Dokic leads Aussies at Fed Cup qualifier

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(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-02-04 17:24

PERTH -- Australian Open surprise package Jelena Dokic will be looking to continue her rich vein of form into this week's Fed Cup as the home nation looks to progress to the next stage of the tournament.

Australia's Jelena Dokic returns to Russia's Dinara Safina during their women's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 27, 2009. [Agencies]

After reaching the quarterfinals of the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, Dokic returns to the scene of one of her early triumphs to play for her adopted country for the first time since 2000.

With eight teams in the Asia/Oceania Group I competition chasing elevation to World Group II of the women's team event, Australia's main rival could be India, led by Sania Mirza, who became the first Indian woman to claim a Grand Slam title in winning the Australian Open mixed doubles.

The other teams in the tournament, which starts today, are Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and Uzbekistan.

Dokic, whose last Fed Cup appearance was for her native Serbia and Montenegro in 2004, will be looking to build on her remarkable Melbourne run that revived memories of her lofty fourth ranking back in 2000, before off-court dramas, mostly related to her controversial father Damir, almost curtailed her career.

Dokic makes her Fed Cup comeback in the city where she combined with Mark Philippoussis as a 16-year-old to win the mixed-teams Hopman Cup in 1999.

She has a 9-2 record in Fed Cup singles for Australia and said during the Australian Open that she was thrilled to be back in the national team.

With top-50 player Samantha Stosur expected to join Dokic in playing the majority of singles ties here, the Australians will be expected to win.

The home team can also call on local player Casey Dellacqua, who reached the fourth round of the 2008 Australian Open and was ranked as high as 39th last year. Doubles specialist Rennae Stubbs completes the Australian team.

India will be led by the big-hitting Mirza, who was ranked 27 in the world in 2007 but slipped out of the top 100 after battling wrist problems in 2008.

Agencies