Tennis: Cautious Erakovic targets Classic comeback

Marina Erakovic coaches Elise Rimmer, 10, at the Pompallier Tennis Club demo day in Auckland yesterday. Picture / Jason Oxenham

Marina Erakovic is targeting January's ASB Classic for her competitive comeback after a frustrating run with injury, but she is still not certain she'll be ready.

The New Zealand No1 was forced to pull the pin on her 2015 season early after injuring her knee at the US Open in September.

Erakovic had been hampered by the injury for much of the season, taking a two-month break in June following Wimbledon to let it settle down. But the problem, which stemmed from overuse, flared up again at the US Open, forcing her to retire from her first round match against Simona Halep.

"I was playing a match and lunged for a ball and I felt a sharp pain and it turned out to be a stress fracture," she said.

Rest was the only possible treatment, so Erakovic returned to Auckland to focus on her recovery. She started on-court training a few weeks ago, slowly building to the point where she is now hitting three times a week for 30 minutes to an hour.

Erakovic said her progress had been slower than hoped, but is still on track to appear in her home tournament in January.

"It's been improving, it is just taking a bit longer than usual," said Erakovic. "I can't say yes 100 per cent I will play, but for now it looks like I will most likely make that deadline."

Having slipped to 135 in the rankings during her time on the sidelines, Erakovic will need a wild card to enter the main draw of the ASB Classic. Tournament director Karl Budge has told the Kiwi star there's a spot for her if she's ready.

But Erakovic is wary of not returning too early after pushing herself too soon earlier in the year.

"I definitely miss playing. When you have an injury and you have to take time off I know how hard it is to get back, because all the other players are working hard and improving. I want to try and close that gap, but I don't want to rush things either."

Any delay in Erakovic's return may end her hopes of an Olympic berth next year. Having plummeted in the rankings over the second half of the year, it's a tough ask to get back up to a level that will satisfy the Olympic selectors by the May qualifying deadline. Erakovic also needs to play Fed Cup for New Zealand in February to meet International Tennis Federation criteria for Olympic nominations.