I decided to start that preview with a question: What do Jelena and I have in common? Jelena Kostanic caused both of us more problems as we thought.

 Jelena played the no 194 (at that time) for the first time back in 2001 in Vienna. Her first match on clay after wimbledon, and she won the first set as expected 6-1. Things went strange as Jelena needed a tie-break to finish the match, and even more strange as she lost it! As Mrs. Dokic was down 2-0 in set three there was a massive rain delay, the match was re-sheduled for the following day, and the desaster started! Jelena lost 4 straight games, whithout being near to score in one single game! Jelena lost to a player she did not even think she could loose to! She lost the decisive set 0-6! And she shocked her young and growing fan-community at Jelena-Dokic.com!

 My problems with Kostanic? Well, actually I like writing about unknown players more, as I do like writing about stars. I was looking forward for todays work, but I found nothing, nothing, nothing..... nothing at all about her!

 Kostanic has no web-site (http://kostanic.tripod.com/ is only showing one pic of her), and other sites have no proper information about her, and that bit of information I found is contradictory.

 So I guess she is a left-handed player (about 70% say that, for 30% of sites she playes with her right hand), she is either 1.68 or 1.69 meters (5`6" or 5`7"). Jelena is born in Split, Croatia, on 6 July 1981 and lives either still there or in Zagreb, Croatia, but at least I know for sure that she is currently no 83 of the world, and that she has never won a wta-tournament, but I found different informations about ITF-Titles again :-(

 Her biggest success in 2001 as well as in her career, which started 1999, was reaching the semis in Vienna 2001 ( ..... :-( ..... ) , where Patty Schnyder stopped her brilliant run. 1999 was also the year where Jelena and Jelena met first (as far as I know). Dokic won the qualification match for Linz 7-6 and 6-3.

 For their third meeting, about 15 months ago at Strasbourgh i predicted Jelena (Dokic) should have no problems at all with Jelena (Kostanic), but the scoreline of 4-6, 6-4 and 6-3 showed that this time, it was up to Jelena again, to have problems with the 22 year old kroat.

 And actually i should write now, that Mrs. Dokic shouldn`t have a problem beating a player who beat as famous girls as Sonja Jayaseelan in the qualification, lost the first round at the US-Open, and couldnt qualify for any recent tournament, which was played on a fast court.

 But i know that both Jelena and me have always had major problems with Kostanic, and i just hope i am wrong with my prediction, once again :-)