furious over centre-court snub
- Dokic cruises to first grass title
- TENNIS: Father Doesn't Know Best In Dokic's Case
- Picture the legend in making Maria Sharapova
- Tennis: Interview - Amélie Mauresmo
- Tennis: Wimbledon the Missing Peace in a Tumultous Life Story