Myskina joins compatriot in all-Russian title match

Elena Dementieva helped make it a semifinal sweep.
PARIS (AP) -- Anastasia Myskina resisted any temptation to pump her fist or pirouette or curtsy to the crowd or change her stoic expression.
Instead, she simply walked to the net and shook hands with Jennifer Capriati, then patted her racket strings several times, applauding her berth in the French Open final.
Myskina made it look as though it were no big deal.
But for Russia it is.
On Thursday, Elena Dementieva became the first Russian woman in 30 years to reach a Grand Slam final. She was joined 1 hour, 20 minutes later by compatriot and good friend Myskina.
In the past 10 major tournaments, there have been six all-Williams finals and three all-Belgian finals. Now the first all-Russian Grand Slam final is set for Saturday, and the winner will be the first female from Russia to claim a major title.
From the bleachers
Without a Frenchwoman to cheer for, and without Serena Williams to cheer against, Roland Garros fans will be satisfied if there's a less lopsided, more compelling match than they saw Thursday.
The ninth-seeded Dementieva beat Paola Suarez 6-0, 7-5. Then No. 6 Myskina upset 2001 champion Capriati 6-2, 6-2. Totals from the two drubbings: 53 winners, 134 unforced errors, no aces and 21 double-faults.
"I felt so nervous," Suarez said.
"It was nervous for both of us," Dementieva said.
"A little bit of tension," Capriati said.
"I was really nervous," Myskina said.
Two 22-year-old Moscow natives overcame the jitters best.
With five players among the top 13 on the WTA Tour, Russian women have been on the verge of a Grand Slam breakthrough for some time. Still, few foresaw their semifinal sweep.
Dementieva arrived in Paris with a 10-9 record this year, including a first-round loss in the Australian Open. Myskina began the tournament with a 1-4 lifetime record at Roland Garros.
But a wave of upsets sent several favorites home early, and the Russians contributed to the trend. In the quarterfinals Myskina beat seventh-seeded Venus Williams, and Dementieva eliminated No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo.
Serena Williams was beaten in the same round by Capriati, who apparently exhausted her repertoire of strokes to pull off the upset. Against Myskina she was impatient, erratic and unable to adjust to the crafty Russian's shot selection.
"I haven't been used to someone hitting the ball so ... I don't know," Capriati said. "She was just kind of almost pushing it on purpose and hitting it really with no pace."
Crabby
Cut Capriati some slack for sounding crabby: She fell to 3-9 in major semifinals, with first of those losses at Paris in 1990, when she was 14.
While Capriati played poorly, Suarez was even worse, unnerved by her first Grand Slam semifinal at age 27. She totaled 10 winners and 39 unforced errors, including eight double-faults.
"I wasn't trying to be perfect on the court," Dementieva said. "I was trying to win, no matter what. And I did."
Four years ago Dementieva reached the U.S. Open semifinals and won a silver medal at the Olympics, but she and Myskina are first-time Grand Slam finalists.
Myskina said they've known each other since they were 6 or 7. They took lessons from Marat Safin's mother as youngsters, played juniors together and have been doubles partners.
"We're pretty good friends," Myskina said, adding with a smile, "I hope."