Money or taxation concerns rather than personal problems appear to be behind Jelena Dokic's late withdrawal from this week's international women's tournament.
ASB Classic director Richard Palmer yesterday said "a whole lot of reasons" were behind the tournament's star attraction's no show, but he again refused to be drawnfurther.
Pressed on suggestions that worries about unpaid tax bills from the years when she lived in Australia - but apparently more to do with her father, Damir, than herself - were the real reason for her pulling out, Palmer said: "I have promised not to divulge some information I have been privy to.
"All I will say is there are a number of personal reasons. There are a whole raft of issues. Sadly, it all came to a head last week."
If unpaid tax is the problem, Dokic's situation is similar to former world No 1 Steffi Graf, whose father, Peter, was jailed in Germany for tax evasion.
There had been suggestions the recent break-up of Dokic's long-time relationship with Formula One driver Enrique Bernoldi was behind her decision not to play at the ASB Tennis Centre.
Others hinted that her much-publicised spats with her father were the reason for the no-show.
Given the apparent problems with the taxman across the Tasman, it now seems unlikely she will make her much-awaited return to the Australian Open this month.
But Dokic, who last played in Melbourne in 2001, is still in the Open draw and organisers expect her to turn up.
Palmer moved quickly yesterday to squash any suggestion Dokic would be fined for not showing up here.
"She is not going to be fined. It is totally ridiculous to quote any figure. As a gold exempt player she does not have to play a tournament [tier four] of our level, even if she has made a commitment.
"It would be different if she had committed to a higher-tier tournament and withdrew."
If Dokic, as one of the world's top 15, had committed to this week's tier-three tournament on the Gold Coast and not shown up, she could have been fined up to US$5000 ($7600).
Palmer is now putting Dokic - and a fire at the ASB Tennis Centre which could have been a bigger disruption - behind him, looking forward to what he sees as one of the best tournaments of the past decade.
