Tennis: Former world No 4 Dokic confirmed

Auckland classic bosses are confident Jelena Dokic won't repeat her no-show of 22 months ago at next month's international tournament.

Dokic bailed out at short notice when second seed for the 2004 event, but yesterday was confirmed as the second wildcard for the ASB Classic starting on January 2.

It will be the first event for the Belgrade-born Australian on her comeback to the big time. She has not been seen on court since May.

If you go looking for the former world No 4 on the WTA rankings, you'll find her nestled in at No 349, between a Croat called Nadja Pavic and an American, Tiffany Eklov, neither of whose names are ever likely to be seen again.

A combination of injury problems plus her highly-publicised personal dramas have blighted her career.

But the 22-year-old's talent has never been in doubt. She has won five singles titles, four doubles crowns and accumulated over US$3.7 million ($6 million) in winnings.

Dokic has parted from her father, the domineering Damir, a big, bearded man capable of starting a fight in an empty room, who is banned from WTA events.

The word is the two have not spoken in six months and tournament director Richard Palmer is sure she's coming to Auckland for the right reasons.

"She's in Melbourne and I'm led to believe she's training very hard for a month.

"I don't think she'd spend that time if she is not serious," Palmer said.

He holds no grudges over Dokic's withdrawal last year.

"She was at a time in her life when she had a lot of problems to deal with. It sounds like she's got a good group of people round her now," he said.

Dokic's inclusion means the field for the US$140,000 Classic includes three former top-10 players who are not seeded, the others being Russian Vera Zvonareva and Argentine Paola Suarez.

The other wildcard went to top New Zealander Marina Erakovic.

Top seed is Russian world No 9 Nadia Petrova.

Among Dokic's claims to fame were her first round 6-2, 6-0 drubbing of then world No 1 Martina Hingis at Wimbledon in 1999.

At the time, Dokic was ranked No 129 and a qualifier.

It remains the biggest Grand Slam upset in the modern era.

So there is an irony that the pair should now both be making their way back in the game after periods in the tennis wilderness.