By Christopher N Rourke
November 1 2004

In the warm-up Bovina’s improved volleying skills were clearly evident, especially on the backhand, whereas Mauresmo didn’t seem quite as sharp as normal. Bovina’s serve, hit with depth and power, also seemed to be flowing rather better than her opponent’s. The first point of the match ended with a fluffed
backhand volley from Bovina, after an excellent
approach off her serve. This seemed to be an
indication of nerves as Bovina’s volleys in practice
were technically perfect. Still, excellent serving
allowed Bovina to hold comfortably.


In the second game Mauresmo, despite some telling
returns from Bovina, held through excellent depth. In
the third game Mauresmo tested Bovina by slicing the
ball to her forehand; Bovina was sending too many
balls down the middle of the court, allowing Mauresmo
to dictate. On break point Mauresmo crafted a
brilliant point from the baseline before executing a
stunning to forehand pass to break Bovina’s serve.


Clearly aware of danger, Bovina began to strike the
ball harder to threaten Mauresmo off the serve;
Mauresmo contained the aggression to deuce but a
stunning point at the net, which Mauresmo kept alive,
long after it should have logically ended took Bovina
to advantage. This was quickly snuffed out by Mauresmo
through and outwide serve and a powerful overhead; 3-1
Mauresmo. In the fifth game Bovina made it clear that
she wasn’t going away; hitting some good topspin
serves to hold for 3-2. Mauresmo countered this with
topspin serves of her own, forcing weak returns off
Bovina’s forehand to hold for 4-2.


The seventh game produced some wonderful tennis: a lob
winner from Mauresmo on the first point, two
successful forays to the net by Bovina, and another
excellent forehand pass to take Mauresmo once again to
break point. Another error from Bovina’s forehand
which, by this point, was looking erratic gave
Mauresmo a second break; 5-2. At this point it became
clear that Bovina was trying to force her game, aware
that the match running away from here. Serving for the
set, Mauresmo drew another error, this time off
Bovina’s double-handed backhand, by keeping the ball
uncomfortably low; this brought up set point - which
Mauresmo took with an ace.


Bovina did regroup to play a splendid down-the-line
backhand from the midcourt in the first game of the
second set. However, Bovina could no longer stem the
errors off the ground, missing some simple forehands,
which Mauresmo once again to break point; Mauresmo
achieved the break with another forehand pass that
died across Bovina’s side of the tape. The second game
constituted a simple hold for Mauresmo, Bovina’s
sinking shoulders indicating her wretchedness at more
costly errors.


In the third game of the second set Mauresmo varied
the height of the ball, to draw more errors from her
opponent; Bovina hadn’t given up and showed that she
was still able to win points off good net approaches.
But, for the most, Bovina’s game was breaking down off
the ground, allowing Mauresmo to further manipulate
the play. Coming in off an excellent approach, Bovina
mishit a forehand volley off the frame and out of
court, giving Mauresmo her second break of the set,
and her fourth of the match; 3-0 Mauresmo. This must
surely be a result of nerves on the crucial points, as
Bovina hit her volleys cleanly, with clinical
precision, during the warm-up.


More errors off the ground made clear Bovina's lack of
confidence in the fourth game while Mauresmo was
playing with great presence, in control of everything
that she was doing on court. Still, in the fifth,
desperate, game Bovina’s brave forward approaches kept
her alive in the points. At break point Bovina hit
another topspin serve - the shot that helped her to
stay in the match - to pull the game back to deuce.


After four deuces, Bovina could no longer hang on: on
another good approach, a clearly nervous Bovina failed
to the cover the lines of the net for the final
volley, allowing Mauresmo to pass easily. This brought
up yet another break point, which Bovina surrendered,
through another error off the backhand; 5-0 Mauresmo.


In the sixth and final game of the set, Bovina claimed
the first point at the net, before a combination of
forehand errors from Mauresmo and successive forays to
the net took Bovina to deuce and then advantage on the
Mauresmo serve. By this point Bovina’s grunting became
loud enough for the crowd to appreciate as a side
effect. One more net approach by Bovina was snuffed
out by a lob from Mauresmo, before a final error off
the ground gave Mauresmo the title: 6-2 6-0.


Looking at the scoreline alone makes the final seem
entirely one-sided, yet Bovina played well in most
parts of the match, with most of games being
competitive. Bovina's impact was hindered through her
errors, particularly off the forehand. Mauresmo, in
contrasts, played a tactically perfect match from
start to finish, applying pressure throughout and
dominating whenever she could. As Bovina said to
Mauresmo, in the presentation ceremony after the
match: "You know, I really didn’t know what to do -
you played so well."


Competing in the tournament was a last-minute decision
(made on the Friday before the tournament) for
Mauresmo. It was clearly a good decision.


Amelie arrived at the press conference dressed in a
textured white tracksuit top and white. Around her
neck she wore a sparkling silver necklace, and diamond
stud earrings in her ears. Her hair was still tied
back from the match.


I asked the following question: "You hit some stuning
passes in this match, especially off the forehand side
the first came in the third game in the first set,
in which you broke. Were you looking for this shot, or
was it played through instinct?"


Amelie: "These shots are not something that you look
for; you practice them a lot... ­I've been working on
my serve and my forehand in practice... ­but it is
something that comes more through instinct."


Another reporter asked about the tattoo on Amelie's
shoulder; Amelie explained that "It's an angel, like
me!"