Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated compatriot Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2 in the final of the French Open today. It was a comfortable 59-minute win for Myskina, by three months the older of the two 22-year-olds from Moscow, quickly putting a nervy start behind her to dominate proceedings from the baseline.
Dementieva, like Myskina in her first Grand Slam final, appeared to be terrified at the prospect and her powder-puff serve in particular badly let her down with 10 double faults. Myskina double-faulted to lose her opening service game but in the following game, Dementieva was a bundle of nerves double faulting three times as Myskina broke back to level. She then rattled off the next five games with ease to take the set as Dementieva tried to switch tactics by attacking the net only to find herself either passed at will or let down by her overheads and volleys.
The crowd on the Philippe Chatrier centre court tried to lift Dementieva but there was no way back as she dropped the first two games of the second set, Myskina breaking with a backhand lob that left her taller opponent stranded at the net.
The double faults continued to plague Dementieva as she slipped to love-40 in the fifth game although she finally put some form together to win five points in a row to get to 2-3. But an assured-looking Myskina maintained her composure to hold for 4-2 and then broke again in the next game after two more double-fault gifts from Dementieva.
Myskina then staved off a break point when serving for the match and wrapped up her first Grand Slam title when Dementieva hit a forehand long.
Filed by Mark O'Neill-Cummins
