[maximus82]

Bah...so I come back from class just as the Vee-Elena match has ended...and find out that my tape ran out mid-way through the 3rd set. But I'm going to watch and write up a point-by-point anyway...if any of you didn't get to see the match either and want to know how the first 3/4s of the match went, enjoy!

Bah...so I come back from class just as the Vee-Elena match has ended...and find out that my tape ran out mid-way through the 3rd set. But, I'm going to watch the tape anyway and will type a point-by-point as I do, just in case anybody who (like me) didn't get to watch the match wants to see how things played out in the first 3/4s of the match.

Dementieva to serve, 0-0:
FH netted by Elena on 8-9 ball rally...0-15
Service winner down the tee...15-15
9-10 ball rally, FH shanked waay long by Venus...30-15
2nd serve hits the net goes out, double fault...30-30
Service winner out wide...40-30
Double fault...40-40
Foot fault, then a double fault...Ad. Williams
FH in the net off the williams return...Game Williams...THREE doubles in this game along...yuk...

Venus to serve, up a break 1-0:
Venus hits deep crosscourt bh off the return, forced bh error...15-0
Venus fh goes a foot long off elena's return...15-15
Clean FH down the line return winner by elena...15-30
Elena goes for a big fh return, sends it way long...30-30
Elena misses the return long...40-30
Double fault...40-40
Nice slice wide ace...Ad. Williams
Venus FH goes long after 4 ball rally...40-40
Venus hits a bh down the line in the net after the return...Ad Elena
Double fault...Game Dementieva...TWO doubles here...bad serving all around!

Dementieva to serve, on serve 1-1:
Venus goes for big FH down the line on the second serve return, nets it...15-0
Double fault..15-15
7-8 ball rally, elena scrambles well, venus nets an overhead...30-15
7-8 ball rally, Venus hits a down the line bh winner...30-30
Netted bh return...40-30
Double fault...40-40
12 ball rally, elena hitting the corners, but venus is scrambling well, elena ends up getting a vee fh forced error...ad Elena
6-7 ball rally ends with an elena unforced error bh in the net...40-40
Venus hits a fh down the line just wide after a decent rally...ad. Elena
Elena running fh down the line passing shot goes just wide...40-40
Venus hits a big bh down the line winner early in the rally...ad. Williams
Big hitting rally ends with a Venus fh in the net, Elena was dictating...40-40
Venus goes for a big return, goes long...ad. Elena
Venus bh goes wide after a big inside out fh from the russian...Game Dementieva

Venus to serve, on serve 1-2:
Elena hits a fh down the line passing shot, after venus is forced in off a let cord...0-15
Service winner down the tee...15-15
Venus BH just long early in the rally...15-30
Elena blocked BH return goes just wide...30-30
Service winner down the tee...40-30
Elena comes to net on a short ball, hits a screaming fh, forces a fh error...40-40
HUGE fh return off the 2nd serve, Venus gets to it, but can't control...Ad. Elena
Elena return of serve way long...40-40
Elena shanks a fh return...ad Williams
Venus hits a bh volley winner after running elena around...Game williams

Dementieva to serve, on serve 2-2:
Venus shanks return into net...15-0
Stunning fh rally...venus hits the fh down the line...elena gets to it but nets it...15-15
FH return of serve netted...30-15
Double fault...30-30
FH return of serve goes quite long...40-30
FH return of serve in the net...Game Elena

Venus to serve, on serve 2-3:
A good rally ends with a fh force error on elena's part...15-0
Big fh winner from Elena to Venus's bh side...15-15
Big fh return winner down the line...15-30
Venus nets fh down the line off the return...15-40
FH netted by Venus after a 12 ball rally that was actually pretty nice quality...Break Elena

Elena to serve, up a break 4-2:
Double Fault...0-15
Big return from Venus, bh netted by elena...0-30
Venus BH long after 5 ball rally...15-30
WOW, big bh (80 mph) crosscourt passing shot after Venus hits a mediocre fh approach shot...30-30
Venus misses a fh down the line return wide...40-30
6-7 ball rally ends when venus goes for a fh down the line that goes barely wide...Game Dementieva

