Final-ly! Jankovic Does It

No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia did something in her semifinal against No. 5 seed Elena Dementieva that no one else had been able to do the entire tournament – she won a set. Not only did she win one, she won two 6-4, 6-4 - putting her into the women’s final.
 
This is the first time Jankovic has reached a Grand Slam final and in the early goings of the semifinal, things looked a little iffy.
 
There was a sustained wind throughout the match that swirled around Arthur Ashe Stadium wreaking havoc with the player’s ability to control their serves and keep shots in play.
 
In the first game, Dementieva, who was this year’s Gold Medalist at the Beijing Olympics, quickly broke her opponent. Jankovic’s shots were continually too long, or too low and into the net. However, down 0-2, she steadied herself and held serve in the third game.
 
The women had numerous, extended crowd-pleasing rallies, each returning shots that appeared out-of-reach, eliciting loud oohs and aahs. On one occasion the ball went back and forth in excess of 10 times keeping the players on their toes and the fans fully engaged.
 
Game four was a protracted event with the women playing to deuce three times and Jankovic challenging two calls – both of which she lost, along with the game.
 
Dementieva, who last appeared in a US Open semifinal in 2006, remained consistent, with especially effective baseline shots. Early on, Jankovic was more uneven, but as the match progressed she found her rhythm, and almost at the same time, it seemed, Dementieva started to lose her way.
 
Both women showed impressive athleticism in their ability to move around the court and to react quickly to a variety of shots. Jankovic’s game featured the usual dramatics that she is known for – doing splits, sliding to the ground and then staying there for several seconds at a time in an apparent effort to pull herself together.
 
Fighting to keep Dementieva from serving for the set, Jankovic broke and then held serve to put the set at 4-4. After receiving a time violation, she broke and then held to take the first set.
 
In the second set, Dementieva pulled ahead as she had done in the first, but serving at 3-2, she could not hold and the set took on a similar pattern as the first, with Jankovic eventually evening things out at three all, before going ahead 4-3.
 
Ultimately the 23-year-old reached 5-3 with Dementieva serving, and after allowing her Russian opponent only one point in the game Jankovic goes to her first Grand Slam Final.
 
Match Facts:

• This was Jankovic's third Grand Slam semifinal of 2008. The only one she missed was Wimbledon where she lost in the fourth round.
• Dementieva did not drop a set through the quarterfinals of this year's US Open.
• Neither Jankovic nor Dementieva has ever captured a Grand Slam title.
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• In 2007, Jankovic reached the quarterfinals and Dementieva reached only the third round.
• Dementieva's only other Grand Slam finals were the 2004 US Open and the 2004 French Open. She was the runner up in both.
• Prior to the 2008 US Open, Jankovic had not reached a Grand Slam final.
• This is the eighth time Dementieva and Jankovic have faced each other in competition, with Jankovic now leading 5-3.

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