Tennis stars Jelena Dokic and Alicia Molik will rekindle a rivalry which has been dormant since their junior days when they meet in the semi-finals of Saturday's Australian Open wildcard tournament.
And already Molik, the top seed, has sent out a psychological warning shot.
Molik and Dokic both battled to win their matches in three sets on Thursday with Molik beating Canberra's Alison Bai 3-6 6-3 6-1 and Dokic outlasting Victorian Tammi Patterson 7-5 2-6 6-3.
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Molik, 29, and Dokic, 27, travelled as juniors together but have not met in a senior tour event.
"We haven't played for many years now. I can't remember the last time," Molik said.
"We've practised so many years together and been on so many junior trips together, it's all a bit of a blur but the junior rivalry will come back out on Saturday, I'm sure.
"We always had a pretty healthy rivalry so it should be a really good match."
Molik recalled Dokic's stirring run to the Australian Open quarter-finals two years ago but warned even experienced players could become apprehensive.
"She's a fantastic ball striker, no doubt about that," Molik said.
"Everyone saw her form two years ago in the Australian Open - but there's a lot up for grabs (and) it's amazing what nerves can do in a match."
Molik said she was forced to step up a gear on Thursday, which was not a bad thing, against Bai.
"Alison played really well, she made 90 per cent of first serves and that made it pretty difficult for me, a set down and three-all," Molik said.
"I guess sometimes it's not a bad scenario, you don't really have any alternative but to step it up and hit the right shots.
"Sometimes it's a good thing when you're forced to play a certain way," she said.
"I made amends in the second and third and sometimes it's nice to have that pressure on when you have to produce, otherwise I would have gone down today so it was a matter of doing the right things."
In the men's draw, top seed Peter Luczak reached the semi-finals with a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win over Victorian James Lemke.
He is set to meet West Australian Matthew Ebden who tamed big-serving Victorian Sam Groth 2-6 6-4 6-2.
Luczak said that, like Molik, he was happy he was forced to fight for his win and was able to produce more proactive tennis.
"You don't want to be hanging back thinking what if, what if," he said.
"I knew I had to be more aggressive, that's what I tried to do and it worked out."
And already Molik, the top seed, has sent out a psychological warning shot.
Molik and Dokic both battled to win their matches in three sets on Thursday with Molik beating Canberra's Alison Bai 3-6 6-3 6-1 and Dokic outlasting Victorian Tammi Patterson 7-5 2-6 6-3.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Molik, 29, and Dokic, 27, travelled as juniors together but have not met in a senior tour event.
"We haven't played for many years now. I can't remember the last time," Molik said.
"We've practised so many years together and been on so many junior trips together, it's all a bit of a blur but the junior rivalry will come back out on Saturday, I'm sure.
"We always had a pretty healthy rivalry so it should be a really good match."
Molik recalled Dokic's stirring run to the Australian Open quarter-finals two years ago but warned even experienced players could become apprehensive.
"She's a fantastic ball striker, no doubt about that," Molik said.
"Everyone saw her form two years ago in the Australian Open - but there's a lot up for grabs (and) it's amazing what nerves can do in a match."
Molik said she was forced to step up a gear on Thursday, which was not a bad thing, against Bai.
"Alison played really well, she made 90 per cent of first serves and that made it pretty difficult for me, a set down and three-all," Molik said.
"I guess sometimes it's not a bad scenario, you don't really have any alternative but to step it up and hit the right shots.
"Sometimes it's a good thing when you're forced to play a certain way," she said.
"I made amends in the second and third and sometimes it's nice to have that pressure on when you have to produce, otherwise I would have gone down today so it was a matter of doing the right things."
In the men's draw, top seed Peter Luczak reached the semi-finals with a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win over Victorian James Lemke.
He is set to meet West Australian Matthew Ebden who tamed big-serving Victorian Sam Groth 2-6 6-4 6-2.
Luczak said that, like Molik, he was happy he was forced to fight for his win and was able to produce more proactive tennis.
"You don't want to be hanging back thinking what if, what if," he said.
"I knew I had to be more aggressive, that's what I tried to do and it worked out."
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