Myskina defeats Dementieva for Roland Garros title

Anastasia Myskina was holding down her emotions after her long-term friend Elena Dementieva hits the ball long on Myskina’s first matchpoint. They had a friendly hug at the net, one holding her tears of sadness and the other holding her tears of joy.

When Myskina received her trophy she pulled her friend closer to her and still didn’t show much enjoyment for winning the first Grand Slam tournament. Later she expressed her emotions, "It's amazing because playing against my friend I had to hold my emotions in check,” she said.

Dementieva had problems all through the match although she broke Myskina’s first service game. "I was very tired and I was nervous," she said. "It was the first time in a Grand Slam final and it's a shame for me because it is my dream to win Roland Garros.

Elena Dementieva lost her first service as well after hitting three double faults. With too many unforced errors and double faults Dementieva never really had a chance winning this first Grand Slam final. 

“I think I was too nervous today. I couldn't play my game at all. I was waiting for this moment all my life, just couldn't handle this pressure. I was maybe too exciting today on the court. My concentration wasn't there. I couldn't even, you know, clearly see the ball. Just didn't apply my game at all.”

“You know, I was ‑‑ to be honest, I was rushing all the time. I couldn't stop myself and say, "Just stop, I have to change something." I was just losing point after point. Couldn't change anything, you know. Just wasn't me on the court today.”

Dementieva started to cry when she talked about the way she served. She was yelling to herself on court after she hits another sloppy double fault. She screamed ‘I hate my serve’ in Russian.

Both Russian players, who played for the same tennisclub ‘Spartak Moscow’, from the age of six and seven, said they were having problems playing each other. Dementieva said: “I prefer to play someone else in the final. Maybe it was better for me to play against Jennifer today”.

After Dementieva had shot her ball long Myskina could not believe she had won the French Open final. “I didn't really remember. I mean, it was out, but then everybody was quiet, and I was quiet. I was like, I don't know, maybe that was double‑fault or something. I don't really remember.”

They know each other from when they started hitting the balls and Myskina took advantage of knowing her friends weak points. “I used some weakness that I knew. She is not going to serve well when she is nervous, and I knew that, so I used that”.

Myskina was so nervous that she started to cry before the match in the locker room. She was calmed down by the physio and worked on her breathing. All the bottled up emotions came out before her first Grand Slam final.

Dementieva’s road to the final first started with defeating Mervana Jugic-Salkic from Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-6, 1-6 and 6-4. The runner up defeated Nicole Pratt of Australia in two sets 6-2 6-2. In the third round she defeats Israel’s Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi losing the first set on love. 0-6, 7-6, 6-1. Lindsay Davenport was hammered in the fourth round 6-1, 6-3. In the quarterfinals French favourite Amelie Mauresmo didn’t have a chance, she was also beaten in two 6-4, 6-3. In the semi-final the Argentine surprise Paola Suarez was steamrollered in the first set but fought back in the second, 6-0, 7-5.

The 2004 French Open Champion won what she called the key-match of the tournament against Alicia Molik who defeated her at the Fed Cup match in Moscow. She took revenge in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. In the second round Myskina defeats the Czech Barbora Strycova 6-0, 6-4. The next Czech on her road to the final was Denisa Chladkova who also left the court after playing two sets, 6-3, 7-6(7). Myskina had to overcome a matchpoint against compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, which gave her a confidence boost for her next match, 1-6, 6-4, 8-6. In an almost perfect quarterfinal match Myskina defeated title candidate Venus Williams in two sets 6-3, 6-4.  The next American, Jennifer Capriati was also easily beaten in the semi-final by a solid Anastasia Myskina who grew more confident with every match, 6-2, 6-2.

She is ready to celebrate her title with her friend Dementieva when they are back home in Moscow. “ Maybe not tonight but back at home we should go somewhere for sure”.