Former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic is always in the fray when topic of discussion turns to best players yet to have won a grand slam title.
The Serbian sixth seed begins her Brisbane International campaign today as the first match on Pat Rafter Arena for 2015 against 21-year-old Croatian-born Australian wildcard, Ajla Tomljanovic, hoping to build on her semifinal run here last year.
It was a season of consistency for the world No.15, reaching a final in Bogota, three semifinals – in addition to her Brisbane run – and four quarterfinals, as well reaching the fourth round at three of the four majors.
Despite injury interruptions, Tomljanovic had her best year to date in 2014, finishing the year ranked No.63 on the back of two quarterfinal appearances and a fourth round showing at the French Open.
At last year’s Australian Open she served for the match against 13th seed Sloane Stephens before eventually falling 7-5 in the third set. But it was her result in Paris, which announced her presence. The 21-year-old took down No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4 in the third round on the clay for her biggest result of the year.
When it was suggested she was on a “Cinderella run” after the match, Tomljanovic modestly put the win into perspective.
“Don’t you call it that when it’s the quarters, not fourth round?” she said with a grin.
Now calling Brisbane home, Tomljanovic has paid tribute to David Taylor – Sam Stosur’s former coach – whom she started working with in December 2013.
After battling mononucleosis and a string of tough losses, she said Taylor was someone who never stopped believing she would begin to fulfill her potential.
Jankovic and Tomljanovic have met once before on clay in Charleston last year, where the more experienced Serb prevailed 7-5 6-1.
Big-hitting Estonian Kaia Kanepi – the 2012 Brisbane International champion – faces a tough ask as she looks to build a return towards the top 20 when she takes on 2011 Brisbane runner-up Andrea Petkovic in the second match on Pat Rafter Arena for the day.
The 29-year-old Kanepi defeated Petkovic in the quarterfinals on her run to the 2012 title, having claimed both the pair’s previous encounters on hardcourts.
Now ranked No.45 in the world, she will face the German, whose last Brisbane outing came in the Fed Cup semifinals in April, where she won a crucial rubber against Sam Stosur. Brisbane fans have become accustomed to the popular “dancing Petko” post-match celebrations, with some of the German’s best results coming on these courts. The fifth seed will start favourite having won the season-ending WTA Tournament of Champions in Bulgaria as well as reaching her first grand slam semifinal at last year’s French Open.
Top-ranked Australian Sam Stosur will carry a quiet air of confidence into her first match of 2015 when the world No.22 squares off against Uzbekistani-born American Varvara Lepchenko in the third match on Pat Rafter Arena today.
Stosur has claimed all three of the duo’s previous showdowns, including in Cincinnati last year, but starts in unfamiliar territory in her home tournament, falling just outside the top eight seeds.
“This is one of the toughest tournaments of the year almost so unseeded at (22) in the world is pretty rough,” she said.
“But that’s the way it goes and that’s fine, I’ll certainly be ready to play my first match.”
Stosur was welcoming the chance to play at home again.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing in Brisbane; obviously I would like some better results there and will try that this time, but it’s just playing at home. It really is my home tournament.”