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ABC Online News - 07/01/01 : Sport : Tennis


      "Dokic claims first senior tournament"


      Jelena Dokic has claimed her first senior tennis tournament title but has 
      ensured Russian Anna Kournikova's trophy cabinet remains bare in the Hong 
      Kong's New Year exhibition tennis tournament final.

      The 17-year-old Australian edged ahead in a tight first set tie-breaker 
      and went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 after 80 minutes on court.

      The Belgrade-born Dokic, ranked No.25 in the world, was delighted to be in 
      early season form with the Australian Open just around the corner.

      "I am very happy right now," she said.

      "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.

      In a topsy-turvy first set, both Dokic and Kournikova were broken three 
      times each with the Russian double faulting six times, allowing the 
      Australian back into the match having been 5-3 down.

      "I lost my concentration after two love in the first when I had a break 
      and then she broke back," Dokic said.

      "She played very well and didn't miss anything and was forcing me the 
      whole time."

      After holding her serve, Dokic broke the Russian again to level the score 
      at 5-5.

      The games then went with serve through to the tie break, which proved to 
      be the turning point of the match.

      "I just played smart tennis, I attacked her serve and I just mixed it up," 
      Dokic said.

      "I made her play every shot and I think that was the difference in the 
      tiebreaker.

      "That was the key to the match, whoever won that first set, it was going 
      to be pretty tough to turn it around."

      But the world No.8 Russian showed some grit in the second set, coming from 
      a seemingly disastrous 5-1 down to save four match points in the seventh 
      game and then break Dokic in the next.

      However, Dokic served out to take the set and the match, her first victory 
      as a professional.

      A tired-looking Kournikova, who is yet to win a tournament title in her 
      career, admits she had simply "run out of energy" in the warm conditions, 
      after four days of intensive tennis.

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