In an all Russian final, Elena Dementieva had won the singles event
by defeating Dinara Safina in a hard fought three setter 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The loss also brought to an end Safina's 15 match winning streak.
If double faults had been a major problem for long in Dementieva's game,
in the finals, it was Safina who suffered most from erratic serving. She hit
as much as 17 double-faults, the highest seen in an Olympic final till date.
Frustrated by her struggle to put the ball in play, Safina once even flunged
her racket, slammed it against the concrete, and hit the ball into the stands.
But her tantrums failed to help her game get back on track.
On the other hand, Dementieva packed more power from the baseline,
hitting as much as twenty six winners to Safina's thirteen.
This is the second time that Dementieva is playing the Olympics singles
final. In Sydney Olympics 2000, she had lost to Venus Williams.
