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MELBOURNE - Mark Philippoussis and Jelena Dokic made successful comebacks at the Australian Open play-off at Melbourne Park yesterday.
Both returned from long absences from the game to post straight-set victories on day one of the round-robin event.
Philippoussis, 31, hasn't played an ATP event since injuring his knee in January but took part in an over-30s event in October, losing to 48-year-old US great John McEnroe.
Dokic, 24, is attempting to mount a comeback through the play-off tournament she won two years ago to enter the 2006 Open, her only grand slam event since 2004.
Rain delayed proceedings for more than seven hours and it wasn't until the early evening that Philippoussis finally stepped onto Showcourt two to take on reigning Australian Open Junior titleholder Brydan Klein.
West Australian Klein, 18, actually broke him in the first game of the match before the big-serving Melburnian found his groove, broke back in the fourth game and went on to win the first set 6-3.
Philippoussis won the second set 7-5 to take the match.
He will now play Sam Groth who upset the number one seed Alun Jones 3-6 6-1 6-3.
Dokic celebrated her return to competitive tennis with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 win against 17-year-old Victorian Alenka Hubacek.
Dokic will meet Christina Wheeler tomorrow in day two of the play-off, which is a round-robin event guaranteeing the players three matches in three days.
Wheeler beat fellow Victorian Karolina Wlodarczak 7-5 0-6 6-4.
- AAP
