KEY POINTS:
Marina Erakovic has withstood the heat, now she's about to find out if she will wilt under the pressure.
The New Zealand tennis player will stride on to court against Japanese opponent Ayumi Morita in her Olympic debut tomorrow hoping to add another fantastic chapter in her fairytale year.
She fancies her chances of making it to the second round (Erakovic is ranked 49th, Morita 145th), but this is the Olympics and funny things can happen.
One thing the 20-year-old Aucklander is not worried about is the conditions. She said yesterday she had spent the last few days in Beijing training during the day and had not been affected.
"I know it's smoggy, but to me it's more weather than pollution and it's just really humid," she said. "For playing conditions, it is hot but not too drastic and the last couple of days have not been too bad. Obviously you are going to sweat a lot, otherwise I think it's fine."
Erakovic and Morita have played twice. "I'm 0-and-2 against her so I'm down but it's good to play someone I know. The last time I played her was at the end of last year ... and I've improved a lot and I'm feeling pretty good and I think my chances are pretty good."
Coach Michiel Schapers was pleased with the draw. "You have to say she has a good draw," he said. "She has a big opportunity to pass the first round but in saying that, you have to stay in the moment and I certainly don't like to look too much to the future."
As well as the two matches at Morita, Erakovic has practised against her many times. "So there are no secrets, but it's the other way around too," said Schapers.
Whoever progresses is likely to face number three seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Erakovic has not played her and, though she was reluctant to look beyond her first round, she conceded Kuznetsova would be a tough opponent.
"But when you are playing against the best there is a little bit more motivation," she said.
There's not much that upsets her, obviously. Asked if she woke up in the morning and pinched herself that she had progressed from 153 in the world at the start of the year to number 49, she replied: "I wake up in the morning and think, `God, I wish I had more sleep'. No, it's been a great year and obviously the goal was to get into the top 100 and I did that and then I said top 50 and that happened very quickly, and I just hope it will continue."
