Tennis: Erakovic out of Australian Open qualifying

Marina Erakovic has been knocked out of qualifying at the Australian Open. Photo / Steven McNichol

New Zealand tennis player Marina Erakovic has been knocked out of the second round of qualifying at the Australian Open.

Erakovic, ranked 332 in the world, took the first set against world number 128 Kurumi Nara of Japan, the 10th seed for qualifying.

But she could not hold her game together and was eventually knocked out 4-6 6-1 6-3.

Erakovic held the upper hand in the first set, breaking Nara's serve twice from five opportunites while giving up just one break herself.

But Nara dominated the second, breaking Erakovic's serve twice on the way to a 6-1 win.

Erakovic was broken again early in the third set and though she had a chance to break back, Nara took the important points and she won the match with a break of Erakovic' serve.

As she did yesterday when beating Irena Pavlovic of France, Erakovic played a higher risk match than her opponent.

She hit 10 clean winners to Nara's four, but she made six errors and six double faults, compared to two each for Nara.

A number of Erakovic's double faults and errors came when least needed in the third set.

Erakovic would have been one win away from a place in the main Australian Open draw if she had won today.

- NZPA