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| The Olympic gold medalist is one of the true tournament favourites and thinks she’s a far better player than the one who reached the finals of the 2004 French and US Opens. The 27-year-old still believes that she can achieve her dreams of winning her first Slam and reaching the No.1 ranking. She says she invites the pressure of being one of most-talked about contenders and she certainly is now. | Spain's most promising young player arose last year when, as a qualifier, she reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, knocking off Amelie Mauresmo and Flavia Pennetta, before she fell to Jelena Jankovic. The now 20-year-old, and possibly the heir apparent to Slam winner Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Conchita Martinez, also reached the semis of Bogota and Forest Hills. | |
| The Russian is in stellar form, winning back-to-back titles in Auckland and Sydney and battling through her first two matches here. She’s undefeated in 2009 and in the last two rounds, overcame the crowd and an in-form Sam Stosur with some gutsy play, and then crushing up-and coming Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova. | She fell in the second round of both Auckland and Hobart, but did grab wins over French veteran Nathalie Dechy and former top-5 player Anna Chakvetadze. Once she arrived in Melbourne, she was bubbling with confidence, taking the ball on the rise and enjoying the big occasion. She shocked seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the second round, and then stared down to Spanish veterans, Maria Martinez Sanchez and Anabel Medina Garrigues, in the next two rounds. All of a sudden, she looks like a top-10 player on hardcourts. | |
| Extremely fast and a very effective offensive to defense player who can jump at forehands and hammer her backhand anyway she pleases. Her once mocked serve has improved a great deal, and she enjoys long battles on centre courts like Rod Laver Ave. | Suárez is a fast, dedicated grinder who can also whip her forehand and has an amazing, Justine Henin-like one-handed backhand that she can crush crosscourt and find cute angles with. She isn't very tall, but generates substantial power and is learning to hit through the court more. | |
| Now in her 10th year on tour, Dementieva has competed against young and old, on small and big stages, against powerballers and tacticians. Suárez has been playing terrific attacking tennis from inside the baseline and is a fine scrambler, so it’s up to Dementieva to wear her down, but make sure she’s doing it with big shots, not routine, mid court balls that Suarez can attack. The in-form Russian realises that this match – and perhaps the tournament -- is on her racquet, so she must be super aware of the momentum shifts. She should be able to get the better of the forehand rallies and make some substantial impressions on the Spaniard’s second serves. | Suarez’s level and confidence is so high now that she is capable of winning the match, but she has to be committed to the long grind, mentally and physically. Her fitness is much improved and now she believes that she can go on the attack and be successful, rather than just digging balls out. But Dementieva is an extremely steady and forceful player, so she has to dig in and not give up, and be patient in waiting for her opportunities. | |
| The two have never played, but have Anna Chakvetadze in common, whom Dementieva is 2-1 against and who Suarez beat earlier this year. | |
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