KEY POINTS:
Marina Erakovic will head into something of the unknown when she takes to the court at this week's Australian Open.
Not only will it be the first time she has competed in the main draw in Melbourne but it will also be against a player she has never faced before.
The New Zealand No 1, who is ranked 68 in the world was drawn to play the 84th-ranked Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic in the first round.
"I have never played her before in a match but I have practised with her so I know what she plays like," Erakovic said from Melbourne. "She's a baseliner with a two-handed backhand, decent serve, moves OK. I think 'solid all-around' covers it.
"I think it's a good draw. It's not a seed or a big name but I still have to go out there and focus on my tennis."
Cetkovska, like Erakovic, was as high as 49 in June last year but also slipped away in the second half of the year. She also broke into the world's top 100 for the first time last year.
She has claimed 17 ITF singles and 18 ITF doubles titles, as well as one WTA doubles title, and made it through to the fourth round of last year's French Open.
The 23-year-old was a first-round loser at the recent ASB Classic, falling to Israel's Shahar Peer in straight sets, and was also ousted in the first round of qualifying in Sydney.
If Erakovic dares to cast her eye further into the draw, she could have a likely second-round meeting with the 24th seed, Sybille Bammer of Austria, followed by a match-up with 16th seed Marion Bartoli and a fourth-round encounter with top seed and world No 1 Jelena Jankovic.
Erakovic goes into the Australian Open on the back of some solid if not spectacular form.
She won her first-round match at the ASB Classic against Spain's Nuria Llagostera-Vives, breaking her run of eight consecutive first-round defeats, but was blown away by world No 4 and eventual winner Elena Dementieva.
Erakovic was then ousted in the first round at Hobart by world No 24 Jie Zheng, who was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, in three sets.
"I was disappointed at the loss but it feels like my tennis is going good and I am improving and that's what I look for," she said. "I am feeling confident. Each day throughout the year I am feeling better and better. Even though I have had a couple of tough losses they were against some great players.
"I am moving well and hitting the ball quite nicely so I am just looking forward to the year and there's no reason not to have confidence."
Importantly, she's also over the niggly ankle and neck injuries which have hampered her in recent times.
Women's No 1 Jelena Jankovic, entering a grand slam for the first time as the top seed, will open her campaign against Austria's Yvonne Meusburger.
Serena Williams, who defeated Serbia's Jankovic in the 2008 US Open final and is the second seed, will play Yuan Meng of China.
The American, targeting a fourth title in the season's opening major, faces a tricky passage through the draw as she could run into 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round before setting up a possible semi-final with sister Venus.
Russian pair Dinara Safina, seeded third, and fourth-seed Dementieva, will play Alla Kudryavtseva and Kristina Barrios respectively.