Australia - Luck is starting to turn favourable for former world number four Jelena Dokic as the Australian was handed a wild card on Tuesday into the Brisbane event next month which opens the 2009 WTA season.

The world number 178 showed fight and determination last week in winning the wild card playoff tournament for a place in the Australian Open main draw, only the third appearance in nine editions for the Serb-born Aussie.

Dokic will join world number five and top seed Ana Ivanovic, Victoria Azareka, Marion Bartoli, Daniela Hantuchova and former Melbourne champion Amelie Mauresmo of France in the women's draw. Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic heads the men's side.

Dokic, 25, becomes the third Australian to be accepted into the tournament, joining Samantha Stosur and a fellow eastern European transplant in Jarmila Gajdosova.

"Dokic showed she still has what it takes last week at the Australian Open Play-off," said Brisbane boss Steve Ayles. "She is hitting the ball crisply and is regaining form and will be a real contender."

Dokic now stands within the ranking Top 200 for the first time in nearly five years after coming close in recent seasons to giving up the game.

Dokic spent 2008 in rebuilding her ranking and competed in only three WTA events, including Hobart, where she won a match. In addition, she won three minor ITF titles on her road back to form. (dpa)