[[Here's the first of a number of reports I'm hoping to post from Lance Harke, who'll be out at the Sony-Ericsson Open over the first few days (including qualifying, as you'll see if you read on). I'll be back with a handicrapping post a bit later, and I'll be heading for Miami myself on Sunday to cover the full week leading up to and including the finals - PB]]
by Lance Harke. TW Contributing Writer
Hi all, I have the great privilege to live in Miami, which affords me the opportunity to fish year-round, swim year-round, and yes: sweat year round.
And it's already a warm South Florida spring, with temperatures over 80 degrees today and quite balmy in the direct sun, which is where I was yesterday watching day two qualifiers Jelena Dokic and Christina McHale battle it out on Court One for a chance to advance to the main draw.
Jelena Dokic, the No. 1 seed in qualifying and a former No. 4 in the world, has seen her share of ups and downs downs downs, though she has rebounded yet again in 2011 with her sixth WTA title (at Kuala Lumpur), a win over world no. 5 Francesca Schiavone.
Christina McHale is a thin, 5' 7'' young American currently supported by the USTA, and she had the mighty Pat McEnroe in her box and on the court, assisting her as she struggled to maintain her composure and defeat the sturdy, hard-hitting Dokic.
McHale dominated the first set with her solid baseline play and took it 6-3 - assisted generously by Dokic, whose temperament and inability to move on from a bad point continue to manifestly affect the quality of her play.
The second set promised much of the same, with Jelena double faulting three straight times to give McHale a 3 love lead.
But then the situation reversed, and suddenly it was McHale whose mental game looked very vulnerable. Dokic finally held and it was McHale's turn to double fault, which she did, doubling away her service game to let back into the match at 3-2.
Dokic then held at love, and the match was on. Dokic took the second to a tiebreaker, with the positive side of her fiery temperament on display. And she cruised right through the ' breaker.
Though Pat McEnroe was out on the court several times to provice McHale with support and advice, you could tell the match was over soon after it began. Dokic quickly won it going away, 6-2.
Emotions can be tricky things. When you can channel them you have drive, determination, will, and a fearless desire to win. When you don't you have doubt, dejection, self-contempt, and negativity.
Both players showed their share of all of these emotions today.
You can follow my updates from Sony on Twitter at @lharke.