Venus to serve, down a break 2-5:
FH return goes a bit long...15-0
BH down the line goes wide off the return...15-15
BIG forehand cross court rally ends with a Elena down the line attempt netted...30-15
BH showdown for 10 strokes, elena ends up running around it and hitting a big inside out fh winner..30-30
Wide slice ace...40-30
Venus has a let cord goes against her early in the rally...40-40
Missed return...ad williams
Big serve to the body, bh return hits net...Game williams

Elena to serve, up a break 5-3:
Deep FH winner up the line off the 2nd serve...0-15
Deep shot by Elena forces the error...15-15
FH inside out winner after 7-8 ball rally...she is hitting the corner consistently with this shot, it's pretty awesome...30-15
Venus BH goes quite long after a decent rally...40-15
Venus FH down the line is in the net on the 5th ball of the rally...Game Set Dementieva

[DEETHELICK]

Thanks very much for this! It really is interesting to read, especially for us that didn't see the match. I'd like to know what happened with Venus' injury!

Good luck tomorrow Elena!

[maximus82]

Second Set:
Venus to serve, on serve 0-0:
Elena hits a bh in the net on the 5th ball in the rally...15-0
11-12 ball rally ends with a Dementieva fh just long...30-0
Deep Dementieva return elicits a venus error in the net..30-15
BH winner down the line after 6-7 balls...40-15
FH down the line netted by Venus off the return...40-30
Service winner down the tee...Game Venus

Elena to serve, on serve 0-1:
Venus fh in the net after 4-5 ball rally...15-0
Loooong rally ends with a fh down the line winner by elena...30-0
FH down the line netted by the russian...30-15
Venus was in control of the point, got to net, hit a mediocre volley, elena speed to it and hits a down the line bh winner...40-15
BH crosscourt netted by venus on the 3rd ball of the rally...Game Elena

Venus to serve, on serve 1-1:
Service winner...15-0
Down the tee, on the line ace...30-0
Forehand down the line winner on the 4th ball of the rally...30-15
Ace out wide...40-15
Elena fh long on the 7th ball of the rally...Game Williams

Elena to serve, on serve 1-2:
FH return of 2nd serve goes way long...15-0
Venus FH goes long on 5th ball of the rally...30-0
Elena down the line bh goes way wide onthe 8th ball...30-15
FH inside out winner that Vee couldn't even go for...40-15
Elena BH goes just long on 6th ball of the rally...40-30
Venus get in control of the point with her BH, gets to net, kills a bh swinging volley...40-40
Venus gets a deep fh down the line return, then hits a fh dtl winner off elena's chip back...ad williams
Double fault..Break Williams

Venus to serve, up a break 3-1:
FH return netted off big 1st serve...15-0
Double fault...15-15
Venus goes for a big fh crosscourt winner, goes long...15-30
Venus FH down the line goes in the middle of the net on ball 5 of the rally..15-40
Venus FH long on the 7th ball of the rally...Break Elena

Elena to serve, on serve 2-3:
FH return in the net...15-0
Venus BH down the line goes wide on ball 4 of rally...30-0
Double Fault...30-15
Venus FH down the line on ball 4 of the rally...40-15
Venus FH return goes long...Game Elena

Venus to serve, on serve 3-3:
Venus fh down the winner off the block back fh return...15-0
FH return goes way long...30-0
Venus BH hits the net and comes back to her on the return...30-15
Elena BH down the line in the net on 8th ball...40-15
Venus FH down the line winner off of the return...Game Venus

Elena to serve, on serve 3-4:
Venus badly off balance, hits fh way long on ball 8 of the rally...15-0
Venus BH in the net on ball 4...30-0
Venus hits a deep volley that forces a bh error...30-15
Venus bh volley sails long...40-15
Venus fh down the line sails wide on ball 4 of the rally...game elena

Venus to serve, on serve 4-4:
Elena hits good cc bh, venus down the line attempt in the net...0-15
Elena fh return sails wide...15-15
Venus sends a fh long off of the return...15-30
Elena big fh inside out elicits a forced bh error...15-40
Elena bh return just long...30-40
Venus sends a fh long (had an opening for a winner) on ball 9 of the rally...Break Elena

