By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Jelena can't seem to get her career straight.

There's some excellent reporting being done Down Under this week. The Sydney Morning Herald's Linda Pearce along with Alex Brown got a major scoop on Jelena Dokic, who now appears doubtful for the Aussie Open. Of course the source for this contention is none other than her often-ballistic father, Damir, who Jelena wasn't speaking to for a good year.

Damir now says that Jelena has reconciled with her family.

"When we left Australia, we had plenty of problems and she doesn't want to play the Australian Open," Damir told the Herald. "We still think the match to play against Lindsay Davenport [in the opening round of the 2001 Australian Open] was rigged. Some people in Tennis Australia and [management company] Octagon did not want to see her do well and become a big star. How could she go back? She called us and said she would not be going to Australia. We last spoke to her maybe a week ago."

Dokic is reportedly training with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in Spain.

Life hasn't been easy for the tall free swinger, who has experienced off-court problems every year of her career. Jelena reportedly just split up with longtime boyfriend and racecar driver Enrique Bernoldi (who finally has a ride again). The Melbourne Age alleges that she and her family have unpaid tax bill in Australia, which is why she's not returning. Dokic emigrated to Australia when she was 11 and left the country to reside in various other parts of the globe in 2001.

Fila also cut its ties with Dokic, which was surprising considering the fact that she was the company's most attractive player, but not totally stunning given that she rarely smiles, her ranking has plummeted and doesn't like doing a lot of public appearances.

There is one positive note – if you believe anything that Damir says – the madman won't return as Jelena's coach.

"I'm not going to coach her any more because she decided to work by herself," he told the Herald. "I forgive her. When she was 18, she was very popular and traveling with us. Then she started listening to other people, like journalists and people who write things, and they were saying that she shouldn't be with her crazy father. Now see the results."

Damir – who resides in Yugoslavia and has been thrown out of couple tournaments (including Wimbledon) for drunken behavior – says he recently started a company "making brandy and dried fruit."

Jelena is still entered in next week's tournament in Sydney.

Safin aiming for the top
Speaking of players who have seen more than their fair share of trouble, Marat Safin said his head is screwed on right again. The 24-year-old has a new coach, Denis Golovanov, and says his wrist is healed. We have heard this before from the Marauding Marat.

"I make some goals to myself – try to be more focused and I'm working on that, and I'm getting much better. I decide to come in to play, to come back strong and prepare myself, and I really want to be the No. 1 in the world at the end of this year." At least Safin is saying the right things.

The 2002 Aussie Open finalist told the Herald that he has big plans in Melbourne. "I really hope that I will be lucky in Australia, and I'm really looking forward to doing well. I'm not talking about quarterfinals, semifinals, I'm talking about finals."

As good as the former No. 1 is, that would a mini-miracle considering how rusty he is.

Clijsters chances in Melbourne plunge
Just a week after she was baptized as an Aussie with her engagement to Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters retired hurt with a left ankle injury during her Hopman Cup match against Alicia Molik.

An MRI showed bruising on the bone at the back of the ankle joint, which puts Clijsters in question for the Aussie Open. Officials say they are "cautiously optimistic" that she will play, but as of today's writing Clijsters can't be too excited about her chances there. She needs to be 100 percent physically fit and 200 percent mentally prepared to take down her three nemesis: Serena, Venus and Justine.

"I went and saw her, and she was obviously pretty distressed at the time," said Hewitt. "We weren't sure how bad it was, but it is obviously disappointing to happen a couple of weeks before a Grand Slam."

Venus 'going to the next level'

Siggi Bucher

Venus says Serena will play Down Under.

How well is Lindsay Davenport playing just a couple months after foot surgery Extremely well, apparently. Her 6-4, 6-4 win over Amelie Mauresmo in the US' 3-0 win over France shows that she's very intent on cracking the top again.

Forget Venus Williams overblown comments from Hong Kong about how she loved the Olympics. She didn't take on Clijsters' opinions about it, so why go with the angle in the first place?

The important quotes from the AP story were the following: "When punches are thrown at you, you'll have to get up," Venus said. "This year will be great. … I am always going to the next level."

Williams also said Serena will play at the Australian Open.

Kafelniknov to coach
Reuters reports that Yevgeny Kafelnikov is undecided about retirement but will help train the Russian Davis Cup team for their World Group first round tie against Belarus next month. Remember Kafelnikov promised he'd quit if Russia won the 2002 Davis Cup, but came out for a full schedule in 2003.

Here's a rich quote from Russian Tennis Federation and Davis and Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev as to whether the Y-man is ready for a full-time coaching gig: "Just like most top players Yevgeny has a big ego inside of him," he said. "And unless he finds a way to channel it properly to help younger players' confidence instead of suppressing their initiative, he will not achieve the same success he has had as a player. I don't think he is ready for that just yet."