Sportmaster International

Belgrade - Jelena Dokic has denied reports of her kidnapping and says she is relying on inspiration from Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce in an attempt to make another return to top tennis. Speaking with the Sportski Zurnal newspaper in the Serbian capital, the 23-year-old rubbished claims from her estranged father Damir that she had been spirited away by a boyfriend and a former coach, both brothers. ‘Of course I haven’t been kidnapped, that’s complete nonsense.’ Dokic, who once stood fourth in the world, has played in only five events this season,

with first-round defeats 11 months ago at her only two WTA-level tournaments in Auckland and the Australian Open. She is currently working in Munich with former German Davis Cup coach Niki Pilic at his training camp with hopes of ultimately getting her once-powerful game in order. ‘Reaching the top 30 would satisfy my ambitions,’ the Belgrade- born Serb told the sports daily. ‘If Mary Pierce came back at age 30 (to reach two grand Slam finals in 2005), why can’t I do it at age 23?’ Amid the hysterical claims from her father, who was once banned for bad behaviour at tennis events, Dokic said that she is alive and well. ‘I’m now in Zagreb looking for sponsors to finance a comeback attempt. I think there’s a chance I can return. I’m young and this is the best time for a comeback.’ Former Australian Dokic, owner of five singles titles in 2001- 2002, currently stands number 583. She indicated that her timetable will not include a run at qualifying for the Australian Open in January though she admitted she considered the possibility but decided against it. ‘I will start with small events, it will take six months to regain fitness,’ she said, tipping a January 15 start date for her programme. Dokic’s family moved to Australia in 1994, where she received her tennis training only to fall out with the federation, with the family returning to Europe five years ago amid recriminations. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur