Dokic, Miffed at Media, Changes Her Allegiance

What would a Grand Slam event be without a Dokic-inspired controversy?

Jelena Dokic, a Wimbledon semifinalist last year at 17, told the Sunday Age of Melbourne that she would now be playing for Yugoslavia, not Australia.

Her erratic father, Damir Dokic, who has been banned from the WTA Tour until March because of his numerous outbursts, said the draw was “fixed.” The Dokic camp grew unsettled after she drew defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the first round of the Australian Open.

“I think the draw is fixed just for her,” Damir Dokic told the newspaper. “If it is not, the country should protect its own player.”

Jelena Dokic, born in Belgrade, has been based in Sydney since 1994, and the family plans to relocate to Florida.

In making the decision, she cited negative media coverage. But her father has been responsible for most of it, shouting vulgarities and smashing the cellular phone of a television reporter at Wimbledon and throwing a tantrum about the price of salmon in the players’ dining room at the U.S. Open. He was removed from the grounds by security after both incidents.