Mauresmo had four tournament victories in 2001 under her belt and had the best record of any player on tour. Dokic, always mercurial, was the 14th seed in the tournament and playing in her first WTA final.
But after pulling out a first-set tiebreaker, Dokic bombed Mauresmo 6-1 in the second set to pick up the win.
The victory was enough to install Dokic as a dark-horse candidate at Roland Garros, and may provide a nice momentum boost for a player whose on-court achievements have largely been overshadowed by off-court strangeness.
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The streak is dead |
The final at the ATP tournament in Hamburg last week was no less shocking than Dokic's win in Rome. Juan Carlos Ferrero had won 16 matches in a row and appeared poised to cruise to another title. But fellow Spaniard Albert Portas , a qualifier, somehow managed to grind out a 4-6, 6-2, 0-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory. Portas called it "the best day of my life," and who can argue after he beat the world's hottest player to win his first ATP singles title?
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Missing Anna |
She certainly wouldn't have won the tournament, but it would have been interesting to see Anna Kournikova make a triumphant return to play at the French Open. But alas, the Russian will not be in Paris, pulling out last week to rest the same foot injury that has nagged her for months. Kournikova hasn't played since February, and has pulled out of every major tournament since the Ericsson Open in March. Then again, it may be smarter for Kournikova to come back on a surface she's a little more comfortable with, like grass.
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Number of tournaments Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge have played
doubles in this year, reaching the final in each of them. The duo has three
titles, including last week in Hamburg. |
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ACE
Spain The country that loves its clay again saw its favorite sons dominate
a Masters Series tournament. Three of the four semifinalists in Hamburg were
Spaniards, with two meeting in the final. |
DOUBLE FAULT
Juan Carlos Ferrero Yes, he should be lauded for his amazing run over the last month, but the Spaniard had to keep the Wimbledon seeding controversy
alive by saying last week that he still may boycott the tournament. Let it go, already. |
ACE
Barbara Rittner It took nearly 10 years, but the German finally won another WTA title. Rittner captured the Benelux Open last week, winning for the first time since a victory in Schenectady, N.Y., in 1992. |
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Portas has effectively ended his days as a qualifier, jumping 22 spots in the
Entry System rankings to No. 20 this week. Albert Costa also made a big leap, going from No. 53 to No. 35. |
Stanford's women are back on top after an upset loss in last year's NCAA final. The Cardinal rolled past upstart Vanderbilt 4-0 in Monday's final at Stone Mountain, Ga., to complete a 30-0 season. It was the Cardinal's 11th national title.
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Former pro Aaron Krickstein has discovered life after tennis-as a caddie. Krickstein's 12-year-old niece, Morgan Pressel , qualified for the U.S. Open last week, shooting a 2-under 70 with Krickstein carrying her bag. |
While Stanford's women captured the NCAA title, the Cardinal men were upset Monday looking to defend their championship in Athens, Ga. The team final is scheduled for Wednesday, with No. 2 seed UCLA and host Georgia now the top contenders.
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Fans in England will have an unprecedented amount of choices in television viewing during Wimbledon next month. The BBC is offering its digital TV subscribers a package that will allow them to pick which match they want to watch. The top five matches in progress at any given time will be available on five different channels, and viewers can watch any or all of them. |
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"I don't want to make him rich." |
Struggling Russian Marat Safin , explaining why he's calming down on court after coach Mats Wilander decided to fine him $100 for each racket he breaks.
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"It's really nice to win that first title. This isn't a small one either, and hopefully it won't be the last."
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Jelena Dokic after her win in Rome. |
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This week - ATP Tour |
The World Team Cup in Dusseldorf, Germany-a mini-Davis Cup type of event-features several top players from the eight participating countries. Other players are in St. Poelten, Austria for their final French Open warm-ups, including Andrei Pavel and Marcelo Rios . |
This week - WTA Tour |
Two smaller tournaments complete the clay-court preparations for Paris. Amanda Coetzer and Nathalie Tauziat lead the field in Strasbourg, while Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Monica Seles are in Madrid. |
Next week - ATP Tour |
It's finally time for the year's second Grand Slam, the French Open. |
| Next week - WTA Tour |
The women also head to Roland Garros.
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