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Elena
Dementieva suffered a spectacular meltdown as Patty Schnyder fought her
way into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
The 12th-seeded Swiss woman fought back from a set and 4-0 down to end
the title hopes of the sixth-seeded Dementieva, winning 6-7 (6-8) 7-6
(7-4) 6-2 in 2hr 42min.
Dementieva admitted afterward she had thought victory was in the bag
after forging into such a commanding position.
"I
mean, what can I say?," she said, speaking in a barely audible whisper.
"I was 4-0, 30-0. You know, I didn't take my chance.
"What
I think, there is always a very important game, very important point in
a match. If you are not taking it, that can change the whole match. And
that's what happened today, I didn't take my advantage.
"Then
she just started to play well. I just think I lost my rhythm. I thought
it's over already."
Schnyder, whose coach and husband has no tennis background but used to
be a professional billiards player, said she had concentrated on trying
to win a point at a time after staring down defeat.
"I
was really frustrated with the first set because I think I was more
dominating the rallies," Schnyder, a semi-finalist last year, said.
"But
I couldn't really get it and win the important points because I was a
little nervous, a little tight. So I was frustrated up to 0-4.
"Then
I just kept going, tried to play one point at a time. Suddenly it was
close again."
Schnyder mixed up her game to good effect, tricking her opponent with
some well-executed dropshots.
Although Dementieva tried the same tactic now and then, Schnyder was
more effective in chasing them down.
Dementieva, who defeated Schnyder in the Sydney quarter-finals before
withdrawing from the tournament with heat illness, was the first to earn
game points on her serve.
But
although Schnyder was the first to hold, for 4-3, Dementieva also held
and then broke to lead 5-4 by forcing Schnyder to net a forehand.
Dementieva then held two set points, but hit the ball long on the first
and double-faulted on the second before Schnyder levelled at 5-5 with a
crosscourt winner.
Both
players then held to love before Dementieva claimed the tiebreak on her
fourth set point.
Schnyder, who began this season winning her ninth career title on the
Gold Coast, allowed her shoulders to slump a little after conceding the
set.
After
Dementieva held easily, she took a 2-0 lead on her seventh break point
and then gave up just one point in the next two games to lead 4-0.
The
Swiss left-hander then recovered her composure and staged a dramatic
fightback, breaking for 4-1 and again for 4-3 when a frustrated
Dementieva hit her fourth double-fault.
Dementieva next sent a forehand flying over the baseline to leave
Schnyder serving for the set, but after receiving treatment for a
blister on a big toe she broke to end Schnyders run and the set went to
a tiebreak.
Schnyder won that comfortably to take the match into a deciding set, but
a clumsy backhand into the net soon gave Dementieva encouragement and a
break for 2-1.
But
Schnyder responded by taking advantage of a suddenly error-prone
Dementieva, claiming the next five games and victory on her third match
point. |
