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Jelena Dokic
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AUSTRALIAN teenager Jelena Dokic got a sound preparations for the upcoming Grand Slam Australian Open in Hong Kong on Saturday when she toppled top seed Russian Anna Kournikova in straight sets to win the first title of the new year at 2001 Hong Kong women's tennis challenge.
Dokic beat Kournikova 7-6 (7-3) and 6-3 in 80 minutes.
“I am very happy right now. There are still some things to be worked on but I have gotten a few matches here which is great - some really tough ones and mentally and physically I feel really good out there, ” said the 17-year-old Australian, who was born in Belgrade.
The two teenagers broke each other three times in the first set and Dokic fought back from 3-5 down to turn the match into tie breaker with her steady hard ground strokes.
“That was the key to the match - whoever won the first set - it was going to be pretty tough to turn it around, ” said Dokic, ranked 25 in the world and third seed in this challenge.
The second set saw Dokic totally controlled the match before she led all the way to 5-1. Though world number eight Kournikova secured her serve in the seventh game and broke Dokic's game in the next, it was too late for her to turn the table as Dokic sealed the match at 6-3.
In the doubles final, Dokic teamed with Olga Barabanschikova of Belarus came from behind to overwhelm Anna Kournikova and American Lisa Rymond with a score of 8-5.
The four-day invitational tournament features eight players ranked in top one hundred. (Xinhua)
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