When Elena Dementieva lost to fellow Russian Anastasia Myskina in the French Open final in June, she could barely hold back the tears.
But, despite suffering a second Grand Slam final defeat when she went down to another Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3, 7-5 at the U.S. Open on Saturday, Dementieva was upbeat and confident her day would come.
"I'm not really disappointed about this," said Dementieva, who beat Amelie Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati on her way to the final.
"It's been a great tournament for me, I beat some great players and had some very tough matches," she told reporters.
"I did everything I could here and feel like I was playing some good tennis. I am satisfied."
Dementieva said her left thigh injury, which troubled her throughout the event, affected her movement in the final.
"I was playing through pain for a couple of matches already but it's not about my injury. (Kuznetsova) was playing absolutely great tennis today. There was not much I could do."
Unlike in Paris, where she froze on the big stage, the 22-year-old produced brilliant tennis at times in the final here but was again let down by her serve, one of the weakest on tour.
BETTER SERVE
"It's all about my serve," she said. "I really need to have a better serve to win a Grand Slam.
"I mean, by serving like this I can beat a lot of players but when someone has a great return there is nothing I can do with this kind of serve.
"It was never a good shot for me. It was something I really didn't like to practice.
"I don't like to start (the match) with the serve. That's what I have to change in my mind.
"I have to really like it, I have to love it. Then I'm going to have a good one."
Following Myskina's French Open win and Maria Sharapova's victory at Wimbledon, it is the first time since 1979 that three countrywomen have won Grand Slams in the same year.
"I feel very proud for Russian girls and for Russian tennis," said Dementieva. "It's a miracle to me that three Russian girls won three Grand Slams and I was in two finals."
Five of the top 10 seeds at the U.S. Open were Russian but Dementieva said she had higher aspirations than simply becoming the top-ranked of her compatriots.
"I want to be world number one and it doesn't really matter for me if I'm number one in Russia."
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