Dokic continues comeback with first-round victory in Hobart

HOBART, Australia -- Australian Jelena Dokic, coming off a two-year injury layoff, beat Germany's Martina Mueller 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 at the Hobart International on Monday.

Formerly ranked No. 4, Dokic, 24, had to win three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw. And she now has a potential problem -- whether to continue playing in the Hobart event or contest qualifying for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne.

Tennis Australia officials declined to offer Dokic a wild card into the main draw at Melbourne, and women's qualifying will start at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

Dokic is scheduled to play Italian Flavia Pennetta on Tuesday. If she wins, she must decide between continuing to play in Hobart or heading to Melbourne.

Dokic said she thought she had done enough to deserve a main draw wild card for the Open.

"Based on my previous results and how hard I have worked in the past ... I thought I deserved a wild card," Dokic said Monday. "But I wasn't expecting one."

Dokic said she would play her match against Pennetta and then decide on her next move.

Pennetta advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory against No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Top-seeded Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine won her first-round match, beating Australian Jessica Moore 7-5, 6-2.

Fifth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, the losing finalist to Li Na at the Australian women's hardcourt championships last week, retired due to a right leg injury in her match against countrywoman Olga Govortsova.

Ninth-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina also retired during her match with Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives due to a left hip injury.