KEY POINTS:
Marina Erakovic will be hoping Split Enz were wrong and that history really does repeat itself at the ASB Tennis Centre today.
A year after toppling top-seed Vera Zvonareva in the third round of her home tournament, the Kiwi No 1 will again run into the Classic's top-ranked
player.
This time, however, the task has even more of a Mission Impossible air about it. Zvonareva was ranked 22 when Erakovic removed her in a shock three-setter. Elena Dementieva is the world No 4, the reigning Olympic champion and the highest-ranked player to grace the tournament.
"I really have to go out there and go for my shots because I don't have anything to lose," Erakovic said. "I'll have the crowd behind me so it is just a matter of playing the best that I can."
That she'll get the chance to test herself against the Russian glamour girl is largely thanks to the booming serve that dug her out of trouble time and again in a 7-5, 6-4 first-round victory over gritty Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives yesterday.
Erakovic was far from her best but she sent down 11 aces to help snap a run of eight consecutive first- round defeats.
"Relieved is a good word," she said. "I can't say it was the best tennis ever or the worst. I was quite nervous and it was tough out there. I am very happy that I got through."
The Spaniard had already claimed the Kiwi's scalp in doubles and the early signs weren't great in the singles rematch, with Erakovic dropping her opening service game and then failing to make an impression on Llagostera Vives' serve as the Spaniard held to love.
The shaky start was down to a bout of nerves, Erakovic said.
"It was a big crowd, a home crowd and you want to do well but I couldn't get a ball in the court. But I knew it would come."
Clearly struggling to get her feet moving, she was quickly in trouble in the third game, down 0-30, before her serve found its range and two booming aces dug her out of trouble.
That game proved a common theme for the match, with Erakovic frequently relying on a big first serve to keep the dogged Spaniard at bay.
"It wasn't going 100 per cent all the time but it was winning me important points," she said.
The Kiwi needed just one break point to get back on serve in the fourth game, unleashing a cracking service return winner to level at 2-2.
Both players held for 3-3 before Erakovic stumbled again, dropping her serve from 40-0 up. Llagostera Vives held for 5-3 but failed to close out the set on serve, with Erakovic breaking her to 15 to level at 5-5.
The Kiwi then held her composure on serve before breaking the Spaniard again to take the set 7-5 in 59 minutes.
The second set looked like being one-way traffic, with Erakovic powering her way out of several jams on serve and breaking Llagostera Vives in the fourth game to go 3-1 up. Another brace of aces put her 4-1 up and the Spaniard appeared to be losing her cool, smashing her racquet into the court in frustration at a contentious line call.
With victory in sight Erakovic appeared to tighten up.
Llagostera Vives held and then broke back for 4-3 before coming out on top in the game of the match to level at 4-4. Up 40-0, the Spaniard lost her way and was forced to fight off five break points before eventually holding.
It was then Erakovic's turn to fight off break points as she battled back from 15-40 to hold and claim a 5-4 lead. The Spaniard needed to hold to stay in it but a double fault at 40-30 proved crucial, with the Kiwi needing just one match point for victory.
Said Erakovic: "Let's just say it is a good start to the year."