Elena to serve for the match, up a break 5-4:
Loooong rally ends with a Venus bh down the line slightly wide...15-0
Venus gets Elena on the run...Elena nets a bh...15-15
Vee hits a great running bh down the line, Elena gets to it but has no hope of keeping it in...15-30
Another long rally, Elena hits a backhand long...15-40
Elena big fh off the return, Venus sends bh sailing...30-40
Elena sprays a fh off the return...Break Williams

Williams to serve, on serve 5-5:
Ace out wide...15-0
Elena bh return down the line wide off the 1st serve...30-0
Elena fh return of the 2nd serve goes long...40-0
Double fault...40-15
Elena bh goes out on ball 4 of the rally...Game Williams

Dementieva to serve, on serve 5-6:
Elena BH in the net on ball 8 or 9...0-15
Totally unforced bh return error...15-15
Elena fh approach off the short return goes JUST long...15-30
Elena hits a fh cc winner on the sideline on ball 4, Venus rolls her ankle at the end of the point...30-30
<<Long injury time out>>
Vee is back on her feet, jumping around, doesn't look too bad. Venus runs in and hits a huge FH winner off a Dementieva floater...30-40
Big bh dtl return off the second serve causes a dementieva fh to sail long...Break Set Williams.

[Hantuchov]

Thank you, man!

[maximus82]

Set 3:

On the injury - Venus hit a kind of jumping forehand thing and appeared to land on her right ankle a bit funky...she looked in pain immediately afterwards and limped to her chair, but did look better after getting her ankle and foot taped by the trainer. The trainer gave it another look in between the sets.

Venus to serve, 0-0:
Long rally, venus gets to net, elena hits fh down the line pass wide...15-0
Venus hits fh winner down the line off a elena bh that pops up after hitting the net...30-0
The ankle doesn't show any effect on Venus's movement...she even seems to be moving a bit better even...Longish rally, venus sprays a bh wide...30-15
Service winner, jammer at 115...40-15
Venus runs Elena, Elena scrambles really well, but Vee comes in and puts away a swinging bh volley...Game Venus

Elena to serve, on serve 0-1:
7-8 ball rally, Elena shanks a bh...0-15
Venus fh crosscourt winner on ball 5...0-30
Venus fh in the net after a long down the middle rally...15-30
Vee hits a big fh return on the second serve, Elena forced error...15-40
Dementieva bh off the return goes long...Break Venus

Venus to serve, up a break 2-0:
Big serve, elena return goes way wide...15-0
Vee fh off the return goes wrong...15-15
Shanked return...30-15
Elena fh goes way long on ball 5 of the rally...40-15
Venus fh crosscourt paints the line off the return...Game Venus

Elena to serve, down a break 0-3:
Venus fh return goes wide...15-0
Elena bh down the line winner off the return...30-0
Elena bh down the line winner on the 7th ball of the rally...40-0
Venus just lands a fh return, force error elena...40-15
Venus return goes way long...Game Elena
(venus is now hitting her groundies harder than elena...she wasn't pre-injury)

Venus to serve, up a break 1-3:
Elena scrambles, Venus nets an easy bh swinging volley...0-15
Elena bh goes long on ball 8...15-15
Long rally, Elena fh in the corner, Venus forced error into the net, falls upon hitting the shot...15-30
Double fault...15-40
Elena bh deep return of 2nd serve just long...30-40
Big first serve, elena get the baseline twice, then slams a fh crosscourt winner...Break Elena...

Elena to serve, on serve 2-3:
Elena bh winner off the return...15-0
Loooong rally...ends with a vee forehand sailing...the quality of the match is actually quite good now...30-0
Venus fh return of 1st serve sails...40-0
Venus down the line bh winner on ball 10...40-15


and that's all folks...believe me, I'm sorry about not getting the rest of the last set

[Kabezya]

Well I know Venus lost, but I hope she takes a close look at this match and decides where to go from there. She can defnitely learn from it.

Congrats to Elena for winning.

[Doc]

Thanks a lot for the report.