19 January,2009 01:08 PM IST | | AFP
Former World No 4 Jelena Dokic's comeback gathered pace today when she beat Austrian Tamira Paszek 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Australian Open.
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Serbian-born but Australian-raised, Dokic, 25, was once one of the brightest stars on the women's tour, winning five titles and reaching the Wimbeldon semi-finals in 2000 as a 17-year-old.
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However, she was dogged by controversy, most of it surrounding her now estranged father Damir, and her career suffered as a result.
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"I was so nervous today -- it was a big match for me," Dokic said. "I wasn't the favourite but I knew I had a chance.
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"The crowd helped me -- it's been a while, but it's great to be back."
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After falling out with Australian officials she opted to move back to her native Serbia and played Fed Cup for Serbia and Montenegro in 2004.
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She has since resolved her differences with Tennis Australia, returned to Sydney and earlier this month was named in Australia's Fed Cup squad.
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Dokic is making what she acknowledges is her final attempt to make a comeback to the sport.
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Now ranked 187 in the world, she showed some glimpses of her past form when she pushed Amelie Mauresmo in the WTA tournament in Brisbane two weeks ago.
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And she was simply too strong for Paszek on Monday, winning the first set easily. Despite slipping up in the second quickly, she took control of the decider to reach the second round.
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