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Dokic's dad kicked out again 310800
NEW YORK: Damir Dokic, the father and coach of Australian star Jelena Dokic, was today ejected from the US Open after flying into a rage at tournament officials, witnesses said here.
Dokic, who was ejected from Wimbledon this year over a drunken incident, was said to have become highly animated while dining in the players' lounge with his daughter following her doubles match today.
Witnesses said he had first started complaining loudly over the price of food at Flushing Meadows, and after his rant continued, security was called.
Dokic, a Serbian former truck driver who moved his family to Australia in 1994, was then escorted out of the centre by a security guard while yelling obscenities.
He and his daughter were later driven away from the complex in a courtesy car, with television cameras and journalists watching.
"We are trying to establish details of the incident," a Women's Tennis Association tour spokeswoman said.
The incident is the latest in a long history of controversy for Damir since his 17-year-old daughter has risen into the top echelon of the women's professional tour.
The Daily Telegraph Sydney
Jelena serves notice again with easy win 300800 by JIM SLATER
Sydney teenager Jelena Dokic advanced with ease in her first match at the US Open today, serving notice that the 17-year-old would be a genuine threat at the year's final Grand Slam tournament.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist, ranked 43 in the world, ousted Israel's 41st ranked Anna Smashnova 6-1 6-0 to book a second-round date against Dutch veteran Miriam Oremans.
"I played better than i thought i would," Dokic said. "I couldn't play much better than i did today. It's quite a good start."
Dokic, a loser to world No 2 Lindsay Davenport in last month's Wimbledon semi-finals, overpowered her rival from the start on crucial points and kept control throughout the match.
"There were games when i was up and down. When i had my chances i took them," Dokic said. "I played well. Everything went the way i wanted it. I served quite well.
"The first few games were close. It could have been 3-2 or 3-all. I continued on from there, changed my serve a little, tried to mix it up and do a few different things.
" I came in a few times, which i was quite happy with."
Dokic's path toward a possible fourth-round meeting with defending US Open champion Serena Williams became easier when 93rd-ranked Oremans beat 16th seed Julie Halard-Decugis of France 6-4 6-3.
"She must have played well to have beaten Halard," Dokic said. "It could be just as tough as playing a seed."
Dokic defeated Oremans 6-4, 6-3 in June on grass in the first round of a Dutch warm-up event for Wimbledon.
Dokic is confident, but looking ahead and thinking of claiming a Grand Slam title at 17 is only a passing thought.
"I'm not expecting to win the thing. It's too far away," Dokic said.
"Concentrating on my next match is important.
Dokic lost her only hartcourt tune-up for the Open to Belgium's Sabine Applemans in a third-set tie breaker in the first round at Montreal two weeks ago.
But she has worked hard in practice to make up for her lack of matches.
"I played OK there, not as well as i did today," Dokic said.
"I got my focus back this week. I have been practicing hard."
Dokic has worked to improve her serve, making an adjustment on the advice of her father and coach Damir.
"It's something I came up with with my dad," she said. "You can always make improvements. It's helping in matches and I'm just trying to work with it.
"It's good to have it be someone in the family, my dad, not someone outside.
"It's just technical, not great, just to get my percentage up a little bit. I know what i should be doing. I'm doing it in practice. I just have to do it in matches.
Dokic has taken time away from practice to spend some of her Wimbledon winnings on jewellry and clothes. But otherwise, she is no fan of New York.
"New York can be a lot sometimes," she said. "the people, the city itself, can be hectic. I get sick of it sometimes. It's a crazy city.
The Daily Telegraph Sydney
Smash Slam 250800
Jelena Dokic is preparing to come up
against world number 41 Anna Smashnova in the first round of the 2000
US Open. Jelena lost to Aranxta Sanchez Vicario in the first round last year.
Comon Jelena! You can do it!
Inconsistent Tennis 160800
Jelena Dokic has been knocked out by Sabine Applemans in the first round of the 2000 Canadian Open. She lost in 3 sets 7-6 4-6 6-7 and will now try to better her first round slump at the final grand slam of 2000, the US Open.
Jelena's Olympic triumph 120800 by JOHN THIRSK
Jelena Dokic has ended a three week standoff with
the Australian Olympic Committee and will now play singles
and doubles at the Olympic games next month.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist was in dispute with the AOC after refusing
to sign a players' letter of agreement.
The AOC yesterday confirmed the 17 year old from
Fairfield had signed a 2000 Australian Olympic Team Membership Agreement and had faxed the document
back to Sydney headquarters on Thursday.
Dokic was last night in Montreal preparing for the Canadian Open which
starts on Monday.
Recently, before leaving for the United States, Dokic said: "There is nothing i want more than to
represent my country in my home city in September.
"I know that by not signing the agreement before leaving it would face AUstralia in jeapordy but
i cant sign it while im unhappy with so many points."
Officials are expecting the original document signed by Dokic on their desk early next week.
Dokic is regarded as our best prospect since Evonne Cawley won the second of her Wimbledon titles
two decades ago.
The AOC yesterday announced a team of six men - Lleyton Hewwit, Patrick Rafter, Mark Philippoussis
and Andrew Ilie are in the singles, while Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge will attempt to win
back-to-back gold medals in the doubles.
Nicole Pratt and Alicia Molik have been named with Dokic in the women's
singles and Dokic's doubles partner will be Rennae Stubbs.
The AOC was due to announce the team on July 20th but after Dokic's refusal to sign
the agreement, discussions followed between the AOC and the teenagers management.
