Post by janie on Nov 25, 2008 9:34:41 GMT -5
Dokic aiming for Australian Open berth
November 25, 2008
Controversial tennis player Jelena Dokic will arrive in Melbourne early next month determined to earn a place in January's Australian Open.
With some solid results mainly on the Challenger Tour and in WTA qualifying rounds this year, the 25-year-old has got her world ranking back to No.177.
It is still a far cry from her career-high of world No.4 back in 2002, but it does make her the fourth-ranked Australian woman.
As such, Dokic is eligible to contest the Australian Open wildcard playoff from December 15-21 - where the winner gets direct entry into the first grand slam tournament of 2009.
Dokic has had to patch up her relationship with Open tournament director Craig Tiley and other senior Tennis Australia officials after slamming their decision early this year not to award her a wildcard to the 2008 Open.
"She will have an opportunity but she will have to earn it," Tiley said on Tuesday.
"If she chooses to be in (the wildcard playoff), she will be eligible based on the rankings.
"So it's going to be up to her."
Dokic, 25, plans to spend two weeks practising in Melbourne before competing in the wildcard playoff.
"She's Australian, she's been competing as an Australian, she hasn't given us any indication that she's not going to do that," Tiley added.
"We gave her a training opportunity at the end of last year and she took advantage of that.
"I've told her and was very clear that there would be no cash handouts.
"Since I've been here we have never done that with her.
"But she's welcome to come here and utilise our coaches and our hitting partners.
"I love it when she hits with the younger kids because she's a good player and she's got something to teach the kids about how to play."
The only Australian women ranked high enough to gain direct entry to the 2009 Open main draw are Samantha Stosur and Casey Dellacqua.
Dokic is attempting to rebuild her career without any input from her father Damir, who now lives in Serbia.
She has not won a grand slam match since the 2003 US Open and has not played in a major since bowing out in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2006.
Tiley has had no direct recent contact with Mark Philippoussis, whose only commitment this summer is to the inaugural team's exhibition event in Adelaide.
In other Open news, Tiley said he expected all the top men and women players to again contest the tournament, which starts on January 19.
There were some concerns when rising superstar Juan Martin Del Potro injured his groin in Argentina's 3-1 loss to Spain in last weekend's Davis Cup final.
But all the indications were the injury was not serious enough to prevent Del Potro from playing in Australia in January.
November 25, 2008
Controversial tennis player Jelena Dokic will arrive in Melbourne early next month determined to earn a place in January's Australian Open.
With some solid results mainly on the Challenger Tour and in WTA qualifying rounds this year, the 25-year-old has got her world ranking back to No.177.
It is still a far cry from her career-high of world No.4 back in 2002, but it does make her the fourth-ranked Australian woman.
As such, Dokic is eligible to contest the Australian Open wildcard playoff from December 15-21 - where the winner gets direct entry into the first grand slam tournament of 2009.
Dokic has had to patch up her relationship with Open tournament director Craig Tiley and other senior Tennis Australia officials after slamming their decision early this year not to award her a wildcard to the 2008 Open.
"She will have an opportunity but she will have to earn it," Tiley said on Tuesday.
"If she chooses to be in (the wildcard playoff), she will be eligible based on the rankings.
"So it's going to be up to her."
Dokic, 25, plans to spend two weeks practising in Melbourne before competing in the wildcard playoff.
"She's Australian, she's been competing as an Australian, she hasn't given us any indication that she's not going to do that," Tiley added.
"We gave her a training opportunity at the end of last year and she took advantage of that.
"I've told her and was very clear that there would be no cash handouts.
"Since I've been here we have never done that with her.
"But she's welcome to come here and utilise our coaches and our hitting partners.
"I love it when she hits with the younger kids because she's a good player and she's got something to teach the kids about how to play."
The only Australian women ranked high enough to gain direct entry to the 2009 Open main draw are Samantha Stosur and Casey Dellacqua.
Dokic is attempting to rebuild her career without any input from her father Damir, who now lives in Serbia.
She has not won a grand slam match since the 2003 US Open and has not played in a major since bowing out in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2006.
Tiley has had no direct recent contact with Mark Philippoussis, whose only commitment this summer is to the inaugural team's exhibition event in Adelaide.
In other Open news, Tiley said he expected all the top men and women players to again contest the tournament, which starts on January 19.
There were some concerns when rising superstar Juan Martin Del Potro injured his groin in Argentina's 3-1 loss to Spain in last weekend's Davis Cup final.
But all the indications were the injury was not serious enough to prevent Del Potro from playing in Australia in January.
has been renegotiated since the Spaniard began his three-year contract, as the Australian dollar has fallen from close to parity with the US to yesterday's close of 64.31 cents.
