Can Dokic soar ever further?

The phrase ‘emotional rollercoaster’ can be used when tracking the progress of many combatants across a variety of sports.

But never has it been more apt than the ride comeback queen Jelena Dokic has taken the sporting public on in this first week of Australian Open 2009.
Day 5 dawns with the former world No.4 aiming for a spot in the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific.

In her way tonight on Rod Laver Arena is the No.11 seed Caroline Wozniacki – the 18-year-old from Denmark is an emerging star who is enjoying a fruitful summer Down Under and hasn’t been troubled in her first two matches. It will be their first meeting.

Dokic has already taken down one seed – outlasting No.17 Anna Chakvetadze 6-4 6-7 6-3 in a two and a quarter hour marathon on Wednesday evening.

Slumping into her courtside chair in tears after securing the victory, a sustained standing ovation from the Rod Laver Arena crowd then had the 25-year-old conducting her on-court interview in a faltering voice spiced with emotion.

The last time she made it this far in the Australian Open was a decade ago – 1999, when she was making her debut as a 15-year-old. Then it took another teenager, Martina Hingis, to end her run. To put it into context, that tournament was the final time the “Swiss Miss” would win a Grand Slam singles championship.

This is the first time Dokic has made it to the last 32 in a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2003, when Maria Sharapova, as a wildcard, bundled her out in two tight sets. Those statistics alone ensures Rod Laver Arena will again be humming with expectation when Dokic strides from the players’ tunnel.

On the subject of statistics, no set of numbers can do justice to the last time Roger Federer faced Marat Safin over the net at Melbourne Park.

In one of the greatest Australian Open matches ever staged, the big Russian prevailed 9-7 in the fifth set of the 2005 semi-final – one of only two victories he holds over the 13-time Grand Slam winner in 11 meetings.

Their third-round clash tonight is the major highlight in men’s singles action on Day 5 – the first day of a Slam when seeds collide – and strangely it is the first time they have met on a hard court in the four years since their ‘for the ages’ epic.

Three subsequent meetings have all been on grass (twice at Wimbledon) and all won by Federer, including a semi-final last year at the All-England Club.

Mouth-watering match-ups are also in order on Hisense Arena; with seventh seed Andy Roddick taking on veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro during the day session in a display of power versus panache. The delightful Santoro, at 36, remains a pleasure to watch, but has taken only one match off the popular American in four meetings.

In the night schedule, another American seed – Mardy Fish at 23 – confronts 2006 finalist Marcos Baghdatis. Surprisingly, it will be the pair’s first clash.

The big names just keep rolling by on day 5, with Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Novak Djokovic all in action on Rod Laver Arena throughout the day, and Ana Ivanovic playing in Hisense Arena in the evening.