Player of the week: Elena Dementieva

Russian player Elena Dementieva has started the 2009 season in the best possible way. 10 consecutive wins and two titles in just two weeks. She warmed up with a title in Brisbane and this week she has got the first Premier title of the season in Sydney.


And this time the way to the title wasn't easy at all. She started with two convincing victories over Ekaterina Makarova and Jarmila Gajdosova in the opening rounds, but in the quarters she had to face her first real challenge, WTA #10 and 6th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Despite the loss of the 2nd set, Dementieva overcame the Polish and progressed to semis where she should face a much thougher test, WTA #2 and 1st seed Serena Williams. Helped by the unforced errors of Serena, Dementieva swept Williams by an impressive 6/3 6/1 and set up an all-Russian final with WTA #3 and 2nd seed Dinara Safina. Safina was trying to take revenge of the Olympic Games final, but once again Dementieva was stronger and took the match 6/3 2/6 6/1.


According to these results, she seems to be in really good form and she should be considered as one of the top contenders for the title in the Australian Open.