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Marina Erakovic will move confidently towards her second Grand Slam at Wimbledon next month after sampling the big time at the French Open and not looking out of place.
The 20-year-old Aucklander lost her second-round match to world No 3 Serbian Jelena Jankovic 6-2 7-6 (7-5) early yesterday, but while acknowledging defeat was disappointing she knows the positives far outweigh the negatives out of her time in Paris.
By winning her first-round match against Italian Tatiana Garbin, Erakovic pocketed about $47,000 and when the rankings are released after the French Open, she is likely to find herself up from her present No 80 to about No 70.
It is as if Erakovic is ticking off items on a list headed Things To Do In Tennis. She won her first WTA tournament match at Auckland in 2005, earned her first ranking points, reached her first tournament semifinal _ again at Auckland last January, then later Memphis - qualified for her first direct entry to a Grand Slam, and won her first match at a slam. Add in she's just completed her first game on one of tennis' big stages, the Suzanne Lenglen Court, and that she looked highly capable, and life is getting better by the week.
Erakovic admitted she had some nerves in the first set. It showed as the baseline slugger Jankovic won the important points.
"I did not go after my shots but after the first set I thought about what I can do," Erakovic told the Herald yesterday. "I was not using my forehand enough and that's one of my weapons."
Jankovic called for assistance for a painful right forearm 3-2 up in the second set and Erakovic grew in confidence. Her fastest serve was timed at 183km/h and when she varied her game she prospered.
Erakovic had a break point at 30-40 and 5-all but couldn't take it and after leading the tiebreak 5-3, lost her next four points and the match.
"Overall I think I played pretty well. I'm not a clay court expert, but I have been working on it a lot."
Jankovic, a popular winner at Auckland's ASB Classic last year, was free with her praise.
"She played great," the No 3 said. "She's a young player, and didn't have anything to lose. She was playing freely, serving unbelievably. She can be up there."
Her coach, former top 30 men's player, Michael Schapers, was more guarded in predicting Erakovic's progress up the rankings.
"She has been steadily improving in a way that's healthy and she's on an even keel," he said. "I am quite sure that she can develop further but I don't like to talk about certain goals."
Erakovic's confidence got a boost just being part of one of tennis' Big Four events, the buzz, the crowds, sharing locker rooms with the world's best. It is a setting she shows every sign of relishing for years to come.
She lost her first-round doubles match with Dutch player Michaela Krajicek later in the day, 6-4 7-6 (7-3) to French pair Emilie Loit and Pauline Parmentier. But Erakovic, who won the junior US Open doubles title in 2004 with Krajicek, confirmed they will team up again at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon starts on June 23. Erakovic first has the Ordina Open at s'Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, a tier 3 tournament starting on June 16.
