KEY POINTS:
The scoreboard told a tale of defeat, but Marina Erakovic's tennis education took a giant step forward yesterday.
The Auckland teenager could have been preparing for a quarter-final at the ASB Classic today, but instead she's left to ponder lost opportunities after taking two-time Classic champion Eleni Daniilidou to the brink before a rapt crowd yesterday.
The Greek won 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in 2h 12min and will face top seed and world No 12 Jelena Jankovic in the marquee quarter-final today.
It would have been easily the biggest win of Erakovic's fledgling professional career.
She had a 2-0 lead in the deciding set and had three break points to go 3-2 up, but world No 36 Daniilidou clung on.
When the chance came, on her first match point in the 10th game, Daniilidou took it, courtesy of Erakovic netting a smash. Daniilidou flung her arms high, part delight and part relief, and full, eloquent testimony to how close she'd come to defeat.
Afterwards Erakovic acknowledged she'd had her chances, and while none on their own cost her the match, one stood out in her mind, a backhand which clipped the net midway through the final set.
"That wasn't the point where I lost it. It was, 'Bugger, that was my chance'."
But the key thing was the No 162 looked like she belonged in top 40 company. For much of the match, Erakovic set the pace and tone, and there were plenty of lessons to absorb.
"The one thing I've thought about is when you play at this level you can't have slip-ups," Erakovic said.
"You can't all of a sudden play great for two games then stop. You have to consistently play aggressively, and put the pressure on, because even if they're down you've got to squash them."
She will climb several ranking spots in an impressive start to a year-long campaign in which she's eyeing the top 100. Daniilidou reckons it's "just a matter of time" before Erakovic makes it.
"She did a very good job. She has a very good game. The only thing is she has to try and stay healthy."
Daniilidou is a popular figure in Auckland and will be hoping the crowd support switches to her today. She also knows she'll need to lift her game, which she believed was physically okay but mentally not as sharp as it should have been.
Erakovic heads to qualifying for the Australian Open on Sunday, and from there has three WTA events in Bangalore, Tokyo and Thailand, where she will have direct entry courtesy of an ITF win in Beijing last October.
"My goal is the top 100. I want to play the big names."
Right now, it's just a matter of time.
* New Zealand's two best women players, Erakovic and Sacha Jones, will continue to benefit from the financial support of the independent group, the SEED Foundation, next year.
The foundation, whose aim is to provide significant support for New Zealand's best players, has distributed a six-figure sum in the last year. Both Erakovic and Jones have been able to travel with a coach, with SEED helping with the costs.
The funding comes from corporate and private donations. Those to receive assistance are recommended to the foundation by former top New Zealand men Chris Lewis and Brett Steven, and foundation member and former WTA board member Brenda Perry.
The order of play today
* Centre court, from 11am
E. Loit (France) v C. Pin (France), followed by P. Suarez (Argentina) v J. Craybas (US), followed by 1-J.Jankovic (Serbia) v 7-E. Daniilidou (Greece), followed by 1-J. Husarova (Slovakia)/Suarez v Loit/A. Szavay (Hungary) followed by, but not before 7pm, 5-V. Zvonareva v Q-V. Razzano (France), followed by Granville/C. Gullickson (US) v Su-Wei Hsieh (Taipei)/S. Uberoi (India)
* Court 4
Not before 4pm, 3-Daniilidou/J. Woehr (Germany) v Jankovic/T. Krizan (Slovenia).
