Tennis: Erakovic falls in first round

Marina Erakovic has been looking to add more power to her tennis game but it was the power of Mirjana Lucic that proved the difference in their first round match at the US Open this morning.

The Kiwi No 1 went down to Lucic 6-4 2-6 6-4 in two hours and 20 minutes on Court 9 at Flushing Meadow. It was a game many expected Erakovic to win, especially coming into the US Open on the back of some good form that has seen her ranking improve dramatically from 324 at the start of the year to her current position of 90. It's still some way short of her career high of 49 in July 2008 but, given where she has been and the injuries she has battled to overcome, it's a remarkable achievement.

"I'm playing heaps better than six months ago,'' Erakovic said. "I'm on the right track. It's still tough to lose today, but in the end things are moving in the right direction.''

Her ranking will climb even higher despite her loss. She qualified for her third grand slam tournament in a row and, just by making the main draw, her ranking will improve.

How much higher she will go is hard to predict. She has attempted, in tennis parlance, to hit a bigger ball since her comeback from injury as well as improve her movement around the court but she still doesn't possess a major weapon the top players have.

But she's clearly playing well, having won three ITF titles in 2011 and reached the quarter-finals of WTA Tour events in both Birmingham and Stanford and beaten the likes of world No 4 Victoria Azarenka on the way.

The advantage of having weapons was illustrated in the match against Lucic. The Croatian is a former Wimbledon semifinalist who relies heavily on her power and this proved the difference today.

"With a player like Mirjana, you've gotta ride the highs and the lows,'' Erakovic said. "With her she's going to make some great shots and miss some shots.

"I was keen to dictate and make her run around, but it's hard when she hits such a big ball. In the first and the third [sets] I had my chances, but that's the way things are in tennis.''

Erakovic will immediately switch her focus to the doubles, where she will team up with Thai player Tamarine Tanasugarn. Together the pair made the semifinals of Wimbledon just six weeks ago after gaining a spot in the main draw as lucky losers from qualifying.

They take on Urszula Radwanska (Poland) and former ASB Classic champion Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) in the first round.