Tennis: Erakovic makes the cut just

Marina Erakovic. Photo / Steven McNicholl

As the entries came flooding in it started to look like Marina Erakovic's hard-earned world ranking of 61 was not going to be enough to get her direct entry to her home tournament.

By the time the dust had settled the cut-off number stood at No 67 - Germany's Mona Barthel - and tournament director Richard Palmer could look elsewhere for his second wildcard.

Direct entry was just reward for Erakovic, who bounced back from a torrid 2010, where she ended with a singles ranking of 324, to post a very good year on the circuit.

She won three ITF singles titles in places as far-flung as Irapuato, Pelham and Jackson while accumulating US$218,298 ($293,100) in prize money. She also made her first WTA Tour final in Quebec City, Canada.

There was no great secret to her success.

"It was just tough, a lot of hard work," she said.

"There was a lot of time and effort put into it. I started with a new coach [Christian Zahalka] about a year-and-a-half ago and we work really well together."

Erakovic, 23, fell back on a cliche and took it a one-match-at-a-time approach.

"I've had more of a mellow year," she said. "I didn't really stress too much about things."

It helped, too, that she was as healthy as she's been since 2008, when she became the darling of Stanley St on her way to the semifinals.

Palmer has put together a deep field for the ASB Classic and that is a double-edged sword. Chances are, Erakovic will run up against a very good opponent early in the tournament.

"You're going to get a tough opponent no matter what," she said matter-of-factly. "The first tournament is always tough for everyone. We're rusty, nobody's had matches. Anything can happen and it usually does."

Even a first-round meeting with Venus Williams wouldn't faze her, though she would remain wary of her serve, one of tennis' all-time great weapons.

"I played her four years ago, something like that, in Miami. I lost."