It has taken little Marina Erakovic just three matches to make her mark as a professional tennis player.
In her tournament debut at this level, she will be the only New Zealander in today's semifinals at the US$10,000 ASB Bank women's international at the Renouf centre.
It was hard to believe Erakovic,
a wild card, was just 15 as she comfortably disposed of Australia's Lisa D'Amelio 6-2 6-2 yesterday to set up a meeting with the top seed and defending champion Lauren Breadmore, of Melbourne.
In three days, Erakovic has emphasised she is already good enough to be selected in a few days for the New Zealand Fed Cup team to play India in April, having advanced further in the tournament than New Zealand's top-ranked woman Shelley Stephens and another cup team candidate Ilke Gers.
The Aucklander might have been helped by a favourable draw but she still had to beat three Australians with superior world rankings, Christina Horiatopoulos (893), last year's semifinalist Kristen van Elden (541), and D'Amelio (868).
The No 13 world ranked junior came to the tournament not knowing what to expect, and after today's win said the standard among the top 20 juniors was higher than she had encountered so far.
"It's much tougher playing in the junior tournament at a grand slam event than here," Erakovic said.
"The players are older here but there's a lot of big, strong players among the juniors.
"I'm feeling pretty confident after a nervous start to the tournament, and the crowd support has been great."
People have come specially to see her play, and she has not disappointed them. Erakovic's game has blossomed, and she has an exceptional temperament for one so young.
Meanwhile, Breadmore, 20, had to battle for two hours 53 minutes before overcoming fellow Australian and the fifth seed Nicole Kriz 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 in her quarterfinal.
After leading 4-2 in the tie-break she was unsettled by a line call that went against her. She lost the set and looked about to blow the match in the third.
Breadmore received an early code of conduct warning for ball abuse, and soon after conceded a point for racket abuse. She then survived two match balls in the 10th game before her fighting spirit carried her through.
Australia's Cindy Watson, the seventh seed, beat the third seeded Stephens in a tense two hour 11 minutes battle to earn a meeting with Taiwan's second seeded Chia-Jung Chuang in the other semifinal.
Watson won 1-6 6-2 7-5 but appeared to have taken the match with her second match ball at 5-4. Though the linesman appeared to call Stephens' ball out, chair umpire Lucy Grant was unaware of it. Following a long delay and the appearance of the tournanment referee Stephen Noble, the point was replayed and Watson did well to compose herself sufficiently to win.
- NZPA
It has taken little Marina Erakovic just three matches to make her mark as a professional tennis player.
In her tournament debut at this level, she will be the only New Zealander in today's semifinals at the US$10,000 ASB Bank women's international at the Renouf centre.
It was hard to believe Erakovic,
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