Tennis: Beaten but not bowed - Erakovic still upbeat after loss

Marina Erakovic bounced back well after being hammered 6-0 in the first set. Picture / Dean Purcell

Marina Erakovic is out of her home-town tournament but will head into the Australian swing with a positive outlook.

Unlike in recent years, Erakovic won't walk away from Auckland with a heavy heart and slumped shoulders after a poor performance in front of her local fans.

Yesterday, she came back well from a nightmare start and there wasn't much in it, with opponent Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova slightly better on the big points in her 6-0 2-6 6-4 victory in just under two-and-a-half hours.

"There are a lot of positives to take out of it," said Erakovic. "I fought really hard, did all I could and played to a good level."

After last year, when she admitted playing in New Zealand was a huge mental battle, Erakovic looks in a different place.

She confronted some demons with her first-round win over Monica Puig on Tuesday night, and went close against a player ranked almost 50 places above her yesterday.

However, Erakovic will also wonder what might have been. Despite the gulf in rankings, it was a winnable match but the Czech cashed in on a fluctuating display from the Kiwi.

Erakovic struggled from the service line all afternoon, landing just 56 per cent of first serves and coughing up seven double faults. She also missed plenty off her backhand and couldn't get to the net.

But she had her moments, especially as her opponent began to get rattled in the final set. Zahlavova-Strycova was upset by some contentious line calls and was given a code violation for swearing.

Erakovic made the worst possible start. She looked uneasy and, after being broken in her first two service games, called new coach Eduardo Nicolas on to the court for advice.

Zahlavova-Strycova was never going to be an easy opponent. The Czech player enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, reaching the top 25 in the world for the first time after a decade on tour. She's the kind of grinding player who's always difficult for Erakovic - she's relentless from the baseline and gives up few free points.

Zahlavova-Strycova took the first set in a canter, breaking Erakovic at will while easily holding her own serve.

Thankfully, Erakovic found her game in the second set. As she lifted, so did the crowd - not quite at the levels of Tuesday night, but close.

It was gutsy stuff, too, as Erakovic saved four break-point opportunities and skipped back to her chair after serving out the set.

The third set was always going to be tight. Serves became harder to hold and rallies longer.

After fighting so hard, Erakovic gave up a relatively soft service game at 3-3 and the door opened for the Czech. The New Zealander fought to the last - forcing two break points at 4-5 - but Zahlavova-Strycova served her way out of trouble then converted her first match point.

Erakovic plans to enter qualifying in Sydney, although a doubles run in Auckland could yet complicate things.