They say you never forget your first time and, for first-time fourth rounders Jelena Dokic and Alize Cornet, today’s contests serve up entrée to the hallowed second week of a Grand Slam.
Victory for Cornet would confirm the 19-year-old’s status as one of the game’s brightest rising stars. Last season saw the No.15 seed win a Tour title for the first time (in Budapest in July) and reach the semifinals or better in six tournaments, having never previously progressed beyond a quarterfinal.
In 2008 the bubbly Frenchwoman scored her first top-10 wins, over Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze. And, having lost to Daniela Hantuchova in last year’s Australian Open second round, she exacted revenge over the Slovakian last Friday, reversing last year’s result on the same court and at the same stage.
Cornet achieved her career-high ranking of No.16 in November and has nothing to lose on Rod Laver Arena against Dinara Safina, the No.3 seed who beat her in their only previous meeting in Sydney this year.
Meanwhile, been-there, done-that girl Dokic has been working away behind the scenes, and in less glamorous circumstances, to restore her ailing career to its former glory.
The 25-year-old Aussie has been far from idle, grinding it out on the satellite circuit in a bid to reinstate herself in the top ranks.
In 2008, former world No.4 Dokic won ITF events in Florence, Caserta and Darmstadt; a far cry from her Wimbledon 2000 semifinal salad days, but her most fruitful season since 2004.
On paper, Dokic is not favourite going into her inaugural Slam fourth round against No.29 seed Alisa Kleybanova, but that’s the way the Aussie likes it.
“I’m not supposed to win,” she says. “Any point that I win in a match is a bonus for me. I can just try to play well.”
In contrast, 2007 finalist Marcos Baghdatis and defending champion Novak Djokovic are old hands at the Grand Slam fourth round game.
Baghdatis’ first fourth round came on debut at Australian Open 2005, while Djokovic achieved his at Wimbledon 2006.
The pair hasn’t met since 2007, when No.3 seed Djokovic won both of their clashes at Wimbledon and Rome.
After an injury-riddled 2008, nobody is paying much attention to Baghdatis’ progress this fortnight and he’s yet to make it out of the tournament’s “small interview room”.
However, you can bet that if he takes out the defending champion tonight on Rod Laver Arena, the world’s tennis scribes will be clamouring for his attention.
One man who surely remembers his first time is Marin Cilic, having reached the fourth stanza of a major for the first time last year in Melbourne.
No.19-seeded Cilic and No.8 seed Juan Martin Del Potro haven’t played previously, but today’s opener on Hisense Arena may signal the opening skirmish in a long rivalry.
Finally you, and Andy Roddick, should keep an eye out for Tommy Robredo cantering through the draw for the average loss of five games per match.
Will today be the day the No.21 seed turns his 0-9 record against No.7 seeded Roddick on its head?
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