THE SCOOP: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5

"Exhausted" Dokic done with dad, looking for new coach; Henin: You have to believe you can beat the Williamses; Off the court chatter

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

FROM THE WTA HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS – No. 8 seed Jelena Dokic says she considering hiring a new coach for next year because she feels that she may have peaked under the tutelage of her father, Damir.

"Its something I'm looking at," Dokic told tennisreporters.net.

Dokic has rarely traveled with her father this year and recently asked a European tournament not to allow her father or mother, Liliana, on the grounds.

"My game definitely has to improve," said Dokic, who will play Anastasia Myskina in the first round of the championships. I've improved under my dad and had some good results, but maybe it's time to look at some other things with someone else. Maybe it will be good to hear someone else's voice. It could help."
Dokic added that her personal relationship with her controversial father – who was thrown out Wimbledon two years ago – is fine.

Dokic added that she felling physically "worse" than she has all year, the result of playing week in week out without a break. Although Dokic felt awful after Wimbledon going into the U.S. summer hardcourt season, she continued to play a heavy schedule, which resulted in a stunning second round loss at the US Open.

She took little time off this fall and her results have gotten progressively worse.
"I thought about taking time off but I had so many points to defend that I felt I had too play," she said. "I feel bad physically and mentally. It's been very hard to focus."

The tall blonde, aggressive baseliner vowed to cut down her schedule next year and said that ending 2002 in the top 5 and going deeper that the Slams are reasonable goals.

"I've been too tried going into Grand Slams so I'm going too cut down my schedule before them next year, maybe only playing two tournaments going in," said Dokic, who will skip the Australian Open again next year. "I got injured a little to much this year and didn't take care of myself that well. By I'm here at the championships and very happy with that."

Henin: You have to believe you can beat the Williamses
Belgium's Justine Henin will take the court on Wednesday as the No. 4 seed against Russia's Elena Dementieva and fresh off an excellent fall, is one of the few players in the draw who believes she has the goods to take the down the mighty Williamses.

"I'm not afraid of anything," Henin told tr.net. "Everyone has a place on the tour and you have to accept that. Serena lost only four matches this year; its unbelievable. But I have many tools to beat these kinds of players. I'm pretty confident and we all have to fight in these situations. It's more mental than whether you have the game. They are not unbeatable. We have to accept that they are very tough and very strong, but we have to believe we can beat them. We won't beat them every time, but we can sometimes."

The 20-year-old Henin took out Serena in the final of Berlin in May, got sick and was upset in the first round of Roland Garros, reached the semis of Wimbledon before falling to Venus and two weeks ago won Linz. Henin, who will
marry fiancé Pierre-Yves Hardenne five days after the conclusion of the championships, is quite pleased with her year.

"I'm happy with whole season," the 5-foot-5 inch Henin said. "It was much better than last year with rankings and results. This was my year of confirmation. It's the most difficult year. Last year was easy. I just had to win the matches and you have all the support you need. This year the other players were waiting for me. I did well with the pressure. I have much more experience and it was a kind of pressure I never had before."

Henin knows that if she is to compete against the bigger and more powerful players, she must add a lot of zip to her quick, high-variety attack.

"I have a higher level," she said. "Sometimes you focus on bad things like rankings. When I focus on how I want to play and win point after point, I'm much better. It comes easier. I can improve everything because nothing's perfect. I'm pretty happy the way I've served the last few tournaments. It's important when you are playing against powerful players to win free points."

Off the court chatter

(c)2002 McDonald's Corporation

Other than Martina Hingis, France's Amelie Mauresmo is the only player ranked in the top 16 who isn't playing the championships. Mauresmo injured her right knee three weeks ago and word has it that she has a Mark Philippoussis type of injury and has already numerous injections into her knee. Mauresmo is considered by tour officials to be doubtful for the Australian Open.

Venus and Serena Williams new 3-year endorsement deal with McDonald's is their biggest contract ever and could be worth in the $10 million range. While some might snicker at the ethics of top athletes endorsing fatty fast food, for the Williamses, the contract means that they have made it in the world. Not bad for two girls who grew up playing on the mean courts on Compton, Calif.

"To us, it really means we reached the top," said Serena, who said that she and the family frequently dined at Mickey D's and added that her favorite element of McDonald's new Dollar Menu is "two baked apple pies.