Childhood friends Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva set up the first ever all-Russian Grand Slam showdown today by cruising into the French Open final in Paris. Sixth-seeded Myskina destroyed Jennifer Capriati's hopes of a second Roland Garros crown, to add to her 2001 title, with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of the American seventh seed.
Shortly beforehand, fellow Muscovite Dementieva, the ninth seed, won a poor quality, error-strewn semi-final 6-0, 7-5 against Argentinian 14th seed Paola Suarez. Their wins will guarantee a first ever Russian women's champion in Saturday's final after two previous failed attempts in the 107-year history of the event.
Myskina was a picture of cool control and concentration as her all-court game proved too much for 28-year-old Capriati who was on one of her distracted, bad-tempered days. Yet the stage had been set for the 2001 champion with her own defeat of Serena Williams in the quarter-finals, and the demise of Venus Williams, Amelie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin-Hardenne.
"Maybe there was too much hype for that match and I couldn't focus on the match today," said Capriati. "It was just a bad day today. She was serving at 50mph and normnally I would hit winners off them but it's very hard when you have to generate all the pace. "Normally, she plays a hard-hitting baseline game but today she tried something different and I was thrown off rhythm."
For Myskina it will be a first appearance in a Grand Slam final confirming her arrival amongst the elite of women's tennis after steady progress up the rankings over the last five years. For Capriati there will be despair at missing out on a golden opportunity to add to the three Grand Slam titles she has already and at 28 years, one of the oldest players on the tour, she may never again have a better chance.
Defeat for Suarez, best known for her world number one doubles partnership with Virginia Ruano Pascual, also put a dampener on Argentinian's efforts at these championships which have seen three of their players make the semi-finals of the men's singles.
The 22-year-old Dementieva breezed through the first set in just 27 minutes breaking serve three times as Suarez's game completely fell apart. The quality of the match further deteriorated in the second set with the opening six games all going against serve with Dementieva's double fault count quickly shooting up to eight before she held for the first time in the set to lead 4-3.
Friday's semi-finals were the first at a Grand Slam in four years not to feature Justine Henin-Hardenne, Kim Clijsters or the Williams sisters - and it showed. Suarez held for 4-4, broke to lead 5-4 but made a complete hash of serving for the set with a wild and wide forehand handing another break back to the Russian who then edged ahead with a winning drop shot to go 6-5. Typically of the match, the 27-year-old Argentinian then surrendered the match with her eighth double fault to put the Russian into the final.
Filed by James Boylan
