TENNIS in DEPTH.

Jelena Dokic has admitted she has returned to Australia for this weekend’s Fed Cup tie with Switzerland “in pretty bad shape”.

Dokic, who made a memorable run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January after winning the wild-card tournament, said yesterday she had struggled in recent months.

She has played only three events since Melbourne and withdrew from two US tournaments this month with “sports fatigue injury”.

Dokic said her effort in becoming only the fourth wild-card in the Open era to make the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam had drained her. “After a four-year lay-off, it was hard after the Australian Open. I really struggled mentally and physically,” Dokic said. “I’ve been in pretty bad shape physically but I’m getting there.”

Dokic said her well-documented personal problems had made her more relaxed and given her a different perspective.

“I enjoy my life much more now and I look forward to every single day,” she said. “Even if I lose a match, it’s just a tennis match.”

Dokic is joined by top-ranked Australian Sam Stosur, experienced doubles campaigner Rennae Stubbs and youngster Jessica Moore for the world group II play-off against a Swiss team missing No1 Patty Schnyder.

Switzerland will be led by Stefanie Voegele, 19, who is coached by Melanie Molitor — the mother of Martina Hingis.

* Davis Cup legend Todd Woodbridge slammed the International Tennis Federation as “completely irresponsible” for insisting Australia play its tie against India in Chennai.

And Woodbridge warned if Australia pulled out of the May 8-10 tie for security reasons and copped an ITF suspension it could spell the end of Lleyton Hewitt’s great Cup career.

Tennis Australia has appealed against the decision and wants a neutral venue for the Asia-Oceania group I play-off. Hewitt will not play if the tie stays in India.

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