The next day I didn’t see her but on Tuesday again. She had to play her first round match vs. Magui Serna. The match started at 8 pm. on Centre Court. Dominique wore a green shirt and a white skirt. And her hair was shorter than I ever saw before. But not only Bart watched this match but also Alexandra Fusai, Arantxa Sanchez (+ mother), Silvia Farina and Jim Dempsey (coach of Lisa Raymond). So it seemed they all were waiting for an interesting match. Unfortunately I didn’t see the match from the beginning, because Sabine Appelmans has beaten Coetzer the match before and I needed a short break after this exciting match. So I came at 3:2 for Dominique (she just had got a break). Her next service game was very close, Magui had three break points but Dominique played a winner and Magui had some unforced errors and so Dominique got the game to 4:2. Magui’s service for the 4:3 was an easy one, she played a great lob and served an ace. The rest were return errors by Dominique. Next service of Dominique was easy. She served one ace and two winners. But there was a discussion about one point, because the chair umpire said the ball was out but Dominique was sure the ball was in. I don’t know if the chair umpire was right but it was important that Dominique won her service (5:3). Magui caught the connection with 5:4 and Dominique had to serve now for the set. It was an easy service game for her to „love“ with one smash and one servicewinner. So the score of the first set was 6:4 for Dominique. I thought that’s it for her and she will reach an easy victory. But she started to make some unforced errors and Magui played much better. Magui started to serve, there was a great lob over Dominique and an ace by her - 0:1. Dominique lost her next service game by producing two double faults and two easy balls into the net (0:2). In Magui’s next service Dominique had chances for the rebreak but didn’t use them (0:3). In the next game there were some unforced errors by Dominique and a double fault. She only won two points and Magui got the next break (0:4). Magui served very well in the next game and played an excellent stopball - out of reach for Dominique (0:5). A double fault and an unforced error and it was 0:30. That’s it, I thought. Dominique was very angry about herself, looked to Bart and spoke something in French (I don’t know if with herself or with Bart). But from this moment she started to fight, ran for every ball and survived by getting her first game in the second set (1:5). Next service game was over „deuce“, Dominique had breakpoint later and with a returnwinner she got the 2:5. Her next service wasn’t so well, no first service and one double fault. But she got the game (3:5). Dominique kept fighting because she realized that there was a chance to win this match in two sets. Dominique had three breakpoints and used the second. So now she had to hold her service and she was back into this second set (5:5). Magui’s next service game was a big fight. There was a cool return by Dominique on Magui’s second serve and there was an unforced error. Dominique said „non“ very loud (means „no“ in English), but stayed calm. Magui got the game - 5:6. Dominique served an ace now but a double fault too but her service was good enough to reach the tiebreak. Highlight of this tiebreak was a great lob my Magui. But Dominique served much better than Magui and so she won the tiebreak with 7:4. I didn’t believe it - she was down with 0:5 and 0:30 in the second set but kept fighting and won this set in the tiebreak. It was great to see her running for every point. There were too much unforced errors in her game this day but fortunately Magui didn’t play her best game.

Next match of Dominique was on Thursday, 7th October, 5 pm. vs. French newcomer Nathalie Dechy. Anne Lassaire-Ulrich was the chair umpire of this match. Next round opponent Martina Hingis watched this match too but also Sandrine Testud with her husband. Dechy started to serve and Dominique had one breakpoint but didn’t use it (0:1). Next service game was funny - three times in a row: net with the first serve. Dominique laughed and the crowd too. The fourth try was an ace :-) She hold the serve - 1:1. Now Dominique had the chance again to break Dechy and with an error by Dechy she got the 2:1. But Dechy got the rebreak in Dominique’s next service game. Dominique had a double fault and some unforced errors (2:2). Breakpoints again for Dominique but with a servicewinner by Dechy she held the service (2:3). Next game: Dominique held her serve to „love“. Dechy held her serve too (3:4) but then Dominique had problems with her service. Dechy played some great points and got this break (3:5). My friend Kerstin called: „Allez Dominique“, but it didn’t help. Dechy held her last service in this first set. She had problems because she served two double faults in a row but the rest were winners by her and so the first set was 3:6. Dominique started the second set with problems again. It was „deuce“ for five times but she held it (1:0). The service game by Dechy was great to watch. There were some nice rallyes, both played well but better end for Dechy (1:1). Then Dechy had a breakpoint. She used it by running for every ball and fighting very hard. Dominique had no chance. It was hard to see (1:2). Dechy didn’t served well in the next game, no first serve and Dominique had two chances for the rebreak but unfortunately she didn’t use it (1:3). Dechy played better and better now, every ball came back and Dominique weren’t able to do anything. There were a breakpoint against her once again and Dechy used it (1:5). Kerstin and I called „allez Dominique“ again. Bart watched to us and laughed :-) Problems with the service again and Dechy had matchpoint. The crowd clapped their hands for Dominique and Dominique didn’t stop fighting and won this game (2:5). But now Dechy served for the match and Dominique had no chance to break her again. Dechy used her first matchpoint. 3:6, 2:6. A straight victory by Dechy. Dominique had only few chances but Dechy ran for every point and that’s why she has won. Unfortunately she will loose now some points for the ranking because last year she reached the quarter finals after beating Martina Hingis.