by Laura Andriani Wednesday, August 28, 2002

In Wednesday's first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Elena Bovina of Russia defeated Yugoslavia's Jelena Dokic, the tournament's fifth seed, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Dokic, who was facing Bovina for the second time this year, had difficulty handling the unrelenting groundstrokes Bovina nailed on the baseline and seemed to lack the energy needed to win the first set, eventually losing, 3-6.

In the second set, Bovina broke Dokic's service twice. Dokic, who struggled with a 40 percent first serve percentage in the second set and totaled 29 unforced errors in the match, seemed devastated on the changeover after the seventh game. Down 2-5, Bovina, who seemed focused with newly found confidence, served up match point with a deep, flat serve, which Dokic returned wide. While Bovina grinned and waved to the crowd on the Arthur Ashe court, Dokic headed straight to the locker room, her head dropped in despair.

Dokic, who was making her fourth appearance at the US Open, had advanced to the fourth round of the tournament the last two years. Bovina , 6' 2", and ranked 61st in the world, lost in the first round last year in her only other US Open appearance. She will go on to the third round, where she will face France's Stephanie Foretz.