[BeaseHoca]

FROM WIMBLEDON – The anticipation of the major choke was there. Elena Dementieva had let go of a 6-1, 5-1 lead with shaky hands and slow feet. She wasn’t moving, couldn’t get her arm to explode through her groundstrokes, or to snap down on her serve.
It looked like Paris again, where Dementieva was up a set and 5-2 over Dinara Safina, held a match point at 5-3 and then pushed a backhand into the net.

“I was like, Oops, I did it again; I'm out of semifinals ,” she thought.

But this time, in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, it would different. She picked up the pace again in the second set tiebreaker and although Nadia Petrova won it with a strong net rushing and a backhand cracking display, Dementieva still had plenty of energy left. Sure, she has let go of two match points at 6-4, when Petrova tricked her with a couple sliced and then Dementieva couldn’t convert a backhand pass. Petrova then won the breaker 8-6 with two gorgeous reflex volleys and then went into a windful fist pump, looking good to enter her first Wimbledon semifinal.
But Dementieva, who when in good head space defines resiliency, wasn’t going to get bageled again like she did in the third set against Safina in Paris.

She looked angry at herself, not timid. She got off the chair and told herself that she had actually won the second set and that eased her nerves.
“That gave me some energy in the beginning of the third set. I didn't want to think. I forget immediately what happened to me because I remember this match against Dinara and I didn't play at all in the third set. Here I really didn't want to lose this match. Really was trying everything as possible to fight, to play, and be positive, and it really worked.”


And then she began to crank it up again. Her grunts contained little roars and she ran like a wild woman in dry summer grass. When Dementieva convinces foes to get into a track meet and she’s largely defending, she’s deadly, as she doesn’t over-think her shot selection

Rest of article:
http://www.tennisreporters.net/dementieva_070108.html

[bomondus]

She DID NOT say, "Oops, I did it again!" Did she?

Where's the cringe smiley?

[BeaseHoca]

I loved what she said, when she mentions that she began to tell herself that she had won the second set, and that calmed her down. Credit to her (or whoever advises her) for coming up with that as a way to deal with what had to be the potential of a huge case of the yips.

Bravo, Lena.

[BeaseHoca]

She DID NOT say, "Oops, I did it again!" Did she?

Where's the cringe smiley?

It's a direct quote from Cronin's interview, and he's a solid enough journalist that I have to beleive its true.

Hey, at least she didn't say "K-Fed, get me a Valium and some Stoli".

[avaiptutt]

I liked when Justin Gimelstob complimented her on her improved service mechanics, she was like

[bomondus]

I liked when Justin Gimelstob complimented her on her improved service mechanics, she was like

Probably just surprised he didn't hit on her.

[EntectCelpelm]

Probably just surprised he didn't hit on her.

LOL. "Elena, your serve is looking a little better, but how good are you at ironing?"

[Oberjej]

Hey, at least he didn't try to hook her up with his brother.

The incarcerated one.

[Emunsesoxmete]

I saw some of Elena's interview on TC. I'm glad she was able to laugh at herself over the disaster-waiting-to-happen.

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

LOL. "Elena, your serve is looking a little better, but how good are you at ironing?"

HAHAHA - TOO FUNNY!

[bomondus]

It's a direct quote from Cronin's interview, and he's a solid enough journalist that I have to beleive its true.

Hey, at least she didn't say "K-Fed, get me a Valium and some Stoli".

She said it. ESPN showed it. It was from her presser, I think.