McIntyre Tennis

Dokic Warned by Tennis Australia

From The Herald Sun:  Dokic warned over coaches

TENNIS Australia will continue its coaching support of Jelena Dokic despite her split from coach Lesley Bowrey.

Dokic, 22, almost certainly will be invited to join the Fed Cup squad or Australian Institute of Sport squad from February 1.

Inclusion in either group attracts coaching backing under TA's player development pathway.

But Dokic will be told there are no exceptions to TA's support criteria in the wake of her fallout with Bowrey, who is on TA's payroll.

"It's a two-way street between Tennis Australia and the players," TA director of player development Craig Tiley said yesterday.

"If players go to a tournament where we do not have any of our four coaches and they want a coach to accompany them, the player is expected to make a contribution.

"There are no exceptions.

"I have not heard from Jelena's mouth the reason why Lesley did not go to Auckland with her.

"I will sit down with Jelena in Canberra next week and the whole thing will be clarified. From those discussions, I hope to have an understanding of where Jelena sees herself in the player development pathway."

Dokic Ends Short-Term Coaching Relationship for Financial Reasons

You just get the feeling that Jelena Dokic doesn't know how serious she is about this comeback.  But as long as she hires a coach in the near future, no harm done.  Dokic must realize that she doesn't have the mental strength right now to do everything on her own - Roger Federer she's not.

But the article is a little unfair about her financial situation.  Whatever "lucrative endorsement deals" she had in the past, they've ended and who knows how much of her prize money earnings ended up in her father's pocket and not her own.

From the Sydney Morning Herald: Going it alone, tearful Dokic at a loss - on and off the court

JELENA Dokic will make her Australian comeback without a coach, having parted ways with her on-off mentor Lesley Bowrey ahead of next week's Canberra International - Dokic's last chance for matchplay before the grand slam year begins at Melbourne Park on January 16.

Dokic's brief reunion with her former coach has ended, apparently for financial reasons, just as the re-adopted Australian yesterday failed to proceed beyond the first round in Auckland...

Dokic Loses in First Round in New Zealand

Confidence and fitness.  If Jelena Dokic has the determination and patience to stick it out she can get both back, but she seems to take this losing awfully hard.

From sportal.com.au: Dokic down in Auckland

Jelena Dokic has bounced out of the ASB Classic in Auckland after a scrappy performance against unseeded German Julia Schruff.

Dokic looked to be cruising to victory after securing the first set 7-5 with little trouble.

Dokic Talks About Comeback

From the New Zealand Herald: Dokic enjoying comeback trail

"My first aim is to get back into the top 100," said Dokic after arriving in Auckland yesterday to prepare for next week's ASB Classic. "If I play well maybe I can reach the top 50 by the end of the year - but, it could be better or worse."

While she does not yet have a firm tournament schedule, Dokic said she expected to play between 20 and 25 tournaments.

"That's what I played before," said Dokic in a passing reference to her former tennis-playing life. "More importantly, I have the will to play again. I want to play, I want to win.

"Before I took my break, my head was not there. I had a lot of problems in the last three years."

Not surprisingly, Dokic sees herself in much the same light as Mary Pierce and Jennifer Capriati who both fought back from off-court adversity to regain their best form and their top-10 rankings...

Dokic Wins Australian Open Wildcard

It's not exactly tour-level competition, but at least it looks like Jelena Dokic's 2006 will be better than her 2005.

From the AAP: Jelena opens Melbourne door

JELENA Dokic has guaranteed her place in next month's Australian Open by winning the wildcard play-off mini tournament at Melbourne Park today.

Dokic started slowly before recovering to beat Monique Adamczak 4-6 6-3 6-2.

The opening set was the only one that Dokic dropped in four matches during the tournament as she seeks to rebuild her career from a lowly ranking of No.349.

Dokic said she was nervous at the start but is pleased she no longer has to rely on tournament organisers giving her a wildcard...

One More Match to Reach Australian Open Wildcard for Dokic

From  the Herald Sun: Dokic near Open goal

COMEBACK kid Jelena Dokic is within reach of an Australian Open wildcard today as the tennis ace continues to ride an amazing change of fortunes.

Dokic revealed yesterday after making the wildcard playoff final that she couldn't even climb out of bed this time last year.

The former world No. 4 was at the lowest point of her fluctuating career after nose and throat surgery in Croatia, while also nursing a groin injury.

"I'm surprised because I hardly trained the last year and a half and had some surgery this time last year," Dokic said yesterday.

"I couldn't get out of bed this time last year, so I'm very happy to be able to play again and to be healthy."

Dokic was untroubled to beat Newcastle left-hander Trudi Musgrave 6-1 6-3 in the semi-finals, despite needing seven match points to close out her third consecutive victory.

Dokic to Play First Match as Australian (Again)

From The Australian: Welcome back Jelena: junior rival

THE last time they met, Beti Sekulovski and Jelena Dokic were two emerging teenage talents in Australia playing a low-key tournament in Mount Gambier, South Australia.

"She beat me 6-4 6-4," said Sekulovski, who was "14 or 15" at the time.

Now 22, a month younger than Dokic, Sekulovski will meet her again in the first round of the Australian Open wild-card play-offs at Melbourne Park today.

Having shadowed Dokic through junior and challenger events, Sekulovski will not be overwhelmed by the occasion.

"Obviously she's done a lot more in tennis than me but I'm actually quite excited to play her again," Sekulovski said. "I've played on the Australian circuit a lot and you see the same girls and now there's a fresh new face."

Dokic May Play Fed Cup for Australia Sooner Than Expected

Perhaps we should all wait and see if she can still play tennis before going into all of this?

From The Australian: Dokic chance at Fed Cup reprieve

JELENA Dokic could play for Australia as early as next year if a successful bid is made to the International Tennis Federation on grounds of hardship.

The ITF runs both the men's Davis Cup and women's Fed Cup competitions. Under its rules, if a player switches countries there is a waiting period of three years.

Dokic, 22, who arrived back in Melbourne last Saturday, played for Serbia-Montenegro in April last year, losing to Bulgaria.

She still holds an Australian passport, but under ITF rules would not be eligible to play for Australia again until April 2007...