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Golden Australian Open chance for Gajdosova

 

Golden Australian Open chance for Gajdosova

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AOC
Golden Australian Open chance for Gajdosova
TENNIS: Jarmila Gajdosova looks set to get the locals off to a good start at the Australian Open and break her Melbourne Park hoodoo.

TENNIS: Jarmila Gajdosova will likely never get a better chance to break her decade-long Australian Open duck than Monday when she opens proceedings against Alexandra Dulgheru.

It will be Gajdosova's 10th straight appearance in the singles at Melbourne Park - and on each of the previous nine she has come up short.

But she will bring encouraging recent form into the first grand slam tournament of the year, having advanced to the quarter-finals at last week's Sydney International before bowing out to two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in three tight sets.

After a difficult couple of years on and off the court, the 27-year-old Gajdosova has got her world ranking back down to 62.

She will start as a clear favourite against Dulgheru, the world No.87 who failed to advance out of qualifying at the Sydney International.

Gajdosova attended and Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) outfitting measurement session in Melbourne on Saturday, along with Nick Kyrgios and other Australian players. This session was part of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games preparations for Rio Hopefuls. The AOC wanted to capitalise on these athletes, who travel extensively, being all in the same place in Australia for the important process for competition wear (adidas) and formal wear (Sportscraft).

Gajdosova is among 13 Australians in action on a busy day one at Melbourne Park, while the full local singles contingent of 18 is the biggest in a decade.

Also in action today are rising superstar Nick Kyrgios, who plays Federico Delbonis from Argentina in the night session on the revamped Margaret Court Arena.

Having lasted only one set against Rafael Nadal last year, Bernard Tomic will be looking for a much better showing against German Tobias Kamke.

Teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis looks to have drawn the toughest first-round assignment among the Australians with a clash against 11th seed Ernests Gulbis.

But there is a fitness cloud hanging over the Latvian, who pulled out of his opening tournament of the year in Qatar due to illness and then lost to qualifier Jiri Vesely in Auckland last week.

Play gets underway at 1100 (AEDT).

AAP

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