Two days ago I wrote about Jelena Dokic’s plans of a full comeback, and now Tennis Australia has published an exclusive interview with the former world number four.

Among other things, the 24-year-old Dokic revealed why she stopped playing tennis, and why she wants to revive her tennis career. Here’s what she said:

“I just haven't played because I didn't feel within myself that I was ready to play…You always have ups and downs in a career and, of course, I have had a bit of a down period. I felt like I just wasn't ready to play, until now. I think if you are not ready it is counterproductive to try and comeback. It is better to leave it and get yourself together. That is what I have done… It has taken some time, but right now I feel like I am in a place mentally and physically that I am ready and able to compete. Now I feel in mind and body I am back and ready to give 100 per cent to train hard and try and play again.”

I hope we’ll see Jelena Dokic in full form again.

Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova became the fifth of eight seeds to leave the Zurich Open early (after Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Amelie Mauresmo, and Serena Williams). The seventh seeded Slovakian lost to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3 6-3 in the second round. This means that Hantuchova’s chances of qualifying for the season-ending WTA Championships in Madrid are getting slimmer.

World number nine Hantuchova partly blames the cold for her loss: "I had a really hard time today trying to catch my breath in between points. I have been fighting a cold for the past few days and I really just had nothing left and became very tired out there." Read more »

Three seeded players, Amelie Mauresmo, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, fell in the second round of the $1,340,000 Zurich Open on Wednesday.

Former world number one and eighth seed Amelie Mauresmo, who has struggled since an appendectomy in March, was defeated by Alona Bondarenko 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.

"I have to gain confidence by winning matches like this one but it didn't happen. And physically I'm just not at the level I've been the last several years," Mauresmo said. Read more »

In hopes of restarting her shattered career, former world number four Jelena Dokic flew into Melbourne from Europe at the weekend and has asked the national federation Tennis Australia for help.

The Serbian-born Australian tennis player is currently unranked and it is four seasons since she won a grand slam match. In 2007, Dokic played only one match — in March at a minor event in Rome she earned $98 after losing in the first round.

Tennis Australia says it will help organize coaching and provide practice facilities for Dokic but will not offer any financial assistance.

Here’s a video of 24-year-old Dokic practicing in Melbourne, having Australian Open as her first major target. (sources: Herald Sun, LiveNews)

World number six Serena Williams is the fifth player to qualify for the season-ending Championships, after Justine Henin, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic. By reaching the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Williams has achieved this feat for the seventh time in her career.

The Sony Ericsson Championships will take place in Madrid form November 6-11. It is the richest annual women's sporting event in the world which gathers the Top 8 singles players and Top 4 doubles teams from the season to battle it out for a share of the $3-million prize purse. And don't forget that from 2008 prize money will be even greater. (source: WTA Tour)

I’m sure many of you are interested in the training methods Ana Ivanovic employs and what her regular day looks like. At a beautifully designed adidas Women website Ana gave us the answers to those questions. The Roland Garros finalist demonstrated two exercises she uses to improve her reflexes, and in an exclusive interview you can read some facts about her life and career of a tennis star (I’ve singled out just the part about her daily routine).

Exercise 1: Increases reaction speed + trains split vision

Ivanovic catches the balls and throws them back to her coach.

Read more »

In-form Italian Flavia Pennetta outclassed Taiwanese teenager Chan Yung-jan 6-1 6-3 to win the PTT Bangkok Open on Sunday. The victory at the Tier III tournament in Thailand is the third tour title of the 49th-ranked Italian.

Seventh-seeded Pennetta, who beat Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the semifinals, dominated in the final interrupted by four hours of rain.

"She played well, didn't make mistakes and deserved to win," said Chan Yung-jan, who was playing in her first WTA final. (source: Sports Illustrated, photo via Yahoo)

Elena Dementieva claimed her first Kremlin Cup title on Sunday with a 5-7 6-1 6-1 victory over fourth-seeded Serena Williams in their fifth career meeting.

This title has a special significance to the Russian, since it is her first title on home soil in her 11th Kremlin Cup appearance. Before she had lost two finals at the tournament in Moscow, in 2001 and 2004.

After losing the first set, world No.14 Dementieva came back strong, breaking Williams three times in each of the next two sets. During the match, Williams made 59 unforced errors to her opponent’s 31.

"She just played really unbelievable, she should play like that more often," said world No.7 Serena Williams.

"I'm not going to make excuses for myself. I played terrible. I had a feeling that almost every shot I hit, it was out."

Having won her eighth career title, Dementieva earned $182,000 and took her record against Williams to 1-4. (source: Reuters, photo via Yahoo)

Kim Clijsters played an exhibition match last month at the FORTIS Championships in Luxembourg. Pregnancy didn’t prevent the former world number one from playing her beloved tennis. Other participants at the exhibition included 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna, Roberto Blanco, and Dan Spogen.

Will Kim Clijsters follow the footsteps of Lindsay Davenport and make a comeback? I think she will, but I don’t think that will happen so shortly after giving birth as in Davenport’s case. Here’s what Clijsters herself said about this: "That is about the last thing on my mind. I'm not even half way through my pregnancy. I'll enjoy that first. I do play a bit once and a while though, together with Caroline Maes."

Fourth seed Serena Williams defeated eight seed Nicole Vaidisova 6-4 7-6(7) to advance to Moscow semifinals.

Vaidisova difficultly held her serve, especially in the first set when none of her serves went without at least one deuce. However, Williams made only one break despite having, as far as I remember, 9 break points! Vaidisova had one chance to break Serena in the sixth game of the first set, but the American impressively served three aces in a row. In the eighth game of the second set, Williams was broken and trailed 5-3, but she broke back and eventually there was a tiebreak. Vaidisova saved three match points in the tiebreaker before netting a forehand to lose the match.

In the semifinals Serena Williams will face top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, while Dinara Safina plays against Elena Dementieva.