JPMORGAN CHASE OPEN STARLESS FINAL IS A CLASSIC DEMENTIEVA DEFEATS JANKOVIC TO EARN HER SIXTH OVERALL TITLE.

Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer

CARSON -- Put in the faces of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, and this one would be perfect.

Long rallies, a fearless comeback and a determined recovery. The excitement was there Sunday, even if the entertainment value wasn't. But ignoring the players' names and watching the play, this was as good a final as could be hoped for at the JPMorgan Chase Open.

Elena Dementieva of Russia held off a ferocious rally to beat Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Montenegro 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at Home Depot Center.

It's the first U.S. hardcourt title and sixth championship overall for Dementieva, the third seed, who broke through after reaching the semifinals in Los Angeles three times before.

``It feels great to be a champion again,'' said Dementieva, who last won in February. ``There were so many great players in this one, and I'm the champion. I hope this momentum will go on forever.''

Dementieva and Jankovic disappointed the Los Angeles tennis crowd Saturday by upsetting Sharapova and Williams, the two most popular players on tour. That prevented a rematch of the 2004 Wimbledon final, which Sharapova won to reach prominence in the sport.

However, the lesser-known players did not disappoint on the court Sunday.

The players split the first two sets, then Jankovic appeared to be done in the third. Down 0-2, she received treatment for heat exhaustion. She returned, only to fall behind 0-5.

``After the first game of the third set, I felt really slow on my feet,'' Jankovic said. ``I couldn't bend down for the balls. I didn't feel like I could play anymore.

``If you can't move your feet to the ball, you can't play tennis. I was just trying to fight.''

As the crowd of 6,719 began heading for the doors, Jankovic turned into a different player. She hit sharp-angled winners, attacked the net aggressively and turned the match around.

``She had nothing to lose 5-0 down,'' Dementieva said. ``She was going for winners, going to the net, finishing shots. She was playing very aggressive from this score. I lost my game a little bit. She was putting so much pressure on me.''

With Dementieva serving for her second match point up 5-3, Jankovic hit a gutsy crosscourt forehand on the line for a winner.

Jankovic got a break point, reached a Dementieva drop shot and caused the Russian to hit another ball into the net to amazingly get the match back on serve.

However, she couldn't pull even.

Dementieva went up 15-40 on Jankovic's serve, moving up for a crosscourt winner on a short ball to finally close out the title.

Jankovic fell to 2-18 against top-10 players in a career that nearly ended earlier this year.

The 21-year-old considered calling it quits after starting the season 1-10. She wasn't feeling well after contracting an unknown virus in South Korea.

``I'm really competitive and don't like to lose,'' said Jankovic, one of the rare pro tennis players who attends college -- in Serbia.

``So, when I started losing 10 times in a row, it's not what I want to do. I'd rather do something else that I might be successful at.''

This was her first final of the year. She is expected to move up from No. 28 to No. 21 when the WTA rankings are released today.

Dementieva, 24, will inch forward from No. 6 to No. 5. She's a tall, attractive blonde like her compatriot, Sharapova. The difference is Sharapova won Wimbledon at age 17.

Dementieva has made two Grand Slam finals in seven years on the tour, but failed to break through for the win that would vault her to the level of tennis' top names.

She hopes that will change in two weeks at the U.S. Open.

``I feel like this is just starting for me,'' Dementieva said. ``I feel like I'm just getting to my best game. I've been in two Grand Slam finals already. I just need one more step. I feel young enough that I can make it in the future. It just takes a little longer for me.''

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) no caption (elena dementieva)

(2 -- color) Jelena Jankovic returns a ball toward Elena Dementieva in the first set of matches Sunday in the finals of the JPMorgan Chase Open at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) Elena Dementieva celebrates after defeating Jelena Jankovic in their final match at the JPMorgan Chase Open tennis tournament.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

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