KEY POINTS:
New Zealand tennis No 1 Marina Erakovic expects to have her work cut out to advance deeper into the draw at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
She faces a respected opponent in the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova in the second round today.
Safarova has a world ranking of
60, eight places above Erakovic, but has been as high as 22 and has reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in 2007.
The two have never met as singles rivals but Erakovic has a fair idea about what awaits her.
"I know that she plays pretty fast and hits the ball reasonably flat," Erakovic said.
"It will be a matter of me being aggressive, putting her on the back foot and focusing on my own movement as well.
"I will have to be more consistent and play more aggressively all the time and just keep moving and running for the ball."
Erakovic swept into the second round by beating another Czech, Petra Cetkovska, 6-4, 7-5 in stifling conditions on Monday night.
Her success left her the first New Zealand woman to win a first round at the Australian Open since Claudine Toleafoa in 1991.
The result pleased the world No 68 for more than the obvious reasons.
Erakovic, 20, exited in the first round of the Hobart International last week, which followed her second round demise in the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Her singles form in the latter half of 2008 was not inspiring either, so the chance to advance further in Melbourne can only do her confidence the world of good.
"It's a very happy feeling. It's always tough when you go out in the first round.
"You're very nervous and I think it showed in my first service game [against Cetkovska]. It's just a relief and happiness really."
Erakovic lost her first service game on Monday night but quickly broke back and then established a 4-1 lead.
Cetkovska came back by holding her serve twice and then breaking Erakovic to close the scores to 5-4 before the New Zealander broke serve to take the set.
"I think I served better than her and got over my nerves faster and quicker than her. Mentally, I don't think she was as strong as me out there," Erakovic said.
Erakovic served seven double faults, five of them in the second set.
"I could have made it easier on myself, but I got there in the end."
* Today's top action
Marina Erakovic (NZ) V Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic)
1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) v Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium)
Evgeny Korolev (Russia) v 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland)
3-Dinara Safina (Russia) v Ekaterina Makarova (Russia)
Alberta Brianti (Italy) v 5-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia)
Jeremy Chardy (France) v 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
- NZPA