Fire still burns in resilient Dokic

Jelena Dokic at Royal South Yarra Tennis club she is back in training. Source: Stuart Milligan / News Limited

It hurts Jelena Dokic to admit that she can't win this week's Australian Open wildcard play-off.

Her competitive instincts want that spot in next month's singles main draw, but the reality is she's a long way off being ready for a major championship.

Dokic is bravely launching another comeback after being sidelined for the past two years with a chronic right wrist injury that eventually needed reconstructive surgery.

``For so long I've felt like I was retired, but I don't think my career is over,'' she said at Melbourne Park yesterday.

``I've had a horrible two years, it has been so bad going from doctor to doctor and then finally making that decision to have surgery because it was quite a complex one.

``I ended up having that probably a bit too late and then the recovery took so long. Now I'm at a stage where I'm so happy just to play my first competitive match.''

The former world No.4 will tomorrow face Australian Fed Cup member Jarmila Gajdosova whose own year was wrecked by mononucleosis, virtually confined to bed for four months by the viral infection.

``It's kind of ironic that both of us haven't played. It will be pretty much who can put the ball into the court more often,'' Gajdosova said.

Dokic said it will take her at least six months to build the fitness needed to play matches in consecutive weeks if she's to get back on to the women's tour in 2014.

`Always when you're competing, you give yourself a chance. But to be honest, I don't give myself a chance (in the play-off) this year,'' the 30-year-old said.

``I'm just happy to play my first competitive match in almost two years. For me, that's a win because I thought I would never play again.

``I'm just excited about that, I don't really care whether I win or whether I lose and how I play. I just want to be out there and have that feeling of competing, you know, being nervous and the adrenalin.

"For sure, it will take me months to get back to being able to play well in matches. There will be a lot of bad matches, but I'm prepared for that. I have to start somewhere and I'm just happy to be playing.''

The play-offs start today with the first round of the best-of-five-sets, knockout 16-player men's draw on Melbourne Park's outside courts.

Queenslander Ben Mitchell, who won last year's wildcard, meets Tasmanian Harry Bourchier, runner-up in the 18s singles final at the weekend.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Fire still burns in resilient Dokic

Dengan url

http://sportifoclube.blogspot.com/2013/12/fire-still-burns-in-resilient-dokic.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Fire still burns in resilient Dokic

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Fire still burns in resilient Dokic

sebagai sumbernya