One if the points disputed by Dokic was having to stay in the players village for the Olympic
fortnight, even if she lost in an early round. An AOC official said yesterday it was agreed Dokic could
live outside the village.
"We are happy for Jelena ro stay at home with her mother and father," the official said.
"But we also feel that living in the village is a unique experience for her because we
can look after her and the security is there because there are other atheletes of Jelena's age.
"The only problem we cant guarantee are transport arrangements from her home (10 minutes away)
to the tennis venue."
However the AOC revealed yesterday Dokic had signed an indemnity stating the AOC
was not responsible for her security outside the venue, nor for transport
to and from the tennis stadium, nor to her accomodation.
Another compromise given to Dokic is that she is not required to attend the
opening and closing ceremonies.
The AOC has also paved the way for her father Damir, her personal coach to be given
special accreditation so he can practice with his daughter.
The Sunday Telegraph Sydney
Jelena's brand new look 060800 by JOHN THIRSK
Tennis ace Jelena Dokic has had surgery to remove the distinctive mole on her chin.
Her mother, Liliana confirmed last night that Dokic, 17, has seen a Sydney
skin specialist last month after returning from her Wimbledon semi-final.
"Jelena's young, and she felt that if the birthmark was removed she would look a lot better," Mrs Dokic told
The Sunday Telegraph. "Don't you think it's better for her?"
Mrs Dokic said her daughter had the mole removed for cosmetic reasons,
not because of any worry over skin cancer. "It was a family decision
and my husband, Damir, spoke about it," she said. "Jelena had
treatment from a skin specialist here in Sydney a week after coming back from
Wimbledon. The mark has almost gone completely."
Dokic appeared on the television program Burke's Backyard on Friday night without the mole, although
it passed without comment on the show. The surgery has removed most of the mole,
although a slight blemish remains. Moles can be removed in a simple procedure in a doctor's surgery.
Dokic is staying at her new house in Saddlebrook, Florida,
next door to fellow women's tour players Martina Hingis,
Jennifer Capriati and Ai Sugiyama. "She bought the house two months ago because she is playing
so much tennis in the United States and it's much easier to stay in the house rather than in hotels,"
Mrs Dokic said.
The Sunday Telegraph Sydney
Dokic peace move 020800
The Australian Olympic Committee will make a number
of concessions to try to persuade Australia's top woman player Jelena Dokic to compete
at the Olympics. Chef de mission John Coates has reacted to the disgruntled Wimbledon semi-finalist after she told The Daily Telegraph
in an exclusive interview that she would not sign the compulsory athletes' letter of agreement.
Most significantly, the AOC are bowing to the teenager's demand to be allowed to stay at home instead
of living for two weeks in the Athletes Village with other team members.
"The AOC are happy for Jelena to stay out of the Village if she so desires - that is not a problem," Cates said.
"The only problem would then be her security and transport arrangements to and from the venue.
We are aware she lives only 10 minutes away but getting in and out will be tough for her."
The AOC will also look again at ways for her father Damir to get special accreditation as her personal coach
to be used as a practice partner. The only sticking point to the reconciliation is that while Dokic can use her Head racquet,
which is part of a multi-million=dollar racquet and clothing contract, she must wear the official
Australian team uniform on court and not her sponsored Fila clothing.
"We dearly want Jelena to compete in the Games and we are doing everything possible to comprimise
and resolve the issues with her," Coates said yesterday.
Daily Telegraph Sydney
Dokic still Olympic Chance 010800
JELENA DOKIC says she still hopes to play for Australia at the Olympic Games, despite some concerns about signing the official team agreement.
Dokic wants to be able to leave the Olympic village and return to her home in Sydney if eliminated early in the Olympic tennis tournament.
She is also concerned she won't be able to use her own sponsors' clothing and equipment at the games, where competitors are required to wear official Olympic uniforms.
However, Dokic, 17, said she was negotiating the terms of the agreement.
"Hopefully they'll let me off it and I think they will," she told ABC radio.
"Also there are a few things that concern my sponsors at this moment.
"They're going through it right now and by the sounds of it I think I'll get away with it and be able to play."
Australian Olympic Committee media director Mike Tancred said the AOC was thrilled to hear Dokic still wanted to play, and was working through the issues she had raised.
He said Dokic would be able to live outside the Olympic village if she wanted.
"That's not a problem, except if she does decide to do that we can't guarantee her security or her travel arrangements," Tancred said.
While Dokic lives at Fairfield, close to Homebush, "getting in and out of the tennis venue will be tough for someone like Jelena".
"We'd like her to come in and live in the village and be a member of the team and enjoy the experience."
The AOC was aware of Dokic's sponsorship concerns, Tancred said.
"But if you're a member of the Olympic team and everyone on the team, it doesn't matter how high profile you are, has to abide by the team agreement in that you wear our sponsors' clothing - Nike, or Speedo if you are a swimmer," he said.
"We will work through these issues with Jelena. In the end we hope she will sign the team agreement like all the athletes are doing and be a member of the team."
Tancred said he was not aware of reported requests that Dokic's father and coach Damir be on court during the Olympic event.
"She hasn't actually requested her father be a coach and be courtside."
The AOC said while Australia's tennis team had yet to be finalised, Mark Philippoussis had been nominated and had indicated he wanted to play.
"Mark was a great team player in the village in Atlanta," Tancred said.
Daily Telegraph Sydney
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