http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17570323%255E23216,00.html
Rising star blocking Dokic's return
December 14, 2005
JELENA Dokic has drawn rising tennis star Beti Sekulovski in the first round of the Australian Open wildcard play-off starting Friday.
Dokic must not only dispatch the 22-year-old Victorian ranked four places above her but also win a further three matches if she is to earn a place in the Australian Open main competition.
Altogether 16 players line up in each of the men's and women's play-offs to play each other in three-set elimination matches until only one of each is left standing to win the prized wildcards.
Sekulovski will be no pushover and is one of the toughest in the draw.
She was one of the in-form players on the recent Kia Pro Circuit, reaching the final of Challengers in Rockhampton and Canberra and has improved her world ranking from 830 in mid-September to 344.
Former world number four Dokic is back in the country to rebuild her career and reputation after her ex-manager father Damir notoriously turned his back on Australia and took the family overseas in 2001.
The Australian Open will be the first competition she has played in this country since her much-publicised departure.
Dokic has publicly stated that she wants to represent Australia again and Tennis Australia recently said the door was still open to the young star.
The 22-year-old is currently ranked 349 and has had no major success since reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2000.
In the men's wildcard playoff Australia Davis Cup representatives Peter Luczak and Todd Reid will play Adam Feeney and Alun Jones respectively. The play-offs run from 16-19 December at Melbourne Park while the Australian Open will be played from January 6-13 at Canberra International.
Rising star blocking Dokic's return
December 14, 2005
JELENA Dokic has drawn rising tennis star Beti Sekulovski in the first round of the Australian Open wildcard play-off starting Friday.
Dokic must not only dispatch the 22-year-old Victorian ranked four places above her but also win a further three matches if she is to earn a place in the Australian Open main competition.
Altogether 16 players line up in each of the men's and women's play-offs to play each other in three-set elimination matches until only one of each is left standing to win the prized wildcards.
Sekulovski will be no pushover and is one of the toughest in the draw.
She was one of the in-form players on the recent Kia Pro Circuit, reaching the final of Challengers in Rockhampton and Canberra and has improved her world ranking from 830 in mid-September to 344.
Former world number four Dokic is back in the country to rebuild her career and reputation after her ex-manager father Damir notoriously turned his back on Australia and took the family overseas in 2001.
The Australian Open will be the first competition she has played in this country since her much-publicised departure.
Dokic has publicly stated that she wants to represent Australia again and Tennis Australia recently said the door was still open to the young star.
The 22-year-old is currently ranked 349 and has had no major success since reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2000.
In the men's wildcard playoff Australia Davis Cup representatives Peter Luczak and Todd Reid will play Adam Feeney and Alun Jones respectively. The play-offs run from 16-19 December at Melbourne Park while the Australian Open will be played from January 6-13 at Canberra International.